Category Archives: vintage ads

All other perfumes pale in comparison.

White Shoulders perfume ad from the December 1946 issue of Art News
White Shoulders perfume ad from the December 1946 issue of Art News

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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Big, Juicy Chunks

1979 comic book ad for Blammo Soft’n SugarFree bubble gum
1979 comic book ad for Blammo Soft’n SugarFree bubble gum

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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Sensuous as the beat of the tom-tom

1946 magazine ad for Corday's Frenzy perfume.
1946 magazine ad for Corday’s Frenzy perfume.

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…

La Mort de Marat by Jacques-Louis David
La Mort de Marat by Jacques-Louis David

Does anyone else smell… murder?

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“Show me your bubbies!”

1944 magazine ad for Seagram’s V.O. Canadian Whisky
1944 magazine ad for Seagram’s V.O. Canadian Whisky

Bubbies?

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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Is that her foot or is there a body under the couch?

Magazine ad for Lucky Strikes found on the back cover of a 1934 issue of Country LIfe.
Magazine ad for Lucky Strikes found on the back cover of a 1934 issue of Country LIfe.

The donkey cigarette holders I’ve seen aren’t quite as classy as hers.

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He sees you when you’re smoking…

“Wait… That’s not what we meant…”

What’s the first thing I thought of when I saw this ad?
“Hey, smoke up, Johnny!”

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The Imperial March starts playing…

Hiram Walker, “benevolent despot“, was into millin’ and distillin’.

What’s the difference between whiskey and whisky? Besides the “e”, that is.

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Let’s get Necco with Santa!

Magazine ad for Necco Wafers. I forgot to write down the year.
Magazine ad for Necco Wafers. I forgot to write down the year.

Necco Wafers refuse to die.

Everyone’s least favorite Halloween candy has been making us miserable since 1847.”

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Insist on the hole.

1919 Life Savers magazine ad found as the inside front cover of a Life magazine.

1919 Life Savers magazine ad found as the inside front cover of a Life magazine.

Did you know Wint-O-Green Life Savers spark in the dark? Here’s why.

You never know when you’ll suddenly have to know a lot more about Life Savers. Mental Floss has you covered.

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Insidious Diseases and Hidden Decay

Would you trust your tree with this man?

“I will go out on a limb for your tree.” — John Davey, probably
Ad for Davey Tree Surgeons found in the April 1917 issue of Countryside / Suburban Life magazine.
Ad for Davey Tree Surgeons found in the April 1917 issue of Countryside / Suburban Life magazine.

Bone shards:

I didn’t realize that tree surgeons were a thing until I read a bit about the profession in a Straight Dope column about Groucho Marx by Cecil Adams. Yes, you should read the entire column.

Way back in the day, Groucho Marx hosted a radio/TV quiz show called “You Bet Your Life. During one show when he was interviewing a tree surgeon, he asked, “Have you ever fallen out of any of your patients?”

Read one heck of an obituary for Groucho here.

And now you know about tree surgeons too.

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