Home Sweet Home
Back when I used to buy random boxes of old slides, I would sometimes happen upon photos from people's homes that I found appealing for one reason or another. Mostly because they evoked a particular era, I suppose. I saved some of those slides, and thought I'd share a few scans of them today.
First up is this very 1950s kitchen; it's strange to see ceramic tile on the walls of a kitchen, don't you think? The dark teal color is an interesting choice, but it does look good with the white/cream cupboards and that red formica table. I hoped I could identify the illustration on the calendar to the right, and thought it might be a painting by Art Frahm, but I've had no luck (it looks like a man lost his hat on a windy day and a lucky hobo has picked it up?).
I love this great picture of a smartly-dressed woman, proudly displaying those... um... well, what are those things anyway? Not lamps, I assume... are they audio speakers? Whatever they are, they are wonderful examples of mid-century design! Imagine what they might go for in an auction of mid-century modern artifacts.
When I was a kid, my mom loved to do arts and crafts with paper, and even had books on that particular art form. Somebody else apparently liked to work with colored construction paper, and made these six whimsical heads, starting with a tube shape, and adding hair, eyes, hats, noses, mouths, and... voila! Fine art, suitable for display.
40 comments:
That second photo looks like it could almost be used as a professional advertisement. Are those some kind of acoustical tiles on the wall behind the speakers?
In second grade, we made "tube" Santa Clauses very similar to the examples in the last photo. We used cardboard toilet paper rolls as a base, and then added construction paper to that. I believe mine still exists over at my mom's house, and maybe even the one made by my older brother, when he was in the same teacher's class.
What awesome photos! The "apple" kitchen is amazing- they family looks like they loved teal with that tile. It is odd that the entire wall is tiled like a bathroom..among other things, it would have been expensive...and then they did a faux wood Formica back splash on where tile SHOULD be...nevertheless, it looks great with the apple red touches. Cute dutch inspired tea towel. Wood mounted knife block- looks like also decorated in Dutch motif. Even the free paper calendar hanging there is awesome, and Bambi peaking around the curtain. Hope staging 1955. That Coca Cola red kitchen table is SHINY Formica! I also have a 50's kitchen in bright yellow formica, so I really appreciate this look! The hanging globes I think ARE speakers..if they are, they are worth a fortune today. Those globes look metal, not translucent glass or plastic..but if they are lamps...they are pretty fabulous too. I have a few sets of these (lamps, not speakers) in my garage- with the white cord and all. Love the orange sofa against that wall- that acoustic large sheet tiling was popular back in the day- it had a fibrous texture- that is a very confident color choice, but Miss Thing looks super confident! Pearls...yes! Donna Reeds next door neighbor. Toilet paper roll characters- do kids even know what these types of things are any more? I hope they haven't gone to "build your own toilet roll character APP".
The kitchen cabinets remind me so much of my grandmother's (now my sister's) kitchen. It has the same hardware, the same cabinet venting next to the sink - even the countertop looks almost identical. I would feel at home here.
I think those round things in the next picture are more likely to be lamps than speakers. Odd-looking, yet compellingly appealing
TM!, we made something similar when I was in Cub Scouts, although some of the add-ons were felt rather than construction paper. My mom gave me mine when we got married, and it still goes up every year with our decorations. Because of where we perch him, some years we forget to take him down and he stays up all year.
Ha ha, the "Home Sweet Home" concept lands with a thud! Ah well. Sometimes you just have to try.
TokyoMagic!, the second one almost feels like it was from some kind of “home show”, but as is the case with most old slides, I have no context for the photo. I don’t remember using toilet paper rolls in school, but we did have to bring in an empty Quaker Oats canister (made of paper) to turn into a receptacle for valentines. And because they didn’t want anyone to feel left out, you had to bring a valentine for everyone. We all went home with about 30 valentines.
Bu, I do think that kitchen is kind of neat, and as you pointed out, that red rormica table is pretty fantastic. I believe that those chairs are upholstered in sparkly red vinyl, too. No king has ever lived so extravagantly! Assuming that this house still stands, I wonder how different the kitchen looks today. My guess is that somebody had it completely redone in the past 70 years. When I was a kid we had a Formica table, but it was a boring white. I looked and looked to figure out what those speakers (or lamps) might be, they looked vaguely familiar, but I had no luck. I was hoping somebody here would know what they were!
