August 1958 Part II

I am fascinated by Mid-Century art, and this August 1958 issue of Family Circus is filled with little ads featuring line art.

Mrs. Smith is excited because Bell Telephone Station to Station calls were so cheap: Detroit to Cleveland was 60 cents for person-to-person, 40 cents for station-to-station, for THREE minutes. So when hubby is away he could call home every day.

Mom bought Pompeian Olive Oil. 

My, babies were so advanced in 1958, they could clean up their own messes!

I remember Mom using bobby pins and later Klippies. I know she used them on me when I had a Bubble Cut, just like Mom.

When girls were womanly, Tampax allowed swimming every day of the month.

Such cute cartoons of family life.

The eyes on this coffee cup look familiar. I think Jeannie lived in a coffee cup when she was not in her bottle. Too cute.

 Baby becomes a "tycoon".

Two kinds of perspiration? Psuedo-science has always been employed to sell us something. I bet they believed only women had nervous, emotional sweat.

Half-sizes have disappeared. Dr. Scholl's is still around.

What would Family Circle be without several babies. Note the turquoise dress.

Glass was thrown over for petroleum-based plastic long ago. In 1958 it was touted because it was sterile and the food did not take on any flavor from the container.

And of course food figures into any lady's magazine. Turquoise ice!

Chocolate Chiffon Pie by Jell0

More turquoise. Making burgers look like turtles.

Last of all, an ad for radio stories read by Bette Davis. With nine out of ten households having a television, this was one of the last radio dramas. Whispering Streets can be heard online here.

And if you want to cook like they did in 1958, here are some recipes:

Guacamold

Makes 8 servings

1 package lime flavor gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cu p cold water
1 3 to 4 ounce package of cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 medium avocado, mashed
2 tsp lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 slivered almonds

1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; add cold water; pour 1 tablespoon into each of six individual molds; chill until just sticky; keep remaining gelatin at room temperature.
2. While gelatin chills in molds, soften cream cheese; stir in mayonnaise, avocado, and lemon rind and juice; beat until smooth; blend in remaining gelatin mixtures; fold in almonds.
3. Spoon over gelatin layer to fill each mold; chill several hours or until firm.
4. Unmold onto serving plater; garnish with salad greens.

Lemon Rice Cream
Makes 6 servings
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 c sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Combine rice, sugar, butter, and lemon juice in saucepan; add milk.
2. Heat just to boiling; simmer slowly for 10 minutes; stir in grated lemon rind and nutmeg; pour into bowl.
3. Serve warm or chilled, plain or with cream. Add your favorite cookies.

Family Circle August 1958: When Turquoise Was Vogue

Turquoise was the first decorator color I remember. The August 1958 issue of Family Circle may have influenced Mom's choice in buying a turquoise couch in 1959. 

In this magazine variations of turquoise appears in decor, background color in ads and illustrative art, and in clothing.

 Tommy Sands likes the Halo girl. The backdrop color is, of course, turquoise.

 The Parkay package is a light blue, bordering on turquoise.

 Yep. Turquoise towels.

What great paper plate patterns! Several in turquoise.

This issue had three short stories. Note "the girl" looks awfully womanly.

It is no wonder I associate the color turquoise with my childhood! Mom painted the wainscoting in our house turquoise and the color showed up in lamp trims and doilies (which she pinned to a board, starched, to keep that shape)

In 1959 Mom bought her first new furniture, including the maple hutch I still own, a brown chair, a brown on ivory Colonial print chair, and a turquoise couch. Here is my brother in 1962 sitting on that couch. It had a tough nylon upholstery that never wore out, but was scratchy against the skin. Wasn't he cute?

In 1963 we moved to a 1920s house in Michigan. Mom painted the wall turquoise to match that couch. Here I am Christmas 1963 or 1964 sitting on that couch.

In a few years Mom redecorated. The walls became yellow. It was the beginning of a new era in decorating: Harvest Gold and Avocado. The couch was replaced. She kept the brown chair and in 1972 when I married she gave it to us. That upholstery just never wore out. We discarded it in 1976.

Sheet Music Covers

My mother and grandmother made sure I took piano lessons starting at eight years old. I liked playing but not necessarily practicing. Then my folks moved and the piano did not move with us. I found myself in a strange school far from my friends and cousins I missed my piano exceedingly.

In Sixth Grade music classes I wanted to touch the piano, but was too shy to ask. Then m my grandmother bought me a used upright piano, painted white. Mom painted it a light green, a trendy color in 1964. I resumed lessons. In 1966 I had six months of guitar lessons, then dropped lessons all together. But I continued to play, teaching myself.


I have an antique quarter sawn oak, planck front music cabinet full of sheet music. The oldest pieces were given to me when I was a girl: Deep Purple and Symphony. In the early 1970s in Philadelphia we came across a collectibles shop that sold sheet music and I started collecting it. I do play the music. But sometimes I buy it just for the cover art.

Exotic women abound

 Fashion trends

War and music seemed to hand-in-hand in the last century. That kind of musical patriotism has vanished.

 

 Couples are a perennial theme.

 What great art

 I even love the fonts used on the old music, like Dromedary

More girls

If a famous singer performed the song it is likely they appeared on the sheet music.

Sometimes the gal became famous later.

Jane Austen Family Album Update

I am just about caught up with the Jane Austen Family Album weekly blocks. I did Lucky Pieces for Jane's Aunt Leigh-Perrot.

I laid the finished blocks on a bed to see how they look. I can't wait to get a design wall up! I have really missed one. 

The colors really are not showing up very well. The fabrics are French General, mostly Panier de Fleurs fat quarters I picked up a year or so ago. I added the red stripe and several greens and a cream background fabric from my stash. The gray background of the prints show up greenish in the lighting.

Hopefully before the week is over I will do block 17 and be up-to-date. There will be 36 blocks in all. Of course I have no idea yet what I will do with them! But I am having great fun working on a sampler quilt.

Work is nearly over with carpet tiling the finished basement, and the IKEA Hemnes bookcases are all up. Another week and that room should be settled. THEN we can work on the unfinished side, which now is piles of boxes all over. And when we dig out the corner with the fuse box we can call in the electrician. We have taken five more trips to the thrift shop with things to donate. 

Retirement so far seems to be  hard work!