Tattered and Lost EPHEMERA

Get a SCHWINN in 1964

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:00:00 +0000

I never owned a Schwinn until I was in college. My first bike was a blue and white Huffy with training wheels. I imagine it was what was for sale at the base exchange. I did love that bike and still remember the time my dad took the training wheels off. I was terrified of falling, but he told me he'd hold onto the back of the bike to make sure that didn't happen. So off we went along the sidewalk (same sidewalk I'd run on to test my PF Flyers) only to discover my dad was not holding on at all. I was on my own. It was exciting. I rode my bike into the street doing circles in front of the house. My parents were proud and I'd discovered that sometimes you just have to take a chance.

Source: Jack and Jill, October 1964

When we moved to Hawaii the Navy shipped my bike with our household belongings. I can remember riding it through the military neighborhood to get down to the beach to watch the ships come in to Pearl Harbor. Eventually my folks bought me a larger bike and my mom used the Huffy. Actually, I think my next bike—which was green and white—was also a Huffy. When we moved back to the mainland Huffy #1 stayed in Hawaii; Huffy #2 came to California.

I didn't know that Schwinn had gone out of business. That's sad to hear. It seems Huffy hung onfor awhile until Walmart did them in. Geez I hate Walmart. I will not enter their store. I find better prices elsewhere with less damage done to local businesses.

The Schwinn Bicycle Company was founded by German-born mechanical engineer Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1945) in Chicago in 1895. It became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles through most of the 20th century. After declaring bankruptcy in 1992, it has since been a sub-brand of Pacific Cycle, owned by the multi-national conglomerate, Dorel Industries. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

And then Huffy:

By the mid 1990s, Huffy was in deep financial trouble. The U.S. Bicycle industry had consolidated, sharply reducing the number of channels for selling bikes. High-volume retailers had claimed three fourths of the U.S. market, gaining tremendous leverage over bicycle makers. Wal Mart in particular was pressuring Huffy: it ordered 900,000 bikes at one time, but insisted that Huffy lower its prices significantly. To remain a major player in the bicycle market, the Ohio company had little choice but to agree. Even with Huffy's other non-unionized manufacturing plants, it could not make a profit selling bicycles at the prices Wal Mart, its biggest customer, was willing to pay. After requesting and getting a pay cut for its unionized workforce in Ohio, Huffy returned to profitability for two years only to again crumple under the pricing pressure applied by Wal Mart. This forced Huffy to close its Celina, Ohio plant and lay off all 935 employees. Their other two factories in Missouri and Mississippi soon fell to the same fate for the same reason. Even after subcontracting production to China, where plant workers earned only 25 to 41 cents per hour, it remained unable to operate at a profit. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

Get enough SUGAR FOR BREAKFAST?

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 23:28:00 +0000

I ate a lot of cereal as a kid. I was partial to Cheerios, Sugar Smacks, Rice Krispies, and Sugar Pops. I was partial to sugar. It's a wonder I could function.

I do remember in the 50s being one of those kids who would see a cereal ad on tv and then beg my mom for it. My poor dad was always the one who ended up eating my experiments. I remember especially wanting a box of Jets. My dad said that one was the worst of all of them. I ate one bite and refused to eat the rest. The saying in our house was, "Give it to dad, he'll eat anything." My family didn't have money to waste so indeed, dad ate the crap.

This ad comes from a 1964 Jack and Jill magazine I found at an estate sale. I was long past Jack and Jill by the time this ad ran and I don't remember this cereal. But, I'm sure I'd have begged my mom for a box.

Click on image to see it larger.

Now watch the commercial and imagine how much parents wanted to kill the creators of this targeted propaganda.

And just for old time sake...

Mind you, I also fell for the PF Flyers ad that said you could fly if you wore them. I used to run down the sidewalk, which went slightly downhill, picking up speed as I went, only to take a leap right before the final curb and the street. I was convinced I would eventually fly. I never did. I always stopped short of the street. However, the neighbors must have wondered about this kid running down the sidewalk full tilt only to take a little leap, land, turn around and walk back up the sidewalk only to do it again and again. So I'm pretty sure I was convinced Jets would have enable me to break the boundaries of gravity.

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 8 available at Amazon.

The BOARDING PASS

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000

A little piece of paper can be far more important than originally thought. Someone's life might be ruined by what is written on the paper. A piece of evidence in a murder case? Believe me, it's possible. A small scrap can send detectives on what could be a wild chase in hopes of a final resolution; or it can lead to a dead end. I've seen it happen.

I recently bought this book at the Goodwill and it wasn't until I was home that I found the portion of the old boarding pass inside. I have deleted the first name of the person who took the flight. I'm sure it was just a simple flight from Atlanta to San Diego, but my mind immediately ran in all directions with all the wonderful story possibilities. I'm sure you can come up with your own so I will leave it at that.

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

VALENTINES

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 06:30:00 +0000

Here are a few calorie free guilt free valentines from my collection.

A mechanical card in which the girls arm holding the large valentine moves up and down.

Another mechanical card in which the wheel at the bottom is turned and the kids ride up and down.

