Category Archives: Suburbia

Avon Lady Ad

Ding Dong…Avon Calling

 The lyrical sound of Ding Dong… Avon Calling was music to my mid-century mother’s ears.   My father may have said he wanted to be a hands on kinda Dad but it was my Mother who had her hands filled especially

Avon Lady Ad

Ding Dong…Avon Calling

 The lyrical sound of Ding Dong… Avon Calling was music to my mid-century mother’s ears.   My father may have said he wanted to be a hands on kinda Dad but it was my Mother who had her hands filled especially

vintage illustration woman mowing lawn

Ladies and Lawns

The silent spring morning of my suburban childhood were broken by the sounds not of birds chirping but of a symphony of puttering gas lawn mowers synchronized all over the neighborhood. The air would permeate of fresh-cut grass, gasoline and

vintage illustration woman mowing lawn

Ladies and Lawns

The silent spring morning of my suburban childhood were broken by the sounds not of birds chirping but of a symphony of puttering gas lawn mowers synchronized all over the neighborhood. The air would permeate of fresh-cut grass, gasoline and

WWII Coke ad 1944 illustration soldier

On the Front Lines With Coca Cola Pt. 1

During WWII the boys overseas were fighting for Mom, apple pie and a bottle of Coke. Coca Cola, as much a part of the American Dream as a white picket fence and baseball,  has symbolized the American way of life,

WWII Coke ad 1944 illustration soldier

On the Front Lines With Coca Cola Pt. 1

During WWII the boys overseas were fighting for Mom, apple pie and a bottle of Coke. Coca Cola, as much a part of the American Dream as a white picket fence and baseball,  has symbolized the American way of life,

Jon Whitcomb illustration ad pin it 1958

A Mothers Day Of Beauty

As a young child in the late 1950’s, I shadowed my mother everywhere she went.  I was her Baba Looey to her Quick Draw McGraw, Boo Boo to her Yogi Bear, Tonto to her Lone Ranger.Within her sphere of influence

Jon Whitcomb illustration ad pin it 1958

A Mothers Day Of Beauty

As a young child in the late 1950’s, I shadowed my mother everywhere she went.  I was her Baba Looey to her Quick Draw McGraw, Boo Boo to her Yogi Bear, Tonto to her Lone Ranger.Within her sphere of influence

illustration mother child 1951

Whitman’s and Mothers Day

My sweet Grandmother had a sweet tooth. Whether Bartons, Barricini, or Lofts, chocolate was the common currency of celebration. But Mothers Day meant only one thing- a Whitman’s Sampler. Through the years, that gift of chocolate has become more closely

illustration mother child 1951

Whitman’s and Mothers Day

My sweet Grandmother had a sweet tooth. Whether Bartons, Barricini, or Lofts, chocolate was the common currency of celebration. But Mothers Day meant only one thing- a Whitman’s Sampler. Through the years, that gift of chocolate has become more closely

supermarkets illustration 1950s

Supermarkets, Strollers and Suburbia

In this day and age when you have to maneuver yourself through a flotilla of McClaren strollers manned by an army of nannies and stay-at-home-moms just to place an order at the supermarket deli counter, it’s quite a sight to

supermarkets illustration 1950s

Supermarkets, Strollers and Suburbia

In this day and age when you have to maneuver yourself through a flotilla of McClaren strollers manned by an army of nannies and stay-at-home-moms just to place an order at the supermarket deli counter, it’s quite a sight to

vintage ad Fresh Start Mod 1960s

Can Betty Draper Tune in to the Now Generation?

Like my own mother Betty, Mad Men’s Betty  Draper woke one morning in the late 1960s to the realization she was a square. In a world firmly divided into the “under 30s” and “over 30s” she was no longer part

vintage ad Fresh Start Mod 1960s

Can Betty Draper Tune in to the Now Generation?

Like my own mother Betty, Mad Men’s Betty  Draper woke one morning in the late 1960s to the realization she was a square. In a world firmly divided into the “under 30s” and “over 30s” she was no longer part

nuclear attak booklet 1950s

Nuclear Jitters

As the tensions mount in the Korean Peninsula, with the nuclear sabre rattling mounting in North Korea, old fears are renewed. For those of us who grew up during the 1950’s and 1960’s the fear of nuclear attack was the

nuclear attak booklet 1950s

Nuclear Jitters

As the tensions mount in the Korean Peninsula, with the nuclear sabre rattling mounting in North Korea, old fears are renewed. For those of us who grew up during the 1950’s and 1960’s the fear of nuclear attack was the

vintage illustration Steven Dohanos home economics

Happy Homemakers in Training

Before Domestic Diva Martha Stewart instructed American women in how to be the perfect homemaker, high school girls were required to take Home Economic classes. Since every girl had dreams off being the perfect homemaker, it was perfectly natural to

vintage illustration Steven Dohanos home economics

Happy Homemakers in Training

Before Domestic Diva Martha Stewart instructed American women in how to be the perfect homemaker, high school girls were required to take Home Economic classes. Since every girl had dreams off being the perfect homemaker, it was perfectly natural to

vintage ad Green Giant corn cans housewife 1950s

Supermarket Adventures Pt II: The Case of The Supermarket Sleuth

One day while flipping through a 3-year-old, dog-eared magazine while waiting for her hair to dry at the Glam-A- Rama Beauty Parlor, my mid-century Mom happened upon an article in the May 1955 issue of Better Living Magazine that caught

vintage ad Green Giant corn cans housewife 1950s

Supermarket Adventures Pt II: The Case of The Supermarket Sleuth

One day while flipping through a 3-year-old, dog-eared magazine while waiting for her hair to dry at the Glam-A- Rama Beauty Parlor, my mid-century Mom happened upon an article in the May 1955 issue of Better Living Magazine that caught