Guess the Year
Embed from Getty ImagesIn a vintage magazine, I came across this informative bulletin. Can you guess what year this issue was published? ( And so as not to throw you off, the illustrations in this post are not from the magazine. I just liked them. Because who doesn’t love houses and cars of the future?)
NATIONAL NEWSLETTER
- A NEW KIND OF RADIANT HEAT comes from electrified ceilings with no wires. Conductive rubber is the heating element…. it was used to keep ice off airplane propellers. For home heating purposes it is sandwiched between thin layers of plastic, which can be painted or papered.
- TOMORROW’S CAR may have rubber fenders that snap back into place after a bump and a heated steering wheel cover for cold weather driving.
- YOUR AUTO may run some day on such farm wastes as cornstalks and whey. A pilot plant is now testing them out as motor fuel — as a standby for the day when oil supplies run down.
- EVEN A DOLL has to worry about her figure these days. Children from seven years old on up are demanding and getting slim, pretty dolls with good figures. They want their dolls to look like the high school girls they admire, not like babies.
- A TINY STRINGLESS GREEN BEAN has been developed which is just the thing for canning whole. Also, agricultural scientists in this area have learned how to firm apple slices so they won’t mash up in cooking.
Can’t guess? Okay, here’s one more item from that page that might help you guess the date, while giving you cold chills at the same time.
- DDT sprayed around playgrounds and along summer pathways will keep ticks away from children. Remember that the family dog often brings them home with him, so dip him in DDT, too. Caution: Never use this insecticide on the family cat.*
*Disclaimer: This is a quote from an old magazine, NOT current advice!!!
Products advertised in this magazine include Odorono Cream (“not only protects your daintiness for a full 24 hours…but gives you the exclusive extra protection of HALGENE, the new wonder ingredient that checks perspiration odor”), Roley Poley Customette slip covers, and French’s Bird Gravel for your pet canary.
Recipes included Stuffed Steamed Cucumbers and Tomato Pie with Sardines. Articles are titled: You Can Enjoy Ironing, Who’s Minding Your Children?, and Corduroy for Glamour.
Embed from Getty ImagesOkay, I’m sure that’s enough to help you pinpoint the year. Leave your guess in the comments and we’ll see who guessed it correctly in a day or two!
The last photo looks like the set from PeeWee’s playhouse. But I digress. Hmm, DDT sprayed everywhere – possibly 1953?
I was born in 1936 and may have a slight advantage. And I read ‘1984,” and such, early. Maybe early 20th century. I like “dainty.” That’s the kind of euphemism that was very prevalent in public speech in the 1950s. Maybe even earlier, before I became aware of such things (in about 1948).
R. John Howe
The shapely doll makes me think it’s from when Barbie came out, say 1959. As to the Odorono, Lysol was used in the 1930s as a douche/contraception.
Eesh! Listerine has an ad in this issue, mostly directed at preventing halitosis, but there is a tiny little additional message that you can use it to prevent “infectious dandruff” by adding it to your hair-washing routine.
huh…
I’m guessing sometime in the late 1940s.
Would have to guess 1956.
I’m going earlier, but only because I happen to know that the first stringless green bean was grown before the turn of the century. However, although cars were invented earlier, they didn’t become more popular until the early 1900’s. So, I’m going to say somewhere between 1915-1920. How about 1917? Argh. What is the answer?!?
No idea!
I love that the cars of the future are used for playing dominoes and doing the grocery shopping.
I have absolutely no idea. I can see everyone thinks relatively early, but I wouldn’t be surprised either if it was 1968. When did they ban DDT?
I’m going to have the Jetsons theme song in my head all day now . . . This whole thing was lots of fun until that part about dipping the dog in DDT . . . OMG
I know! But not the “family cat.” And I get this sort of between-the-lines message that it would be acceptable for stray cats.
1973. Or 1943.
Way to be boldly noncommittal!
It was the corduroy that totally threw me off and made me erroneously go with the ’70s.
I think we need to rekindle the fashion of glamourous corduroy.
2015. Definitely. I know this for sure, because I wrote the ironing article. 😀
I knew you were a multi-faceted author, but I had no idea you went beyond re-writing the classics as chic lit, to writing helpful homemaking tips as well! Now I am even more impressed with your talents.
But remind me to stay off the pathways in Ireland, if DDT is still in current use there! 🙂
Oh, my expertise is exclusively confined to ironing. Or writing about it, at least. I tried to write about laundry once and caused a riot. And you’re right about the Irish pathways. They’re a national scandal.
My guess is 1940.
My guess is 1937.
I’ll go for 1947. Eek.