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The 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Catalina was a standout model. It was a sleek two-door hardtop that came with factory power steering and brakes, a four-speed automatic transmission, and a unique heating system with a separate defroster. It was the last year Pontiac used the Straight 8 flathead engine before transitioning to V-8 engines. The Star Chief blended innovation and elegance, making it a significant milestone in Pontiac’s history.

[Source: AutoRoundup.com]

The message “L.S./M.F.T.” was a prominent part of Lucky Stike’s advertising campaigns in the 1940s. It was heavily used during World War II, appearing in radio advertisements and on packaging. The catchy abbreviation quickly became widely recognized, overshadowing the full phrase it represented. People soon became far more aware of L.S./M.F.T.

It’s fascinating how advertising slogans can take on a life of their own. A concise and catchy slogan is often crucial to the success of an advertising campaign because it serves as a memorable hook that resonates with the audience.

[Sources: Wikipedia and UselessDaily.com]

“Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate (1909-2004), professionally known as René Gruau, was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. His style is characterized by minimal lines, bold colors, and lively compositions. His notable work includes ‘La Dolce Vita’ poster, 1959 and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ 1963.” – Wikipedia

Adolf Dehn (1895–1968) was an American artist known mainly as a lithographer. Throughout his artistic career, he participated in and helped define some important movements in American art, including regionalism, social realism, and caricature. A two-time recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, he was known for both his technical skills and his high-spirited, droll depictions of human foibles.

Dehn started executing watercolors in late 1936, admitting he had "been afraid of color" in the first decades of his career. He rose to the top tier of American watercolorists in short order, seen in a feature article on his landscape watercolors in Life magazine (August, 1941) and a traveling show organized by the Museum of Modern Art, "Four American Water Colorists" (1943–44) in which eleven Dehn watercolors were joined with the works of Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Charles Burchfield. {Source: Wikipedia]

“Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate (1909-2004), professionally known as René Gruau, was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. His style is characterized by minimal lines, bold colors, and lively compositions. His notable work includes ‘La Dolce Vita’ poster, 1959 and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ 1963.” – Wikipedia

“Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate (1909-2004), professionally known as René Gruau, was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. His style is characterized by minimal lines, bold colors, and lively compositions. His notable work includes ‘La Dolce Vita’ poster, 1959 and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ 1963.” – Wikipedia

The iconic five-cent price for a glass of Coca-Cola lasted for an impressive 70 years, from 1886 to 1959. The price remained fixed due to various factors, including bottling contracts, aggressive marketing, and vending machine technology. However, by the late 1950s, inflation and other economic pressures made it unsustainable to maintain the nickel price, leading to the eventual increase.

[Sources: Wikipedia, and TheVintageNews.com]

The finely-rendered character illustrations in the ad are not from Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland,” released in 1951. The illustrations are not in the style of John Tenniel whose work appeared in Lewis Carroll’s original novel, nor are they from the Classics Illustrated version of “Alice.”

The Philco ad is a fascinating piece of vintage advertising. The level of detail in the illustrations suggests that a skilled, yet uncredited artist was behind them. It's possible that Philco's ad agency commissioned a freelance illustrator or used an artist who was well-known at the time but perhaps not widely recognized today. Vintage advertising often featured unique artwork created specifically for the campaign.

The lipstick that allows kissing.

“Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate (1909-2004), professionally known as René Gruau, was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. His notable work includes ‘La Dolce Vita’ poster, 1959 and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ 1963. – Wikipedia

"Winter, theater season, holiday season, small and large receptions, is a 'dressy' season. NOVELTEX offers the man of taste a choice of very beautiful city shirts; for the afternoon and for the evening.

"You are difficult, Sir, so choose NOVELTEX whose collection was created for you. You are very difficult, ask to be presented with NOVELTEX LUXE, the most refined collection of winter.” {Ad copy]

“Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate (1909-2004), professionally known as René Gruau, was a fashion illustrator whose exaggerated portrayal of fashion design through painting has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry. His notable work includes ‘La Dolce Vita’ poster, 1959 and ‘Moulin Rouge,’ 1963. – Wikipedia

“A triumph in smart motor cars. The beautiful Chrysler Town and Country.”

“Town and Country . . . a Chrysler original . . . a new concept in car design to link your worlds of work and play. Another product of Chrysler’s advanced and resourceful engineering.” [Excerpts from the ad copy]

The Chrysler Town & Country was first introduced in 1941 as a luxury station wagon. Production was interrupted during World War II, and it resumed in 1945. So, the first model year after the war was 1946. This classic car features the distinctive wooden side panels, a characteristic of the Town & Country models. In a recent movie, “St. Vincent” (2014), Bill Murray’s character, Vincent MacKenna, drives a 1984 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible. (A good movie, by the way)

Movie trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAx6-bW7EuM

“Join the Club Around the Corner . . . Admission 5¢”

The price of a glass of Coca-Cola at a soda fountain was last 5 cents in the 1950s. The price began to rise in the 1960s, and by 1969, the price had increased to 10 cents. As for today, the price of a glass of Coke can vary depending on location and venue, but it's typically around $1.50 to $2.00.

