The first day of Summer is approaching fast, and seriously now, do you really want to strut out at the pool in your revealing new swimsuit only to blind everyone around you like it's The Day of the Triffids?! This is where the Suntana sun reflector tan screen comes in! Not to be confused with Curlos Suntana, the famous guiturist, this large, three panel foldee contraption from 1949 is something many of us have only seen in old cartoons and beach movies. Open both end panels and inside it's all shiny and reflective silver. Now, hold it under your chin while lounging under the sun, and in 20 minutes you should be BBQ'd beautifully. Why you can even scroll to the end of this post to see Mr. Karswell's ghost demonstrating just how it works (NOTE: Suntana does not add color to sideburns!) Okay, truth be told, I'm not even remotely into the way a tan looks, especially fake ass barfy orange tans, if any of you get where I'm going with THAT. But what's really special about the Suntana screen is that the flip side features some amazingly rendered 1940's folks doing some informative Suntana demonstrating as well! At the park, at the pool, on the roof smoking a pipe and wearing a tie (whuuut), or even hanging out of your high rise work window-- Suntana is truly one of the most reflective things to ever come out of Santa Monica, CA!
Having a fully tanned head and neck while the rest of you is pale and pasty isn't a very good look I would think.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the image on picture 7, for some reason, I get the feeling the lady behind her is about to push the other out the window. Jealousy makes people do some awful things.
Seeing this tanning device made me think of the reflector cookers used in camping, did the Suntana inspire the cookers or is it the other way around?
Here's to sun shiny days this summer to all fans of AEET and THOIA.
Look closely at the 8th scan, on the left we see a women using the Suntana for her legs. This thing probably cooked, errr, worked, on whatever body part you angled and aimed it at
ReplyDeleteThis is the "everybody is smiling in a perfect world" advertising, and I'm all here for the fantasy! I love the use of the orange, again, good use of limited colors.
ReplyDeleteOne place I worked was next to a sorority house (yes, yes) and every summer the women there would haul out big refrigerator boxes they lined with aluminum foil and tan. You could smell the burning flesh from next door.
Dude this thing is totally worth it for the bizarre pic of the men in suits tanning their collective double chins. Wtf?
ReplyDeleteThat park bench picture. It's strange to see the projection of authoritarian approval in that illustration. You have the permission of the police to use public property when applying our product! Don't worry, this kind of a tan is A-OK!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me but I'm probably reading too much between the lines. I just came here from the newspaper.
I wish that little white dog was using a tanning fan too, though. That'd be hilarious.