When was the last time you write a real letter, you cold and heartless monster?
Bone shards:
This company was founded in 1893 to manufacture social stationery. Social stationery. The first social media?
Feel like writing somebody a real letter? Etsy and eBay have some sellers with vintage Eaton stationery.
I know you can’t wait to read about the history of paper.
You wanna go old-old school? I got ya — the history of papyrus.
Remember Cursive?
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I’m mostly sharing this ad just for that one line of copy. It’s a beaut.
Bone shards:
Laughter was Germaine Monteil’s first perfume. It was later rebranded as Rigolade, which is French for “joke”.
Laughter took eight years to develop. “It smells good too.” — Esquire, 1951
“Beauty is not a gift, rather the combination of natural charisms, personal style and expert care.” — Germaine Monteil
Is laughter the best medicine?
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Bone shards:
Player’s Navy Cut was discontinued in 2016. Not a bad run.
One of its slogans in the 1920s was “Player’s Please”. It’s a long shot, but I think it’s possible this was an early version of the more recent “Playa please.”
And yes, “Me likee” is a racist stereotype. Don’t do that.
Detail: Notice the “Hero” on the sailor’s hat.
And just because, here’s a possible origin for “Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
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Bone shards:
Bentley Bear makes an appearance in Wreck-It Ralph!
Crystal Castles was a trackball game. And now I’m having Marble Madness flashbacks.
Crystal Castles is now a Canadian band.
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Ok, we have a few scenic stops mentioned in this ad, but sadly, no travel brochure. I guess we’ll just have to settle for the Internet.
The Ruins of Mitla
The Catacombs of Guanajuato. Bring your mummy.
The Valley and Hills of Monterey
Hmm… Monterey is in California, but there is an Monterrey in Mexico. Quite lovely.
Ok, not gonna lie… This trip would be amazeballs. That’s a good thing.
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Bone shards:
Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The first set came with instructions to build 1) Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home and 2) Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
“Interesting playthings typifying the spirit of America.”
The last five letters in “Playskool” are considered to be a “sensational spelling” of “school. SENSATIONAL SPELLING. It’s a thing.
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Bone shards:
Street cred? This car had it.
Oldsmobile’s Rocket engine was kind of a big deal.
The voice of Rocket in the Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy movies is Bradley Cooper.
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Bone shards:
The version of Mountain Dew that you’re probably more familiar with didn’t come around until 1940. Also, one of its early lines was “It’ll tickle yore innards.”
A version of this is still sold in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
A Sanderson’s Mountain Dew promotional knife can be yours for only $139.95.
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Bone shards:
Some very interesting words are used to sell this amazing product. My apologies in advance if you are a Victorian hypochondriac.
Alterative — a drug used empirically to alter favorably the course of an ailment
Deobstruent — having the power to clear or open the natural ducts of the fluids and secretions of the body
Scrofula — a condition in which the bacteria that causes tuberculosis causes symptoms outside the lungs
King’s Evil — (AKA scrofula) a tuberculous swelling of the lymph glands, once popularly supposed to be curable by the touch of royalty
White Swellings – a swelling seen in tuberculous arthritis, esp. of the knee
Scrofulous — refers to scrofula, or figuratively, morally contaminated and corrupt
Indolent — lazy or slothlike, or a problem that causes no pain, or is slow-growing and not immediately problematic
Mercurial — characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
Neuralgia — a stabbing, burning, and often severe pain due to an irritated or damaged nerve.
Tic-Douloureux — a severe, stabbing pain to one side of the face
Goitre — (you might know this as “goiter”) a swelling of the thyroid gland that causes a lump in the front of the neck
Bronchocele (swelled neck) — impacted mucoid secretions within the bronchial tree
Tetter – any of various skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, or herpes, characterized by eruptions and itching, or possibly ringworm for old-timers
Biles — either something having to do with your bile/liver/gall bladder, or going back even further, either of two bodily humours, one of which (black bile) was thought to cause melancholy and the other (yellow bile) anger
Carbuncles — a skin infection that often involves a group of hair follicles. The infected material forms a lump, which occurs deep in the skin and often contains pus.
Dyspepsia — indigestion
Dropsical Swellings — (AKA edema or dropsy) swelling caused by fluid retention
Don’t you feel smarter (and a little bit sicker) now?
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