“Aluminum is why the 335-horse Le Sabre may weigh no more than your car.

“General Motors sleek laboratory on wheels boasts what engineers call ‘high horsepower-weight ratio.’ That means a powerful engine in a light body. It also means flashing performance on straightaway and curve.

“Aluminum helped GM engineers reach these goals. For most of what you see on Le Sabre is aluminum . . . much of what you can’t see, too.

“To make the body light in weight, the hood, doors and other sections are formed of aluminum sheet.

“To add power to the great engine, aluminum heads and blocks whisk away the heat of high compression.

“Light pistons and supercharger parts of aluminum move easily. Aluminum is used in 40 places in the engine alone. . .” [Excerpt from the ad copy]

Cartoonist Grace Drayton drew Campbell Soup Kids in 1904 and they soon became the advertising mascot of the Campbell Soup Company. The kids were popular almost immediately, leading to the production of dolls, cookbooks, cards, plates, T-shirts, and many other items fashioned in their likeness. Grace Drayton (1878-1936) was an illustrator of children’s books, fashion pages, and magazine covers. She was one of the first and most successful American female cartoonists. – Wikipedia

The Kissel Motor Car Company, often referred to as “KisselKar,” was founded in 1906 by Louis Kissel and his sons in Hartford, Wisconsin. KisselKar wasn’t just limited to passenger cars, but also included hearses, fire trucks, taxicabs, and trucks. It gained fame in the early 1900s for its performance in races, winning the Los Angeles to Phoenix “Cactus Derby” in 1910. The Kissel Speedster, particularly the 1919-1927 model known as the “Gold Bug,” was popular among celebrities, including Amelia Earhart. Hollywood actress Anita King made history in 1915 by becoming the first woman to drive solo across the United States in a KisselKar.

Out of the approximatley 35,000 vehicles produced by Kissel, only about 200 are known to exist today. Many of these can be seen at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford. The KisselKar continues to be celebrated by vintage car enthusiasts. [Source: Wikipedia]

“Nature makes no mistakes in her ‘inventions.’ Among the million or so things she ‘invented,’ were feet for our Adamite ancestors to walk on – and toes to make walking sure.

“Then she calloused and hardened those toes into durable, tough ‘nobs’ which gave primal man a good, tenacious grip on the ground.

“Since Nature makes no mistakes, we made no mistake when we copied her and invented the ‘Nobby’ Tread. Tough, resilient callouses that grip the ground with all the tenacity of Adamite toes. . .” [Ad copy]

[Note: The term “Adamite ancestors” in the ad likely refers to descendants of Adam, as in Adam and Eve from the Bible. However, the term also has a more specific historical context. The Adamites believed they had regained the primeval innocence of Adam and Eve before the Fall. They practiced nudism during their religious assemblies, rejecting marriage and other social norms, which they saw as unnecessary in their state of regained purity. This sect was often considered heretical by mainstream Christian authorities.]

Since hat materials were not rationed during World War II, a wide variety of women’s hat styles emerged during the 1940s. Hats were often decorated with feathers, veils, and artificial flowers. The styles were gutsy, dramatic and a reflection of the times.

The 1954 Lincoln was equipped with a 317 cubic inch V8 engine with a new 4-barrel carburetor, producing 205 horsepower, compared to the 1953 model’s 160 horsepower. The interior of the 1954 Lincoln was updated with more luxurious materials and improved comfort features. Power windows and power seats were more widely available than in the 1953 model. Suspension and handling provided a smoother, more comfortable ride and improved braking and optional power steering made driving easier and safer.

Overall, the 1954 Lincoln represented a significant step forward in terms of design, performance, and comfort compared to the 1953 model. The 1954 Lincoln featured a more modern and streamlined design with a new grille, taillights, bumpers, dashboard, and instrumentation.

JELL-O, as we know it today, has always included sugar in its ingredients since its creation. The product was invented in 1897 by Pearle Bixby Wait and his wife, May, who added flavoring to granulated gelatin and sugar. However, the term "sugarless" in the 1918 ad might refer to a product variant that did not contain sugar, which was common during World War I due to sugar rationing.

Interestingly, JELL-O did introduce a sugar-free version called D-Zerta in 1923. This was likely in response to changing consumer preferences and the need for sugar-free dietary options. So, while JELL-O has traditionally been a sugary dessert, they have also explored sugarless alternatives throughout their history. [Sources: Wikipedia and JelloGallery.org]