A League of Their Own & Life Magazine Ads

I've been flipping through several copies of Life magazine from the 40's.  Here's an article on an all female baseball team like the one from the movie "A League of Their Own":

Here's the trailer from the movie.

I also scanned some of the ads from the magazine.  Enjoy!

Madeline in Pictures

I recently received a big batch of photos of Madeline from all phases of her life.  I picked out just a few to share today.  I'll start with this sweet photo of Madeline and her mother and her doll, sitting on the front steps.

Her doll looks a lot like this one we found in her attic recently:

Try to picture the doll without the hat, gloves, and shoe.  Maybe?

Taken on her first birthday.

Two pics in the snow.  Looks like about a year or so apart.  She always made a fashion statement!

Must be Easter!  Photo above is Madeline with Annie, her grandmother who raised her.

A serious looking Madeline in her teens.  Of course very few of the photos are dated.  Thank goodness digital photography takes care of that!

Very cute!  I think I count 4 candles on the birthday cake.  Love the bloomers.

For a contrast--Madeline in her later years.  She loved politics and was very active in the Massachusetts Republican Women's  Group.  Madeline is in the print dress and that is her good friend Pat, along with Mitt Romney, of course.  I miss talking politics with her. 



Madeline's Valentine Collection

These are valentines received by Madeline, given by Madeline, or in the case of the vintage ones, saved by Madeline from her family.  A few go way back, but most of these are from the 1940's and 1950's I would say.  Hope you enjoy looking at them!

You can move the bear's hand to bounce the ball!

This one was in its own box. 

Love the inside verses.

These two and the following two are quite old.

Reverse of above valentines.

"Look" Magazine, January 9, 1945

I like magazines--maybe a little too much.  I subscribe to about half a dozen and usually pick up another one at the store each month.  But I have a hard and fast rule about magazines:  I can only keep the current and past month copies, unless it is a speciality magazine.  (Those I can as long as I like--hey, it's my rule!)  Madeline, bless her soul, did not have a "magazine rule".  Even in her later years when macular degeneration kept her from seeing clearly, she still kept her beloved magazine subscriptions to "Good Housekeeping" and "Oprah".  When we came to visit I usually went to bed early the first evening with a stack of magazines and catalogs.  She has quite a collection of "Life" magazines from the 1940s.  I thought I would start this discussion with this copy of "Look".  It is not as thick as "Life", but it is a fascinating insight into what people were thinking in 1945.  The cover is by Douglas Crockwell who was famous for his magazine art of the day.  Learn more about him and see his work here. 

The back cover.  Smoking while dancing?  I wouldn't attempt it.

These pictures were side by side in the magazine as part of an article titled:  "How You'll Live in 1945.  This Year's Houses Won't Be Magic".  Can you imagine telling people today that lumber is very scarce and supply restricted due to the war?!  They wouldn't stand for it.  These drawings were attributed to Erik Nitsche.  I thought that name was familiar so I googled him and learned he was a very famous illustrator.  You can read about him here and here.

An ad for castor oil.  Nosy neighbors!

This column is interesting and sweet.

A free bar of soap to every baby born in 1945!  The babies are adorable.

Fashions inspired by South America.  (Imagine the images lined up next to each other.  Bear with me while I learn how to scan with my new Canon printer.)  This is resort wear for the fortunate few who could escape to a warm climate and the beach in the middle of January.  I've noticed that catalogs and magazines don't show resort wear these days.  Sign of OUR times?

This is kind of a crazy diet.  Why not skip the Ry-Krisp and save yourself an extra 23 calories at each meal.  They tasted awful and anyone who tries to lose weight knows the first thing to cut out is bread.  And they recommend you eat dessert? 

A movie review of "Guest in the House".  Makes me want to look this up on Turner Classic Movies to see when it's playing next.  The review says "it emerges as a taut, gripping film which ranks high among pathological chillers".

Look's Movie Guide

Hope you enjoyed this peek into January 1945.  Click on the images to enlarge.