An amazing decade in which a severe worldwide depression was replaced by a lengthy world at war, followed by a post-war boom.
Welcome to the 1940′s
Neon signs flash through the darkness on a rainy night in the city. Halos form above dimly lit street lamps. From the rooftop ballroom of the Club Dahlia in 1940′s downtown Miami, you’re listening to the sweet sounds of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
I am somewhat mesmerized by this photo. I came across it on the Library Of Congress website. The caption reads “Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank Calif., June 1942″ A tip of the hat to the photographer, because I b... Read More »
I have spent hours looking through past issues of both Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. The stories, the advertisements, the everything! You can browse and read every page of each issue of Popular Mechanics back to 1905. You can do the same wit... Read More »
I am nostalgic for a time I did not live in. I believe the forties decade gave us the finest entertainers, musicians, movies, (film noir is my favorite), radio, and fashion. Above all, I have a true appreciation for the sacrifices, determination, and... Read More »
Groucho Marx
Abstract: While preparing to film a movie entitled A Night in Casablanca, the Marx brothers received a letter from Warner Bros. threatening legal action if they did not change the film’s title. Warner Bros. deemed the film’s title too similar to their own Casablanca, released almost…[Read more]
I know!.. the publication was written by the enlisted rank only and was the most widely read magazine in the history of the U.S. military. Insightful stuff.. and great feature photos too.
From the pages of Yank, The Army Weekly – China-Burma-India Edition January 1943:
AT A U.S. BOMBER BASE, INDIA – For the first time in military history, the mournful hearts have organized. The Brush-Off Club is […]
I was lucky growing up – not only was I often in my family grocery store and surrounded by the personal chefs of the rich and famous, but my mother’s family were farmers…. old southern and half French. I was never one of those kids who hated eating vegetables. In fact, I loved them! When I was barely able to walk or talk, I…[Read more]
Don't throw that water away! Keep the pot of water in which you blanched your vegetables covered, on a cold burner at the back of your stove or in the refrigerator. Every day or two blanch more vegetables, of any kind, in the same water. Each vegetable will absorb some of the salt and impart flavor and nutrients to the water. At the end of…[Read more]
Rooftop ballrooms, inviting a soldier to dinner, the percussion of high heels across a heavy wooden floor, film noir. Lips as red as the law will allow, walking slowly on a misty morning, the buzzing of old neon. The torch song, boats made of mahogany and toy prizes made of tin, pride in appearance, Gene Tierney’s angelic glow. Black satin opera gloves, friends that sign your autograph shirt, Lux Radio Theater, riding in the rumble seat. The melody in music, handwritten letters from home, halos above street lamps in the rain, Winston Churchill. Radios as big as appliances, grilled cheese sandwiches with a dill pickle spear at Woolworth’s, the soul of our nation. Stickball, the magic of Fred and Ginger, a silver dollar from grandma, picnics in the park, letting the good guy win. Dressing up for the movies, the warmth of Christmas morning, an evening next to the radio, Bogie and Bacall. Squeezing into the photo booth with your best friend, kissing goodbye at the train station, Kilroy, the dance hall. Saturday mornings at the barber shop, sounds of children playing tag, leaning over the fence to talk to our neighbor, meeting a date at the soda fountain. The allure born of mystery, riding our bikes in the summer rain, grandma’s medicine chest, searching for four leaf clovers. Dancing until your wingtips glow, staring through display windows downtown, glass milk containers, the 1946 Wurlitzer. Making flour and water paste, a teen’s jalopy, time standing still, sending box tops for decoder rings, Sunday dinner. Hide and seek at dusk, big bands, Hollywood elegance, Superman on the radio, the lunch counter at the 5&10, fedoras.
Don't throw that water away! Keep the pot of water in which you blanched your vegetables covered, on a cold burner at the back of your stove or in the refrigerator. Every day or two blanch more vegetables, of any kind, in the same water. Each vegetable will absorb some of the salt and impart flavor and nutrients to the water. At the end of…[Read more]