Photos From the Past: Thanksgiving

Like many vintage devotees, I have a soft spot for vintage photos.  I've always felt that old photos offer a unique window into the past -- a seemingly more realistic one verses the carefully crafted Hollywood films of the time. 

 I love that so many of these photos are at awkward, canted angles or capture unexpected moments -- something we are missing out on in the digital age.

I am also fascinated by the way people lived generations before me.  How did they keep their kitchen?  How did they arrange the furniture in their living room?  How did they hang their curtains?

And all the sweet handwriting.  Some of my most prized possessions are vintage photos with my grandma's handwriting on them.

Don't get me wrong, I love my digital camera and the camera on my iPhone.  The ability to carry around a small, convenient camera with me nearly at all times is amazing.  I get to capture special moments no matter when or where I am.  But, sometimes I do miss the excitement of waiting to get my film developed from my camera, not knowing what the result would be. 

These photos are all from mid 20th century Thanksgivings and can be found on my Vintage Thanksgiving Pinterest board. 

The Dollar Dress

When I was little and just getting into sewing, my grandma used to tell me the story of her collection of dollar dresses she sewed during the 1950s.  At the time, you could get three yards of fabric for $1 -- just the right amount for a simple day dress.  Not only were these dresses practical, but they also allowed for the frugal housewife to add to her wardrobe without breaking the bank.

| my grandma in 1955 wearing one of her dollar dresses |

Although I didn't know it at the time, my grandma was teaching me an important life lesson when it comes to the value of a dollar and how to make it stretch.  And, while I would be hard pressed to make a dress for today's equivalent of $8.89 to 1955's $1.00, I definitely have adapted this concept to 2014 living.

| 1950s sundress, thrifted for $5 |

It never occurred to me, until a few weeks ago, that all my thrifted dresses were kind of the modern equivalent.  For the most part, you can walk into any thrift store and find many dresses marked $8.99 or below.  Even if I were to walk up one morning and decide that I was done with wearing vintage clothing, I still would be a regular thrift store shopper.  I always find it so thrilling to see how far I can stretch the $20 bill in my wallet and what amazing treasures await me.  So Grandma, wherever you are, thank you for sharing the gift of spending wisely on fashion.  I know you'd be proud.  :)

Saving Style: Margorie Lollman circa 1940 Oklahoma

Do you ever find old photos of ancestors and you can't remember or figure out quite exactly how they are related to you, but you just know that they are?  Well that's the case with these photos of Margorie Lollman.  I know they were taken in 1940 in Oklahoma and she's either a great aunt or cousin on my dad's side.  

Not too long ago my grandpa sent me a CD chock full of vintage family photos, and while they are all labeled with a name and a date, that's as far as it goes.  Some day, I'll make a photocopy of my grandpa's family tree so I can keep track of who everyone is.  Until then, I am enjoying these photos. I feel like Margie and I have some similar fashion tastes -- must run in the family!  ;)

Saving Style: 1940s Women in Pants

It's been a while since I've done one of these!  I miss it!  

Like much of the Midwest, it's still cold and snowy here in the Mitten.  I am really looking forward to spring this year, seeing that Monday night's snowfall broke a 130+ year record for the state of Michigan, bringing in nearly 95 inches of snow this winter.  Needless to say, bring on spring!

I love these ladies' pants, don't you?  I love that they both are using large clutch bags too.  I guess it's time to pull out mine and take it for a swing!

Saving Style | a 1949 winter

1949

I wish this photo was clearer so you all could see the fantastic coats and bags these ladies have.  While I adore the light colored coat's large fur collar, I must admit that I am quite smitten with the other lady's look.  The hat, saddle shoes, white gloves, and clutch bag -- very much a cool collegiate look, no?

14 Vintage Valentine Starlets

| Cyd Charisse |

One of my favorite things about classic hollywood is all the fantastic staged publicity photos.  I have compiled 14 of my favorite valentine themed photos.  Which one is your favorite?

| Debbie Reynolds |

| Joan Blondell |

| Marie McDonald |

| Mary Castle |

| Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, & Myrna Loy |

The photo above is promotional material for the 1936 film Wife vs. Secretary.  Released two weeks after Valentine's Day, I'd say this was some rather clever advertising on behalf of MGM.

| Rhonda Fleming |

| Yvonne de Carlo |

| Nancy Caroll |

| Marilyn Monroe |

| Lana Turner |

| Betty Hutton |

| Dolores Moran |

| Wynne Gibson |

 Want to see more?  Leonard Maltin has an excellent article on Valentine Pin-Ups.  Read it HERE.

