Beer and the Happy Homemaker

Ever wonder what made the mid-century Happy Housewife so happy? It turns out hubby wasn’t the only one knocking back a few brewsky’s at the end of  a long day. Beer ads traditionally  targeting men  have long featured buxom babes,

Miss Rheingold Contest a N.Y. Summer Staple

  Once upon a time, the selection of the annual “Miss Rheingold” was as highly anticipated in N.Y. as the race for the White House. For some mid-century misses the title of Miss America was the American Dream. But in

Unintentionally Gay Ads-Does He or Doesn’t He?

How’s your mid-century gaydar? Fans are buzzing about the Mad Men moment when mystery man Bob Benson slyly touched his knee against sourpuss Petes, setting tongues wagging about Bob’s possible homosexuality. Whether or not Bob’s 1968 unrefined gaydar was accurate

A Blueprint For The Middle Class

The idea of upward mobility in America is a powerful and deeply ingrained part of the American Dream. Never was the American Dream more potent or more seductive than in Mid century America. Middle class American were the most envied