Wedding foiled by scream

About a year ago I posted about a wedding at which the bridegroom dropped dead of a heart attack right after saying "I do." I thought that had to qualify as one of the worst weddings ever, but this one is pretty bad also. As reported in the Chicago Tribune - Sep 21, 1907.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 06, 2014 - Comments (4)
Category: Marriage, 1900s, Screams, Grunts and Other Exclamations, Weddings

Follies of the Madmen #228

The cliche is: Swedes know everything about coffee--and sex. So that household should be a happy one, with busybody Mrs. Olson supervising the kitchen and, offstage, the bedroom.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 31, 2014 - Comments (9)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Marriage, Coffee and other Legal Stimulants, Busybodies, Snoops and Kibitzers, 1960s

Husband For Sale

1935: Mary Ann and Fred Cordes weren't doing too well with their marriage. But instead of just getting a divorce, like normal people, they (well, it was mostly Mary Ann's idea) hatched a plan to sell Fred for $1500 to any woman willing to buy him. Mary Ann hoped to use the money to travel to Ireland, her childhood home.

I don't know how their plan turned out. It's one of those stories that never got a follow-up in the press. But I can't imagine women were lining up to pay $1500 to acquire "all the rights" to a 40-year-old unemployed ice-cream maker.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 06, 2014 - Comments (14)
Category: Divorce, Marriage, 1930s

Look for the Sanforized label!

From Life magazine - Sep 15, 1941:

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 23, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Advertising, Marriage, 1940s

Conjugal Duels

From Charles Harper, Revolted Woman: Past, Present, and to Come (1894):



The images of the conjugal duelists come from Hans Talhoffer's Fechtbuch, 1467 (plates 242-250). [Via Wondermark]

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 04, 2013 - Comments (7)
Category: History, Husbands, Wives, Marriage

Bob’s Birthday

Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 24, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Domestic, Marriage, Humor, Cartoons, 1990s

It Takes All Kinds

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 30, 2010 - Comments (2)
Category: Marriage, 1950s

The Strange World of Divorce

While it might be fairly common for couples to get a divorce in the United States these days, it's certainly not easy. There are questions of support, custody issues if there are children involved, and bitter arguments over who gets to keep what; all of which can drag a divorce into months of stress. But what is it like in other cultures and in other times? In centuries past, in China, a divorce could be granted for any number of reasons, so long as the bride's family agreed to take her back. Aborigine women in Australia can convince their husbands to grant a divorce but if that's not working, then all they need to do is elope with someone else. The ancient Athenians and modern-day Eskimos share an extremely simple divorce process - live separately as though they were never married. In the UK, a man tired of his wife could slip a halter around her neck, lead her into town to the cattle market, and sell her to the highest bidder. Japan had a much more advanced view, however. Marriage was not sacred and divorce was not immoral - it was merely a mismatch between families. Women's dowrys were returned in the hopes of encouraging re-marriage. You can read more on Purple Slinky, and on Hope's Blog, and in this review.

Posted By: Nethie - Sat Jul 31, 2010 - Comments (4)
Category: Anniversary, Centuries, Ceremonies, Weddings, Customs, Foreign Customs, Marriage

Read This Before You Get Married

I might have mentioned it before, but I'm planning on getting married this summer. To that end, I've been browsing the web, looking for stories about wedding related disasters, hoping to learn from the mistakes of others. Just this evening I found a bit of advice that had not occurred to me - think about what your new name will be, especially if you are considering whether or not to hyphenate. And here's why.

Posted By: Nethie - Wed May 12, 2010 - Comments (14)
Category: Family, Odd Names, Weird Names, Marriage, Weddings

Follies of the Mad Men #78

Now that the coffee tastes better and hubby will drink it, wifey can add the poison this idiot so richly deserves.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 09, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Crime, Domestic, Marriage, Food, 1960s