To see more valentines from years past click on "valentines" in the labels below

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Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

How to STOP COMPLAINING

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 02:38:00 +0000

So, how do you take the medicine if you don't have a mouth? Isn't it odd? What would possess the folks who put this pamphlet together to leave off this young ladies mouth?

"Blanche is seventeen. She used to complain of pains in her head and back…"

How do they know this? The poor thing couldn't speak! She doesn't have a mouth!

But really, that's not the most interesting thing to me. I'm fascinated to use Google Maps to look up the neighborhoods where the letters came from. It's interesting to imagine the people long ago writing these letters and then being thrilled when they found them used in promotional material. How thrilled there daughters were is a whole other story.

In some cases there is no there there anymore. Only one address actually aligns with a real house. You can't go home again especially if it's not your home.
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Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

Answer These Questions WITHOUT USING GOOGLE

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 01:13:00 +0000

We used to be a lot smarter before search engines came along. Now too many of us are sort of mentally lazy. Why bother to remember details when the answers are always at your fingertips?

Well, that doesn't explain my coming up with an odd answer for question number 27 in the Lydia E. Pinkham booklet of "Three Hundred Brain Teasers" that my best friend gave me for Christmas.

It was late Christmas night and I sat down in the glow of the tree to open gifts from friends. A nice quiet moment when all were in bed except me. It had been a long day with lots of cooking and eating, so I was tired. No doubt about it, I was TIRED. But even I can't use that as an excuse with question number 27.

I went through question 25 easily knowing the answer. I got to question 26 and went "Uhhhhhhh, nope." But then came 27.

I spent four years in art college and have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I have actually been to see The Last Supper in person and told off a little Italian fellow who thought it smart to go on about the history of the painting including the fact that the US bombed the church during WWII. (I looked at him with a sneer then walked away saying, "If you hadn't been backing the Germans it wouldn't have happened.") So I get to 27 knowing I would know the answer. I know the painting. I know the other work he did! I studied this man for years! But the only thought that came to me for an answer was "Liberace." I wanted to scream! How could I not remember the name of this artist? "Liberace." Over and over again "Liberace" was all I could mutter. Complete brain fog. And then I started laughing. It was all so absurd. "Liberace." Okay, I put the booklet away, turned off the tree lights, and headed down the hall to bed. Then with a sigh the correct answer came to be, but I still prefer Liberace.

So go ahead, give the questions a try, but don't use a search engine. See how many you can actually remember from all those years in school when they drilled data into your brain. How much of it have you retained? And if you want the answers…just ask.

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Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

A CHRISTMAS CARD from the 1930s

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 07:03:00 +0000

If you don't know about Mr. Roberts from my other site you might enjoy going there and doing a search in the search field. Here is a link to one photo of him with a lovely lady in Yosemite Valley back in the 1920s or early 30s.

In the 1930s Mr. Roberts got married to Lolly and this is a card the happy couple sent out one Christmas.

Click on image to see it larger.
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New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

Marley's GHOST

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 22:42:00 +0000

This vintage handmade post card is from my Scottish maternal grandmother's collection. It is possible it was done by a relative because many of them were artists. Unfortunately it doesn't have any signature.

I've always loved this. A simple pen drawing with a watercolor wash, but it captures the feeling of Marely and the ghost from A Christmas Carol.

___________

New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

Come On to the PTA PARTY!

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 01:27:00 +0000

Most likely 64 years ago tonight there was a PTA party in the county of Marin, California. I provide you with the handmade invitation from Montez Lawton's scrapbook.

So why can I narrow this down to 1951? The give away are the first few lines on the inside of the card:

"Come on to our school, our school,
We geeve you—dinner!"

This is a word play on the Rosemary Clooney 1951 hit "Come On-a My House." Too many people will have no idea who Rosemary Clooney was, unless they just think of her as George's aunt. And even fewer people will know the people are who are referred to in the information below from Wikipedia:

"Come on-a My House" is a song performed by Rosemary Clooney on her album Come On-A My House, released on June 6, 1951. The song was written by Ross Bagdasarian and his cousin, the Armenian American Pulitzer Prize winning author William Saroyan, in the summer of 1939, while driving across New Mexico. The melody is based on an Armenian folk song.

It was not performed until the 1950, off-Broadway production of The Son. The song did not become a hit until the release of Clooney's recording.

It was probably Saroyan's only effort at popular songwriting, and it was one of Bagdasarian's few well-known works that was not connected to his best-known creation, Alvin and the Chipmunks. Bagdasarian, as David Seville, went on to much fame with his Chipmunks recordings.

…the song touches upon traditional Armenian customs of inviting over relatives and friends and providing them with a generously overflowing table of fruits, nuts, seeds, and other foods. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

So take a minute and imagine the PTA party back in '51. I'm betting there were a lot of crepe paper decorations.

And the Rosemary Clooney record playing.

A Tiny Handmade CHRISTMAS CARD for Montez

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 07:09:00 +0000

Another card from Montez Lawton's scrapbook. This is quite small, handmade using construction paper and what appears to be a photo and text cut from a magazine. There is no signature. Perhaps it was made by one of her students.

