1916 Mothers Magazine, Vapo Cresolene and Berthe May's Corset

I got a kick out of the ads on this page.
First, the Vapo Cresolene, which was advertised to be a treatment for whooping cough, scarlet fever, measles, diptheria, spasmodic croup, asthma and more.

Then there are Berthe May's Corsets ...
For maternity and ordinary wear!!!
Boy am I glad I never had to wear one of those!

1916 Mothers Magazine, Ralston Wheat Food

"Ralston Wheat Food - Makes Children Sturdy"!

Children who took part in the "contest" described in this ad the previous year also enjoyed the following benefits (according to their mothers!):

Bowels more regular.
Sleeps better and longer.
Rosy cheeks.
Happier in disposition.
Decidedly stronger.
Less nervous.
And more.

1916 Mothers Magazine, Campbells Soup

I just adore these old Campbell's Soup ads, although the price of 10 cents per can seems a bit steep for 1916!

Princess Phone

Wouldn't you love to have one of these darling rotary-dial princess phones in your house? Maybe you too could waltz around in an evening gown carrying a magic wand!!! Of course if I had a magic wand I wouldn't be using it to pick my telephone color ... I'd be waving it at this mountain of laundry I have to do today .........

1916 Mothers Magazine, Grapenuts

Advertising sure has changed over the years ... can you imagine selling a cereal to "elderly people" based on the claim that it is "predigested food" ????? Yech!

1916 Mothers Magazine, An Explanation

I had gone to my storage unit several years ago to retrieve my fake Christmas tree. I found a few items in my unit that needed to be thrown away, so I brought them to the very large garbage can supplied.

On the ground next to the can were several boxes - all full of books and papers. Books! I pulled the car forward and loaded up. The books were in pristine condition, and the local book store bought them outright.

Amidst the papers (mostly clippings of long-gone movie stars from old movie magazines) was this delightful magazine - The Mothers Magazine - cover ripped off and the staples rusted through. I have carefully scanned the best pages to post as I can.

1916 Mothers Magazine, Ivory Soap

Above -- It Floats!!!
Don't you wish the illustrations in today's world were this whimsical, this beautiful? I love the detail of the woman washing her precious child in the bathtub of the day -- a metal basin.

Below - New Years 1916
Love the whimsical flag they used to herald the new year of 1916. And the interesting article entitled "Ye Olde Tyme Fagott Partie". Too bad the meaning changed over the years.

1942 Stop Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis isn't something we have to worry about anymore, but it wasn't always so.
Christmas Seal donations played a very important role in funding research and eradication of this dreaded scourge.

Sew Beautiful!

I found these needles in the sewing stuff Grandma G gave me years ago. I love the vibrant colors and detailed illustrations they used on their packaging. I have to wonder, on closer inspection, what all of these women are looking at. With the exception of the lady looking at the needle, the rest seem to be staring off in the distance at something just out of sight ... judging by their smiles, it must have been something worth looking at!

I love the looks on these precious kittens faces. The one on the right seems to be very nervous, perhaps because the other one is going to steal her thread.

1959 Food Stockpile for Survival Pamphlet

Back in the 1950's Americans, World War II over but still in recent memory, responded to a perceived Russian nuclear threat by building and stocking fallout shelters. How-to books, pamphlets and tapes were distributed on this subject. I found this Department of Agriculture's food stockpiling pamphlet while going through some old papers and pamphlets in Grandma G's stuff. They lived through very interesting times. Just like us.

Halloween Mask

This is an actual face-sized mask from long ago. You can see where the lines are to punch out the nose, and the holes in the ears to hold strings that go around your head.
It is made of very heavy cardboard.
I have had this mask for years ... but I don't remember where it came from.

Police Badge

One of those things my eyes are drawn to in a parking lot ...

1935 Prize Baby Show award

I bought a used book, and found this folded into the pages.

1959 Mortgage Statement

Don't you wish this was your mortgage statement?