From the LV Archives: 1936 Valentine Store Front Window Display for Lord & Taylor

Since I have been blogging for several years now, I thought it might be fun to occasionally share a post from the Livin' Vintage Archives.

This is one of my favorite photos that I have collected over the years.  It encompasses many of my vintage loves: vintage fashion, old store fronts/displays, photography, and documenting history.

SEE THE ORIGINAL POST

For a while I thought this photo was used in a kit to help other Lord & Taylor window dressers get the original look created in New York.  Now I am thinking that it might have been used as a way to document past windows for the L & T archives.  Regardless of the intended purpose, I am glad it was taken and that it now resides in my collection.  I have a few others like this and plan on sharing them soon.

*PHOTO DISCLAIMER: this photo is from my personal collection and may not be copied, reproduced, or redistributed in any whole or part.  All rights reserved by livin-vintage.com, 2014.

Saving Style | a 1939 winter

| Ann Schwartz, 1939 |

Recently, my grandpa sent me a whole bunch of family photos from the 20s-70s and it has been a lot of fun going through them all.  I particularly fell in love with this one of my great aunt Ann.  I really love all the accessories to her outfit, which is no surprise being that this photo was taken in 1939 -- one of favorite years in fashion history.  I only wish I could see her shoes! 

I have almost this exact purse in my collection and this photo has inspired me to take it out for a spin.  I love finding vintage twins; it's always so exciting!

Saving Style | The Bowery circa 1940s and Collecting Nightclub Photos

I am a sucker for old photos, but I especially love to find 1940s nightclub souvenir photos.  You know, the kind that are incased in a slim cardboard frame with a flap cover naming the bar/club the photo was shot at.  Since cameras at this time were bulky and required a flash attachment, many bars and clubs would over photography services.  Think of these like the photos amusement parks take while on a roller coaster.   I love that these photos came in a frame -- helping to document and preserve the picture itself.  My favorite in my collection is from my Grandma, taken during the 1940s at the Bowery in Hamtramck, Mi (a city housed within Detroit's city limits).

| left to right: my grandma, grandpa, and an unknown couple |

The Bowery Cafe was a pretty major nightclub in it's day.  Some people even recall it being much like the nightclub Ray Liotta takes his dates to in Goodfellas, where tipping the the head waiter resulted in your own special table set up complete with carrying it to the center of the floor.  

From HamtramckStar.com:

  "The Bowery drew major talent who would come to Detroit on tour, and it was not uncommon at any given time at The Bowery to see performers such as Jimmy Durante sitting at a table drinking Pfeiffer beer–which was distributed from 11618 Sobieski Street in Hamtramck–or Sophie Tucker sitting with United Auto Workers (UAW) moguls Walter Reuther and Dick Frankenstein, or Jack Dempsey, one-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The emcee was Amos Jacobs (Danny Thomas). An artist would come weekly and paint on the exterior of the building a portrait of the entertainer who would be appearing that week as neighborhood children sat and watched the face develop to see if they recognized the star. The Marx Brothers, the Ritz Brothers, Martha Raye, Sophie Tucker and Tony Martin, who was a very popular singer in the 1940s and was married to Cyd Charisse in 1948, were among the stars who appeared at The Bowery. During the 1940s, before they ever became famous on the Jackie Gleason television show, the June Taylor Dancers made up the chorus at The Bowery."

   

Christmas on Main Street

One of my absolute favorite part of the Christmas season is seeing all the small town decorations on Main Street.  I have several "main streets" near my home and they all do something a little bit different.

There's just something about twinkling lights in the dark skies that makes it really feel like Christmastime!

Aren't these photos wonderful?  They were all found with a google search and let me tell ya, that's quite the rabbit hole to fall down on a snowy afternoon!


Tomorrow, I will be sharing a brief history of Christmas lights and more fabulous vintage pictures! 

Vintage Detroit | America's Thanksgiving Parade

| Detroit, 1962 |

 Ever since I was a little girl, starting off Thanksgiving morning would not be complete without plopping myself in front of the tv to watch the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade, also known as America's Thanksgiving Parade.

| Detroit, undated |

Detroit's Thanksgiving parade was started in 1924 by the J. L. Hudson company.  Charles Wendel, Hudon's display director, got the idea after seeing the success of Toronto's Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

| Detroit, 1973 |

Wendel also is responsible for one of the most iconic elements of the Detroit parade, large paper mache heads; which were inspired by those he had seen on a trip to Europe.

| Detroit, 1935 |

America's Thanksgiving Parade is the second oldest in the States, tied with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

| Detroit, 1940s |

While the parade is now shown nationally to over 100 million viewers, it was first televised in 1948 to local viewers.

Which Thanksgiving Day parade do you watch?