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And thank you to all who have bought copies of my new book. I hope you enjoy it.

Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

FROM BILL to Montez at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 21:25:00 +0000

Bill was, I believe, Montez Lawton's husband; I can't be sure. There are several cards in the scrapbook signed by Bill, though there are more from her mom and dad.

I especially like Bill's signature.

I'm guessing this Hallmark card is from the late 40s to early 50s.

You can see that the front of the card has a plastic window allowing the holly inside to be seen.

Click on image to see it larger.

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New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

A SANTA for Montez Lawton in 1947

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 22:08:00 +0000

Another card from Montez Lawton's scrapbook; a Hallmark card from 1947. I don't think I've ever seen this logo before. Apparently until 1954 the company was known as Hall Brothers, Inc. A brief Hallmark bio follows the card.

Love how the little girl initially wrote her signature in pencil and then inked over it.

Joyce Clyde Hall became captivated by a salesman who stopped by his family's store in 1906 in Norfolk, Nebraska. Driven by the postcard craze of 1903, Hall decided to venture from retail of various products to wholesale of postcards. He moved his business to the larger market of Kansas City. As time went on, Hall became more convinced that greeting cards would become more prominent than postcards. Greeting cards, according to J.C. Hall, represented class, promised discretion and "they were more than a form of communication—they were a social custom.”

By 1915, the company was known as Hall Brothers and sold Valentine's Day and Christmas cards. In 1917, Hall and his brother Rollie "invented" modern wrapping paper when they ran out of traditional colored tissue paper. In 1922, the company expanded throughout the country. The staff grew from 4 to 120 people, and the line increased from holiday cards to include everyday greeting cards.

In 1928, the company adopted the name "Hallmark", after the hallmark symbol used by goldsmiths in London in the 14th century, and began printing the name on the back of every card. In the same year, the company became the first in the greeting card industry to advertise their product nationally. Their first advertisement appeared in Ladies' Home Journal and was written by J.C. Hall himself. In 1931, the Canadian William E. Coutts Company, Ltd., a major card maker, became an affiliate of Hall Brothers, which was Hall Brothers' first international business venture.

In 1944, it adopted its current slogan, "When you care enough to send the very best." It was created by C. E. Goodman, a Hallmark marketing and sales executive, and written on a 3x5 card. The card is on display at the company headquarters. In 1951, Hall sponsored a television program for NBC that gave rise to the Hallmark Hall of Fame, which has won 80 Emmy Awards. Hallmark now has its own cable television channel, the Hallmark Channel which was established in 2001. For a period of about 15 years, Hallmark owned a stake in the Spanish language network Univision.

In 1954, the company name was changed from Hall Brothers to Hallmark. In 1958, William E. Coutts Company, Ltd., was acquired by Hallmark; until the 1990s, Hallmark's Canadian branch was known as "Coutts Hallmark". (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

I stopped buying Hallmark products a long time ago because of their propensity to "copy" ideas from smaller companies. Add in the fact that the local Hallmark store became very religious and I decided I'd go elsewhere for cards. It used to be their cards were about the only ones you could easily find; not anymore. Their artists still turn out some very nice work, I just choose to spend my money elsewhere.
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New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

More from HILDEGARD WOODWARD

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 00:24:00 +0000

The following images are, like yesterday, from a book entitled Christmas: A Book of Stories Old and New published by Charles Scribner's Sons. The illustrator is Hildegard Woodward. These are only a sampling of the black and white illustrations throughout, including spot drawings.

And please take a moment to look at my new book Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls.

Christmas with HILDEGARD WOODWARD and FORGOTTEN DOLLS

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 07:22:00 +0000

The following images are from a book entitled Christmas: A Book of Stories Old and New published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1937. Well, actually I'm not sure when it was published because the copyright page says 1935, but the title page says '37. Perhaps this is a different edition. The anthology was put together by Alice Dalgliesh with illustrations by Hildegard Woodward.

Endsheet

Click on image to see it larger.

Hildegard Woodward was born in Worcester, Massachusetts February 10, 1898. Her parents were Rufus and Stella Woodward. She was educated at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and in Paris. She is the author and illustrator of many children's books, two of which were awarded a Caldecott Honor. In 1948 she was recognized for her illustrations of Roger and the Fox written by Lavinia R. Davis and again in 1950 for The Wild Birthday Cake.

In 1953 Woodward painted a mural on the wall of the Center School cafeteria in Brookfield, Connecticut near her residence in Hawleyville.

She began to lose her sight in the 1960, but didn’t stop painting. When she went blind she developed a method of "painting by touch".

Woodward's art was not restricted to children's books; her portfolio includes numerous works of fiction and humor for adults. Although most noted for her watercolor illustrations, she painted in oil and [6] was a children's portrait artist.

Woodward never married or had children. She died in December 1977 in Connecticut. (Source: Wikipedia)

Frontispiece

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New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!

Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls. Okay, there are a couple of dogs too.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

Tattered and Lost: FORGOTTEN DOLLS

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 07:46:00 +0000

I'm a doll lover/collector from childhood. Eventually I realized there just wasn't going to be enough room for me to continue down this path. That didn't mean I couldn't still collect dolls, I'd just take it in a different direction. The result is my new book Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls.

New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!

Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls. Okay, there are a couple of dogs too.

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

Vintage LION COFFEE PAPER DOLLS

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 00:19:00 +0000

The theme for Sepia Saturday this week was almost too easy for me: vintage advertising paper dolls. I have many in my collection. The following are all from the Lion Coffee "Children's Dolls With Stories" collection. In total there are 30 dolls to collect. I have yet to find all of them.

The Lion Coffee company was owned by Alvin Mansfield Woolson.

Alvin M. Woolson was born in Huron Ohio, October 5, 1840 (always considered a good year for coffee in this office). Brought-up by foster parents, the boy did his share of farm labor, attending school only during the three winter months of the year. He worked in a country store, and later took a turn as a printers devil for the Sandusky Register. At the outbreak of the Civil War young Alvin enlisted in the First Regiment, Ohio Volunteers. In the course of the War, he received as appointment as Sergeant Major, of Artillery, in the Army of the Patomac.

In the aftermath of the war, Woolson moved west with the Union Pacific Railroad of E.H. Harriman, working in the capacity of accountant. In later years he recounted that among his duties was to ward off Indian attacks. With his feelings of wonderlust fullfilled and the railroad complete, Woolson moved back to Ohio where he clerked in a country store for a year prior to making the decision to set up for himself which he did, in the town of Wauseon with a capital of $125.00. He subsequently courted and married Francis (Frankie) Tillinghast and settled in Toledo in 1875. There he opened a grocery store on Adams Street near 12th.

There were opportunities for a fellow with ambition, and a grubstake, in the wholesale grocers trade and Alvin Woolson was not a man to let grass grow beneath his feet. In 1882 the Woolson Spice Co. was formed with a capital of $30,000.00 which represented significant local support from Toledo's business community including John Berdan and James Secor. The old Warren & Bidwell company was in financial straights and was to fall under the gavel at a government forclosure sale. Woolson was the successful bidder.

Woolson was a man possessed. He was tireless in his efforts to establish Lion Coffee as a major brand. It was 10 years before the first profits were realized. Then the tide came in and over the next five years over million profits were realized.

As markets filled and competition became fierce Woolson utilized a program of "premiums" to promote his products and encourage sales. "Save the wrapper" and "Cut out the Lion's Head" became the watchword of the day in households where the Lion Brand was used. Trading cards accompanied packages and toys could be sent for. There was something for everyone in the way of a Lion brand premium from bicycles and jackknifes to lace curtains. (SOURCE: The Free Library)

Click here to see a photo of Woolson.

I wonder if those who created these advertising premiums ever thought about their work still being around long after they were gone. Did they imagine these little scraps of paper would last well over a hundred years and be sought after? I doubt it. These were items meant to be played with and tossed.

I'll admit there are books I've designed that I know will be around for decades after I'm gone. I hope they provide pleasure to those who find them.

FELIX ADLER, Clown

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 02:48:00 +0000

A few months ago I was contacted by a person who works behind the scenes for the tv show American Pickers. She was interested in using an image I'd posted on August 16, 2012. The show with the image below was shown tonight. I decided I'd repost the entire piece in case anyone went searching for Felix Adler after watching the show.
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The clowns I've featured in photos have been nameless, except for Felix Adler. The reason Adler is named in the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus Magazine and Daily Review is because he was the head clown at the circus.

Click on image to see it larger.

(SOURCE: Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus Magazine and Daily Review, 1940)

First Clown to Appear on Television

Felix Adler entertained millions in his role as head clown for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. In the hierarchy of clowns, he ranked at the top as a whiteface clown.

He performed with such famous clowns as Lou Jacobs and Emmett Kelly.

All three circus greats lived and practiced their routines in Sarasota.

Adler's costume took up a lot of space because he buttressed his posterior with a couple of basketballs hitched in place with a custom sling similar to a brassiere. He wore traditional whiteface clown makeup adding a big rhinestone on the tip of his nose.

Often the clown topped his garb with a big jello mold for a hat. Remember, the early days of television and product sponsorship? Adler had ties to Jell-O!

Piglets played integral roles in Adler's clowning. He named each one Amelia after his wife and as the piglets became full fledged pigs, he traded them in for a new piglet whom he promptly named Amelia.

The first clown to appear on television, Adler earned his title "The White House Clown" by performing for three presidents (Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin D. Roosevelt). He and his wife were the first American husband and wife clown team. (SOURCE: Squidoo/Felix Adler)

Felix Adler died on February 1, 1960. The following is his obituary from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on February 2nd.

