Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better than gen-u-ine fiberglass horses, it turns out Bob Prewitt of Prewitt Fiberglass Products is also the guy behind all those giant roadside mascots you might know better as Paul Bunyans or Muffler Men scattered across America. Stuckey’s will tell ya more!
These guys are living their best lives.
And of course, Roadside America is a deliciously deep and rich source of Muffler Men maps and mythology as well.
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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.
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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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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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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What does it smell like? “sultry, light, flippant”
The artist is Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky). More of his work here.
Corday was named after Charlotte Corday, a female assassin best known for offing this guy…
Does anyone else smell… murder?
Continue readingOver time, sometimes the meanings of words have been known to change. Sometimes the changes are subtle. Sometimes the changes are more… interesting.
Exhibit A from my magazine collection:
A Britannica history of the videophone.
AT&T gave it a go in 1992 with the VideoPhone 2500 — Just $1,499 or $30/day!
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