Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 27, 2013 - Comments (6)
Category: Movies, Music, 1930s, 1940s

Pax Victis

In 1930, the residents of Dedham, Mass. paid $12,600 for a war memorial on which was inscribed the phrase "Pax Victis." But six years later a Latinist pointed out that the phrase meant "Peace to the conquered," which didn't quite sound right. It's along the lines of 'Slavery is Freedom.' So the city paid $400 to change the inscription to "Pax Victoribus" -- "Peace to the victorious." But apparently that didn't sound quite right either because eventually it was changed to read simply "Pax." [Waterville Times - Apr 16, 1936 (pdf)]

Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 16, 2013 - Comments (12)
Category: Statues, Monuments and Memorials, War, 1930s

Life Before Cellphones

Original story here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 11, 2013 - Comments (4)
Category: Radio, Chindogu, Children, Parents, 1930s

Listerine Cures Dandruff

1937 ad for Listerine. From what I understand, Listerine really is an effective cure for dandruff. However, I assume that most people were reluctant to rub mouthwash in their hair. And nowadays, no company in their right mind would admit in the ad that they tested the product on cute rabbits.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 06, 2013 - Comments (5)
Category: Hygiene, Advertising, 1930s

Don’t kill your wife with work

A 1936 advertising appeal to householders in Willesden, Middlesex, England. [source: Newsweek - Apr 11, 1936]

Posted By: Alex - Mon Aug 05, 2013 - Comments (8)
Category: Advertising, Wives, 1930s

Most Typical Boy

A little over a month ago I posted about how, back in the 1930s and 40s, there used to be "Miss Typical" contests. Turns out there were male versions of these contests as well. The picture below shows the 1939 finalists for the "Typical American Boy" contest. The winner was Karl McCready, 13, of Louisville, Kentucky (sitting in the front row, on the left). You can see some footage of the Typical Boy contest over at efootage.com.

Can't help but wonder what kind of child would have been produced if Typical Boy and Miss Typical had ever gotten together.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 02, 2013 - Comments (4)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, 1930s

Flip the Frog in A CHINAMAN’S CHANCE

Zip ahead to the five-minute mark to see Flip the Frog toking on an opium pipe.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 28, 2013 - Comments (2)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Drugs, Cartoons, 1930s

Farewell To Life Party

In January 1934, at the age of 82, arctic explorer W.J.A. Grant decided he wasn't much longer for this world and had a "farewell to life" champagne party. The centerpiece of the event was a wooden coffin he had specially made. Five hundred people attended, as well as "a bevy of beautiful dancing girls." He instructed everyone to "wear your gayest clothes—don't come in the miserable garb of woe."

The partying lasted through the night. Grant, wearing a boutonniere in his coat lapel, mingled with his guests "and pointed cheerfully to a notice on the wall that said he would die within a week."

But the next day, having had only two hours of sleep, he announced that he now "felt fine." It took him another year before he finally kicked the bucket. [Chicago Tribune - Mar 11, 1935]

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 26, 2013 - Comments (5)
Category: Death, Obituaries, 1930s

Gogea Mitu

When I first saw the cover of this March 1935 issue of the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung, I thought the photo must be fake. But no, it's real. It shows 20-year-old Gogea Mitu, a boxer and the tallest Romanian in history. From wikipedia:


Mitu only lived to be 22, dying of tuberculosis in 1936. In the picture, it looks like he's wearing Converse sneakers. Did they come in his size, or were they custom-made for him?

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 24, 2013 - Comments (7)
Category: Human Marvels, 1930s

Life in America:  1933

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 20, 2013 - Comments (5)
Category: Customs, 1930s, North America