(SOURCE: Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

Notice the handwork of the staff artist on the photo of Adler. Apparently the image was less than satisfactory for reproduction so the artist did a bit of doodling. Sort of surprised that the newspaper from the town where the circus was headquartered did not have a decent photo of the most important clown.
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Available at Amazon:
Tattered and Lost: Cakes, Picnics, and Watermelon

S. S. President Cleveland ON THE HIGH SEAS UPDATE!

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 05:11:00 +0000

This is an update to a post done on July 9, 2009. In October of 2014 I received an interesting comment from a reader. The fella has now followed up with a fascinating post of his dangerous voyage. Scroll down to the "UPDATE" to read his harrowing memory.

I can close my eyes and remember standing aboard ship and watching the sun set on the horizon as we sailed to Hawaii, each day feeling the sea breeze grow warmer. I wish I could experience it again.

These lovely cards are of the S. S. President Cleveland which sailed from San Francisco to Asia and back again. I believe these date to the later 50s to early 60s.

Click on images to see them larger.

The S. S. President Cleveland was part of the American President Lines.

In 1938 the U.S. Government took over the management of the Dollar Steamship Co. which was in financial difficulties and transferred their assets to the newly formed American President Line. The company operated trans-Pacific and round-the-world services, but the war in Europe disrupted services and after the entry of the United States into the war, all the company's ships were taken over for war duties. After the war, only two ships were returned to the round-the-world service and two new ships were built 1947-48 for the trans-Pacific route. Further ships were later added to the fleet, but by 1972 only the PRESIDENT CLEVELAND (2) and PRESIDENT WILSON (2) were sailing as passenger ships and both were withdrawn from service the following year. The company still trades as a cargo company. (SOURCE: The Ships List)

To see photos of the interior click on this link to the site Cruising the Past. And to read a complete history of the lines click here for Wikipedia. Unfortunately I can't find any information about either illustrator.

I hope this bit of ephemera brings back memories to those who sailed the high seas in style and gives those who didn't a moment to pause and dream.

UPDATE:

You expressed interest in hearing a story about an incident that I wrote about on your blog 10/03/14 concerning an incident aboard the SS President Cleveland in 1972.

Well here it is. I wrote this out this morning in an email to a friend. Post it to your heart's content.

Enjoy!...........John Bengtson in White Salmon, Wa

The SS President Cleveland was launched sometime in 1946 but the hull was laid down in 1944. It was designed by war time standards, meaning that there wasn't much consideration for the comfort of the crew. And because of this the jobs were fairly easy to get, even for a junior member of the union. Around 1971 with the cutback to military supplies going to Viet Nam, shipping became very tight and many seaman quit going to sea altogether.

I took the call and joined the ship in San Pedro around World Series time, carefully timed because I knew that no one wanted to take a call and miss the series. I shipped as Evaporator Maintenance Man and was assigned the 12-4 watch.

The ship was near the end of it's life and most everyone knew that. Just enough maintenance to keep her going one more trip. The Black Gang (unlicensed engine dept) was nearly 40 men. My foc'sle (room) had 3 of us crammed in there, some of the Stewards Dept. were 6 to a room. And of course there was no air conditioning.

Pretty fun crew though. Quite a few people near my age. My watch engineer was in his mid 20's. In hot weather we used to sneak up to the 2nd class swimming pool after morning watch and take a dip, knowing that it would mean getting fired if we were caught. And we joked amongst ourselves that was the only way that we would be able to quit the ship.

The Cleveland was turbo-electric propulsion and had 2 engine rooms. Steam drives the turbine which drives a huge alternator which, through huge wires, drives the motors at the propellers. This made for a strange engine room layout. Normally a turbine would be perfectly amid-ship, but being that there was no shaft connecting the turbine reduction gearing to the propeller, and hence no shaft alley, the turbine was set was on the starboard side of the engine room. Boilers were situated fore and aft with opposing
furnace fronts and air registers facing each other on the port side of the plant. My evaporators were on the 2nd deck level with the steam drums and further outboard of the boilers. There was a metal grate connecting the evap flat with the rest of the engine room running tightly between the boilers. And a ladder (steep stairway) to the deck below. Over head on the evap flat was the ducting, 2 aprox. 4'x6' ducts which brought the forced draft air to the boiler, and directly overhead was a point where the 2 ducts joined together briefly with a flapper valve in between (? diverter?)with a mechanical handle which would allow 1 forced draft fan to supply both boilers in case of emergency.

When I joined the ship I couldn't help but notice some unsafe conditions, particularly one that led to the event which I'll get to in a minute. The fuel oil to the boilers goes through an automatic solenoid shut-off valve which will stop the flow of fuel to the boiler in the event the forced draft fans overload and stop supplying air to the boiler. And these solenoid valve handles were held open by bricks to prevent them from false tripping.

Somewhere on route to San Francisco from Honolulu on the 12-4 afternoon watch that is exactly what happened. Charlie Reis fireman/watertender, Arthur Rudy watch 3rd asst.engineer, and myself were chatting in the fireroom when all of a sudden heavy black smoke began to pour from the air registers on one of the boilers. What had been another uneventful watch quickly became a serious situation. And the sequence of events gets a bit hazy from here. First was Rudy's attempt to restart the forced draft fan, to no success. I ran up the ladder to my evap flat and tried to open up the diverter (flapper) where the 2 ducts joined so as to supply air to both boilers from 1 fan. The handle wouldn't burge, probably rusted shut from years of disuse. All the while the fireroom is filling up with black smoke. And then the other fan quit and smoke was pouring out of both boiler fronts and the boilers started "panting".

