Beauty Mask

March 1940 — At the International Beauty Shop Owners' show in New York City, Ruth Scott modeled a mask to heat the face and tone up the skin. The scratchers on her fingers were brass thimbles to protect nail polish until it dried.

Newsweek - Mar 25, 1940

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 09, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Costumes and Masks, 1940s

Bikini Revisited

In 1946, Micheline Bernardini modeled a two-piece swimsuit designed by Louis Reard, which he called a 'bikini' — naming it after the site of the recent atomic bomb test in the Bikini Atoll.

As wikipedia notes: "Photographs of Bernardini and articles about the event were widely carried by the press. The International Herald Tribune alone ran nine stories on the event. The bikini was a hit, especially among men, and Bernardini received over 50,000 fan letters."

The little box she's holding is what the bikini was sold in, to emphasize how tiny it was.



Forty years later Bernardini posed again in a bikini, "for old time's sake."

I can't figure out what picture she's holding. It doesn't seem to be the famous one, shown above. Must have been another photo from the shoot.

Source: bludog

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 29, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, 1940s

Follies of the Madmen #324

Original ad here.

The notion of a garment that imparts a frigid chill to the wearer seems most unappealing.

At the time of this writing, there is actually a vintage one for sale online.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 27, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Advertising, Underwear, 1940s

Sun bathing at Bikini again

You get a killer tan, even at night.

The original residents of Bikini were never able to return.

The Miami News - July 3, 1946

Update: Found a better quality copy of the picture. (source)

Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 26, 2017 - Comments (2)
Category: Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1940s

Civilization

Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 25, 2017 - Comments (4)
Category: Culture and Civilization, Music, Foreign Customs, 1940s

More Potato Chip Queens

Inspired by Paul's post yesterday about the Potato Chip Queen contest, I did some research over at newspapers.com (subscription required) and came up with what I believe is a complete list of the Potato Chip Queens from 1946 to 1956, except for 1947 for which year I can't find any info. Perhaps there was no queen that year. After 1956 the contest seems to have transitioned into a Miss Teen Potato Chip contest. So, not quite the same.

Based on what I found, Nikki Geer was awarded the crown in 1946, but Paul found info indicating it was given to Dorothea Fagnano. Since Dorothea was only 15, I'm guessing she must have been given some kind of teen version of the crown.

Also, In 1952 the crown was given to a chipmunk ("Miss Potato Chip-munk").

Finally, the Potato Chip Queen for 1953, Joan Gehan (aka UN-KA-PU-CHI), was so popular that the next year they promoted her to "Miss Potato Chip of the Century."

1946: Nikki Geer
Shickshinny Mountain Echo - Nov 8, 1946

1948: Joan Smith
Opelousas Daily World - Feb 12, 1948

1949: Patricia Hunter
Zanesville Times Recorder - Jan 29, 1949

Edit: Found a picture of Pat Hunter's potato chip photoshoot in Life - Feb 28, 1949.

1950: Peggy Sharpe
Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Mar 19, 1950

1951: Edie Pike
Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Mar 4, 1951

1952: Miss Potato Chip-munk (with maid-in-waiting Ronda Sherwood)
Marengo Republican News - Feb 7, 1952

1953: Joan Gehan — promoted to "Miss Potato Chip of the Century" in 1954
Image via TOGACHIPGUY.com

Pittsburgh Press - Jan 28, 1954

1955: Ruth Burkhart
Kingsport Times-News - Mar 6, 1955

1956: Elaine Kuntz
Louisville Courier-Journal - Jan 29, 1956

Update: a better picture of the 1956 winner, Elaine Kuntz. (via Pinterest)

Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 23, 2017 - Comments (5)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Junk Food, 1940s, 1950s

Potato Chip Casserole a la Gorton

WU-vie MJBIRD asks for the winning recipe associated with the first Potato Chip Queen. I found a slightly imperfect OCR of it here!

If anyone makes it, please report!

Potato Chips A la Gorton
2 tbs. flour
3 cups coarsely crushed potato chips
1 cup milk
6 medium size carrots
tsp. salt
8 medium size onions
tsp. pepper
2 tbs butter or margarine
[Illegible] cup grated American cheese

Scrape carrots and slice into [Illegible]-inch slices.
Cook until tender in boiling, salted water. Drain.
Pare onions and slice in [illegible]-inch slices. Cook until tender in boiling, salted water. Drain.
Melt butter or margarine in a heavy sauce-pan. Add the flour and blend. Add the milk and cook and stir until cheese is melted.
Arrange half of carrots in bottom of a greased casserole dish. Cover with a layer of crushed potato chips, then with half the onions. Cover with crushed potato chips.
Repeat layers.
Top with sauce mixture and a dash of paprika. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, for about 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.
Makes 5-6 servings.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 22, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Food, Reader Recommendation, 1940s

National Potato Chip Queen

The first Potato Chip Queen apparently was nominated in 1946.






The next gal I can find won in 1949. The caption also introduces the irreplaceable term "spud wafers," which I intend to use from now on.



Source.

Here is a pic from their 1948 convention.



I find evidence the NPCI existed as late as 1957.

But as for Potato Chip Queens after 1949, no luck. I think the NPCI is also defunct.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 22, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Conventions, Junk Food, 1940s, 1950s

16 Old Ladies Locked in the Lavatory

The artist.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 13, 2017 - Comments (3)
Category: Humor, Hygiene, Excrement, Music, 1940s

Miss Beverly Hills 1960

In our continuing annals of oddball beauty contests, this 1948 event must qualify as exceptional.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 12, 2017 - Comments (1)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Children, 1940s