Time for another adorable, Victorian era cabinet card that has found its fabulous way into my collection. And whereas the previous young lady that I posted about HERE was blonde and in brighter color clothing, our subject today is in all black, hair color, ribbons, and all. Is she possibly in mourning? We will unfortunately never know. She is smiling, which would mean if she is mourning, then that facial expression makes this photo just a little bit sinister, now doesn't it?
Spring is almost over, but it's never too late to get in some 60's-esque spring cleaning! And the Little Go Girl Sweep Scene by Norstar is a great example how to perfectly package bummeroo cleaning tools to the groovier gals of my youth. I mean, who wouldn't wanna get down and dirty with: Go-Go Sweeper! Mod Mop! Boss Broom! Swingin' Dust Pan! Hip Huggin' Apron! Heck, they could make anything sound WAY-OUT back in my day, couldn't they? A lovely lil redhead as the box illustration is always a plus, and of course some fabulously foxy era fashion never hurts either! So come on, create a scene-- and clean your fab pad in sizzlin', shindig style-- TODAY!
My Kitsch Collective friend Michelle finds the best stuff! She recently added this hilariously eerie little item to her booth at our local antique mall-- it's a fly with a human head screaming "Help me!" from within a petri dish shaped plastic container! Clearly in tribute to the classic 1958 sci-fi horror film classic, The Fly, this is one unique, and totally bugged-out, vintage collectable. I kind of feel the whole presentation would've benefitted a bit more from using an actual human looking head instead of the Japanese oni demon mask face, but it's still pretty awesome none the less, plus, somebody scored this at Gibbol's for only $9.95 (not sure about the date though-- 70's?)
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!
Our sadistic little story today begins as a dramatic DeWitt's "magic pill" digestant advertising product booklet. I found it recently in a variety grab bag of Victorian scraps and other enjoyable ephemera, and aside from the fascinating, and rather valuable information of that which will surely cure one of most food related ailments, this booklet also doubles as a treacherously tragic, three-way love affair poem. Who will win the hand of the gorgeous girl? And who will drop dead from over-eating her deliciously moist treats?! DeWitt's Little Early Risers-- yes, even though it sounds like something for erectile disfunction, it is in fact actually for everything else that ails yee-- from dizziness, to biliouness, distress, and sour stomach / constipation! Unfortunately, for our foolish loser, DeWitt's has no cure for maniacal maidens possessing a fatally fiendish, foodie fetish!
The simple act of walking her dog leads a young woman through a series of hardships, though everything seems to work out just fine in the end. This is a very cute and funny (though poorly printed), dialogue free, 4 page filler quickie from the April 1946 one-shot issue of Scooter Comics #1, by Rucker Publications. The story artist remains unknown, but the signed cover illustration is by Sam Singer who also did a great deal of work for ACG, Pines, and most notably Ace Magazines.
As much as I love an expertly executed model kit paint job on these classic Aurora monsters, sometimes a half-assed attempt by a little kid can be just as interesting, even sweet. This "Monsters of the Movies" Frankenstein Monster that I stumbled upon yesterday is a good example, with just a few minor paint details added to the head --and oh yeah, good job on the mushrooms too, kiddo! There are finished examples printed on the packaging at the end of the post below (well, on the box side), but of course you can also Google for more great takes. This is one of the more original, action oriented poses for Frankie too, featuring his grumpy ass brandishing a tree branch as a weapon. The "Shelley" tombstone and a half-buried skull are cool little added touches to the base as well. Revell later re-issued this kit in 1999.
It's time to wash this month of posts right out of our hair, and maybe even beautify ourselves a little too! This is a very old bottle of late 1800's Knowlton's Danderine Hair Cleanse and Scalp Tonic. Used for dandruff (the bottle even says it can aid with "falling hair" and hair growth), and the very faded box is highlighted on both sides with pictures of a Victorian woman and young girl, each with extremely long hair, visually adding to this claim. As great as the box design is, I freakin' love that tombstone-esque bottle face with the black label and cramped, shimmery gold lettering. The bottle itself still has a bit of solidified Danderine residue inside which has turned an amberish dark orange color. The ancient cork stopper has of course rotted away, though a bit of it is still stuck inside the opening. Invented in 1895, patented in 1909, one online source says this stuff was still available as late as 1922 via Montgomery Ward's catalogs.