Has anyone ever seen a wood stove pant? The draft gets a certain pulsation going and the whole stove seems to expand and contract with a corresponding whoosh-whoosh sound. It's scary when a wood stove does this and it's really scary when a boiler, something as big as a cabin, pants.

At this point both boilers were panting. My last image of the fireroom through the smoke was of Charlie Reis shutting off the oil to these panting boilers. Charlie was a huge man, probably 6'5", big enough to reach the oil valves on each boiler at the same time. He was literally trying to hang on to the valves while these cabin sized boilers were panting.

Things were happening pretty fast. At this point, I decided that I should secure the steam to my evaporator so I ran up the ladder to my evaporator and began closing a big steam valve with a 3' valve wheel. At this point the 1st asst. engineer showed up on the grate between the boilers and started screaming "WHAT'S GOING ON?" Every fireman is taught to always keep an eye on the gauge glass which indicates the water level in the boiler. For some reason I looked at the gauge glass on one of the boilers and didn't see a level. I yelled to the 1st "CHECK THE GLASS,CHECK THE GLASS!". What appeared to be water level below the level of the glass was actually water in the steam drum higher than the glass, too high a water level. The 1st asst. ran down to the feed water pump and over rode the pump, pumping more water into an already full boiler.

I was still turning this big valve wheel to shut off steam to my evaporator when the explosion occurred. I was about 20' away from where the steam lines from the 2 boilers join to form the main steam line to the turbine.

The next thing that I remember was being on my knees at the bottom of the ladder next to the fireroom. Black smoke was pouring out of the fireroom now, too thick to see Charlie anymore. I took off running around the back of the boiler towards the other side of the engine room where there was a ladder going up to the operating platform. It was extremely loud and getting hot fast. I was thinking I could still get out. When I got to the ladder, the Chief, 1st asst. and the watch engineer were coming down. It was getting too hot up there. My watch engineer Rudy was hysterical and in tears. And remember that this ship didn't have a shaft alley, so no shaft alley escape.

I was once told that in the event of a major steam explosion you might live if you immerse yourself in the bilge water. And pray.

What had happened was when the water level in the full boiler carried over to where the 2 steam lines met, that water meeting the steam exploded and it blew out the gasket at the joint. 475# steam escaping through the area in the joint where the gasket had been.

The Chief Engineer, before coming down, had fully opened up the throttle to drain the steam off into the turbine. But still no Charlie. When I last saw him he had been closing off the fuel oil to the boilers. It was finally sinking in what had just happened in the course of about 5 minutes. And then Charlie appeared, covered in black soot. If he hadn't gotten the oil shut off we might have all suffocated.

Eventually it cooled down enough so we could get out through the top of the engine room. I had another evaporator in the other engine room to take care of, but the rest of that engine room watch was off for the rest of the watch. Within a day the repairs were made and we were back to 2 engine rooms.

I don't usually tell this story in this much detail because there's another point here, a real twist. We arrived in San Francisco 2 days later. The SF Bay Area had a brand new transit system, BART, and I took the train to visit my father in the East Bay. My sister was staying with my Dad while attending college in Hayward and she answered the door when I arrived. Her first question was "where have you been the last two days"? I told her that I we had just arrived that afternoon and she repeated what she had asked before, and asked what I might be hiding, not quite calling me a liar. When I asked her why she thought that I had arrived home 2 days prior, she told me that she heard me calling her name, over and over. She had been typing at her desk and said that it sounded urgent, as if I was holding packages that I was about to drop and needed someone to open the door for me. She ran out through the garage and I wasn't there. Next she ran to the front door, which we rarely used, and I wasn't their either. And then back through the garage and out into the street calling my name.

Things settled down and I convinced her that I was telling the truth. She was so sure that she had heard me calling her name. Then it dawned on me that we had had this incident on the ship 2 days before and at that one point, between being blown down that ladder and coming to on my knees, I had no recollection. I asked my sister what time this all happened and it matched perfectly considering the time change coming from Hawai'i.

Did I mention that I was scared? You bet I was.

John Bengtson in White Salmon

Marine Firemen's Union, JM-3736 1969- 1978

Thank you John! What a vividly told story. I felt as if I was watching a movie.

Little KLAUS the PAPER DOLL

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:58:00 +0000

I've mentioned in the past that years ago I was up very late one night, searching around ebay, blindly clicking from page to page. Ebay can be such a bad place in the middle of the night, especially if you've taken an Ambien and haven't gone to bed. The next morning I awoke and remembered I had a debate with myself about a box of paper dolls for sale for several hundred dollars. Did I or didn't I buy them? I did, and my stomach sank. Fortunately when the 29 pounds of paper arrived I changed my mind. Hundreds of paper dolls, all neatly arranged in envelopes for those that were cut, and nicely labeled. It had been a collection that had belonged to a librarian who had died. I put many of them in albums, but there are still several hundred to go.

