The cover art is by J. C. Leyendecker, just some dude who inspired Norman Rockwell. Rockwell would later be one of the pallbearers at Leyendecker’s funeral.
Do you remember the butterfly life cycle? It’s completely metamorphosis-y.
Where did the word “Easter” come from? Get your etymology on.
Lepidopterist? There’s a society for that.
J. C.’s brother, F. X., created the butterfly lady that was on an old Life magazine cover and later seen on the wall of the “Three’s Company” apartment.
Plastic bag up in the tree.
Far beyond the reach of me.
Flapping loudly in the wind.
Ripped and torn without a mend.
Who were you in newer days,
Before your rotting branch malaise?
Maybe Walmart. Maybe Sam’s.
Maybe filled with litter sands.
Were you from a dollar store,
Or were you meant for something more?
Whatever it was you held inside,
Your ending’s most undignified.
The curious type in the Liquid Veneer is neither italic nor oblique. I’m not sure what you’d call it. Bizarro-oblique? Mirroritalic? Hmm.
Liquid Veneer was a product of the Buffalo Specialty Co.
They also made hacksaws and grinders.
I’m guessing it’s a bad idea to use Liquid Veneer for dental veneers.
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The Fantastic and Troubled History of the Video Phone
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What’s a gimcrack? Pretty much the same thing as a gewgaw, d-uh.
Mr. Smith must’ve been a real tightwad over clothing, as both he and Mrs. Smith wear the same outfits for several days. Hopefully, Colgate made a deodorant back then. (Nowadays, they do make Speed Stick.)
What’s the deal with fainting couches? In related news, a chaise longue is usually screwed up by Americans as a “chaise lounge”.
It looks like SPUG was made up for this ad, but there are other SPUGS that exist today.
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Just a little surprise I found in a box of Japanese magazines that was shipped to me last January from the UK.
I thought it read “perfume by Bryan” but I guess it’s Evyan, not Bryan. Sorry, Bryan. Now sold under the Elizabeth Arden brand.
White Shoulders was launched in 1945. It was Evyan’s first and only perfume. Evyan’s founder had a great name — by Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff.
Yes, you want to know about the history of opera glasses.
White shoulders may be a symptom of a serious medical condition.
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How Whammo became Blammo and other bits about the Amurol company.
Would you like a moose to tech you more about bubble gum? Of course you would!
The first bubble gum (1906) was named Blibber-Blubber. This and more gum history here.
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