This little fella, Klaus, is in a booklet that contains 3 dolls. He's a keeper.

_________________

Available at Amazon
Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

A mailbox full of VALENTINE'S DAY FUN

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 21:58:00 +0000

I thought this Sepia Saturday I'd just fill your Valentine's mailbox with lots of cards, all from my collection. Many of them have been posted in the past on this blog, but most of you probably have never seen them or are aware of this site. Some I purposely purchased, others came inside scrapbooks I'd purchased. Enjoy!

Published by Rust Craft.

Published by The Wishing Well (not affiliated with the company now using the name in the UK)

Published by Hallmark.

Here we have Clarabell the Cow, a Disney character; she too is a mechanical valentine. She moves her head from side-to-side. Let's just say her head is hanging on my a thread and is now in a permanent brace. That's what happens when you get old. Arthritis in the neck.

This is obviously the Scarecrow and Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz though there are no markings indicating it was an official item affiliated with the movie.

Animated card. Sorry, just don't have time to do an animated version, but the fellow moves his arm up and down. Fickle fellow with twins? Published by Carrington Co., Chicaco, Ill.

Seriously, what is this guys problem? What is he looking for? A true love or a housekeeper? Such a romantic. Kick him in the keister and send him on his way.

From Gibson, probably in the late 1930s to 40s. Yes, yes...separate beds. Well at least they aren't sitting in separate bathtubs ala that stupid Cialis commercial.

When you hold the card below up to a light certain areas allow the light to shine through. In this case the street lamp, stars, and windows shine.

Click on image to see it larger.

Click here to read a letter from a fella stuck in the Philippines in 1945 longing for the girl back home. You'll need to click on the pages to make them large enough to read.

Happy Valentine's Day and ephemera collecting!
_________________

Available at Amazon
Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

WHICH PAPER DOLL is this?

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 06:55:00 +0000

I've posted this photo at my other blog, but thought that ephemera collectors, especially those who collect paper dolls would enjoy seeing it. What makes this snapshot unusual is that the little girl is holding a paper doll. It's pretty common to find photos of children with dolls, but not paper dolls. I'm sure some eagle eyed reader who collects paper dolls will be able to figure out which doll it is.

Click on image to see it larger.

Click on image to see it larger.

This photo is from the Betty Schnabel estate sale and is in her mother's photo album.

Let's BUY A NEW CAR!

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Sat, 03 May 2014 03:44:00 +0000

Would you like to put a Mercury in your driveway? If so, it'll have to be a used car. So if we're talking used how about a 1954 Mercury?

I would certainly love to drive one of these in order to experience their new suspension technology. The big old boats were cushy and comfortable. Steering sucked, but the better brands took bumps nicely.

So with the "same ball-joint principle used in your shoulder" were there ever any rotator cuff problems? I know, I know…bad one.

Click on image to see it larger.

Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick (and former Oldsmobile) brand, and Chrysler Motors' Chrysler division. From 1945 to 2011, it was the Mercury half of the Lincoln - Mercury division of Ford (the Edsel brand was included in that division for the 1958-1960 model years). Using badge engineering, the majority of Mercury models were based on Ford platforms.

On June 2, 2010, Ford announced the closure of the Mercury line by the end of the year. In terms of sales, Mercury represented only 1 percent of North America's automobile market compared to the 16 percent share of Ford. Ford Motor Company has stated that additional Lincoln models will be introduced to help replace any shortfall from the discontinued Mercury brand. At the time of the announcement of Mercury's closure, Mercury was selling fewer than 95,000 units a year, which is less than both Plymouth and Oldsmobile right before they were phased out. The Mercury Mountaineer was discontinued in the 2010 model year, with the remaining Mercurys following suit after an abbreviated 2011 model year. Mercury's U.S. sales in 2010, its final full year, were 93,195. After the Mercury brand was discontinued in 2011, Ford stripped all Mercury branding from its Lincoln-Mercury dealers. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Let's BUY A NEW CAR!

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Thu, 01 May 2014 21:17:00 +0000

Time to go car shopping. Yeah, just the words "go car shopping" feels like fingernails on a blackboard. Have you ever been followed across a car lot by an obnoxious salesman who is yelling at you because he thinks he can harass you into buying from him? I hate shopping for cars and have my own personal stories of bad car dealerships. However, my last purchase couldn't have gone better. Very satisfied with everything. So I'll let you go shopping for a car because I intend to keep mine into my 70s.

For some reason people seem to like the silver gray car color. Individually I guess they look fine, but when I'm walking through a parking lot and see row after row of silver gray cars I feel like I'm surrounded by pod people. The cars all look alike even though they're from different manufacturers. There is a drabness to them. How does anyone find their silver gray drone when they go back to the lot? I'll admit that I'm a red car sort of person. Has nothing to do with wanting to be noticed which seems to be the cliche about red car owners. I just like the color. I especially like the color when it's shiny and pretty and stands out in a parking lot. I can easily find my car…unless there's another red one parked next to it. This happened not long after I purchased my car. Came out of Costco to find the exact same car parked next to mine. At that point it was so new I didn't yet have a license on it so I had to look inside to see if something looked familiar.

Anyway…let's go shopping…in 1954.

NASH…it's a car…it's an airplane…it's a bed! Who knew?

Click on image to see it larger. (SOURCE: National Geographic, June 1954)

Ambassador was the model name applied to the senior line of Nash automobiles from 1932 until 1957. From 1958 until the end of the 1974 model year, the Ambassador was the product of American Motors Corporation (AMC), which continued to use the Ambassador model name on its top-of-the-line models, making it "one of the longest-lived automobile nameplates in automotive history.

In 1954 the Nash Ambassador was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. The heating and ventilation system system was called Weather Eye and now could equipped with Nash-Kelvinators' advanced Automobile air conditioning unit. While other manufacturers in America at the time offered A/C on some models, their air conditioning units were driven by a large and heavy, trunk mounted expander and heat exchanger that carried the air into the car via clear plastic tubes and out through ceiling mounted vents. Nash's unit was inexpensive, compact, fit under the hood, and could either circulate fresh or recycled air. With a single thermostatic control, the Nash passenger compartment air cooling option was described as "a good and remarkably inexpensive" system. The option was priced well below systems offered by other carmakers (in 1955, Nash offered it at USm$345, against $550 for Oldsmobile or $570 for Chrysler); other makers, such as Ford, did not even offer optional air conditioning. (At the time, even a heater was not always standard equipment.) (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Want to see images of Nash cars in movies? Seriously, I'm not kidding. Click here. Kind of cool. You'll find the 1954 Nash was used in the classic Frank Sinatra movie written by Sterling Hayden called Suddenly. How about the old Superman series? Yup, Nash Ambassador. Then there's always Bride of the Monster. Yeah, no idea.

Click here to go to the website for the Nash Car Club of America.

MORE COWBOY Illustrations

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 23:25:00 +0000

In the last post I mentioned that one of the characters on one of the book covers looked very much like a friend's husband. I sent her a jpg and she and her daughter were dumbstruck. I am sending them the book. Turns out her husband was also a big Louis L'Amour fan.

This time I've got three more L'Amour covers with what appears to be another "guest star."

I love illustration, much more than I like fine art. I guess it's the graphic designer in me. I'm fascinated by someone working within set parameters and how with a limited amount of time they can turn out work that fills the need and is memorable.

When you think of all the art that has been created for paperback books it's staggering. And when you think about the fact that there's been some seriously good work that once used was relegated to the trash bin, it's heartbreaking. I'll admit to not being a fan of the majority of art used on romance novels, but mysteries and westerns can be very enticing. I'd love to have any of this work to hang on my wall.

Image from 1972 edition.

Image from 1973 edition.

So here we have the "guest star, " though maybe I'm the only one noticing it. Dean Martin. Yes, THE Dean Martin who starred in many Westerns with the likes of John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Robert Mitchum. Now, did the illustrator intend for readers to recognize this as Dean Martin? Who knows. Illustrators often work from photographs. I know of a book done by a famous illustrator who used the wife of a politician to portray the Wicked Witch of the West in his book of Oz. You had to be blind to not recognize her face.

No edition information given.

COWBOY illustrations

noreply@blogger.com (Tattered and Lost) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 20:11:00 +0000

I've never been a fan of Louis L'Amour books, but my father has a big stack of them given to him by the wife of a deceased friend. I think over the years dad has probably read all of them, but has no interest in me buying more of them. These days he's a big fan of Craig Johnson's Longmire series, a pseudo western. When my dad finishes reading a book he always hands it to me, no matter if I'm interested in it or not. I am the repository of books. I still say that anyone could walk into my home and find at least one book they'd like to read.

These three books were stuck in a paper bag of books I'd taken off a bookshelf when some new windows were installed last year. Yes, it's taken me this long to get the bookshelf back in place and start sorting the books. This time I'm going through and picking out stuff that will not go back on the shelf. Mind you, it's hard for me to get rid of a book. I love books, but then I'd have to since I make my living creating them.

1979 edition. Click on image to see it larger.

What first struck me about one of these is how much one face looks like a friend's husband. Now, that would seem highly unlikely, except for the fact that he was an actor who did appear in several westerns. So maybe, just maybe, the illustrator was working from a photo of him. I've sent the image along to my friend to see what she thinks.

1985 edition. Click on image to see it larger.

No information is ever given about the illustrators of these books, which to me is a shame. Just a brief callout on the copyright page would be nice. I'd like to be able to compare images they've done. It sort of boggles the mind how many illustrations have been done for paperbacks since their inception. Artists cranking out one cover after another, but still giving their best. A lot was riding on these illustrations, no pun intended. Point of purchase sale was the most important element behind what finally got chosen. Did the illustration capture something that would make a buyer stop and become a reader?

1979 edition. Click on image to see it larger.

Will I toss these books as I put the shelves back together? Probably not. I'll never read them, but I do like the covers.