Chuck, yes, my grandmother’s kitchen had quite a lot of tile on the walls, though it stopped at about five feet up. One of the things I loved about her house is that it still felt so “vintage”, even though she did keep it up nicely. The master bath was all done in pink, including a pink tub, toilet, and sink, with a completely mirrored vanity. The guest bathroom was all in cheerful yellow tiles. I originally thought that the round things were lamps, but looking closely, I can’t figure out where the light would come from. There are no evident holes, and the globes don’t appear to be translucent. Who knows. We still do have some hand-made Christmas ornaments from my childhood, and every time I give my mom permission to throw them away, she refuses.
I wonder why the photographer snapped that kitchen picture? I’m glad they did! It’s a classic.
TM! and Chuck — please post pictures!! It would be a riot to see yours and other’s crafty TP roll creations. When I have time later, I’ll try to find mine — there’s a picture of it somewhere...
And you, too, Major—let’s see pictures of your childhood crafts!
The kitchen is really nice. Good colors and classic cabinets. Just enough cute color accents. I had an apartment for a few years with similar cabinets and countertop.
The countertop and backsplash are made of linoleum, not Formica, the metal trim in the corners and edges was the standard trim for that material because it can’t self-edge. I wonder why they didn’t use the tile instead, unless the tile is wallpaper? But it looks like real tile. Maybe the tile was the remodeling? The breakfast table is identical to my earliest memory, except ours was bright yellow.
I don’t know what those globes are, but they would be great in my daughters living room. Ours is too 90’s.
My kids made cardboard tube crafts in school, I still have the totem pole from my sons first grade (I think).
Major, thanks for a fun change of pace. Have a good weekend everyone!
JG
Major-
Growing up, good friends of ours had [a rather large] kitchen that was tiled all the way up to the ceiling. AND trimmed in a different color tile. Don't remember the exact colors - but dark/light was the theme. It was all pretty swell. (I don't remember just how 'loud' things must'a been in that space, as ceramic tile is not exactly noted for its sound absorbing qualities-!)
Those 'orbs' are quite the conundrum. I suppose they could be just about any of the suggestions mentioned, here - including mere 'artistic blobs'.
The first thing that went through my mind when looking at those 'heads' was George Pal Puppetoons, and their use of replacement animation - although wood was the media of choice, not paper/cardboard - and the Puppetoon shapes were decidedly round in shape and more "human". But PHILIPPA RAY definitely has this 'cardboard vibe'.
Thanks, Major.
Lou and Sue, I can only assume that the kitchen was newly redone - everything does look very shiny and perfect. Any surviving Christmas ornaments would be in boxes in my mom’s attic, unfortunately. There was a paper angel (the head had to be taped back on), and we made ornaments out of yarn dipped in starch, which made them harden into whatever twists and whorls you desired. Those were kind of ugly, actually!!
JG, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the tile is real tile, not some sort of applied vinyl. It really does seem strange that they used tile on surfaces that you don’t expect, and DIDN’T use it on surfaces where you would expect it. I just remembered that even though our Formica table was boring white, it had sparkles in it, and our chairs were sparkly blue - my brother ruined one when he put his paper napkin in a candle, and in a panic he dropped the burning napkin on the chair. Was my mom mad? You bet!
Nanook, I guess that at some time, glazed ceramic tile must have been considered to be a good option for kitchens. It kind of makes sense, in a way. I would assume that the kitchen in this photo probably wasn’t that bad, noise-wise; the furniture, cabinets, and even cloth drapes would all help to make it less of an echo chamber. Funny that you mentioned George Pal (thanks again for that collection of Puppetoons!), I was just going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole reading about his movies.
“…I don’t remember using toilet paper rolls in school…” I didn’t realize you were that much older than me, Major. Were corn cobs as rough on your tuckus as I imagine?
Our never-remodeled 1976 kitchen has brownish ceramic tile that runs from the countertop to the bottom of the overhead cabinets. It’s held up well for 45 years, but the color has never done anything for me. Would much rather have something like this.
Glazed ceramic tile definitely was a thing. Before we moved out west, my cousin's kitchen in Hartford, CT. looked very similar, except the tile was a lightish shade of green. I was really too young to remember it but my sister had a few photos that showed them in the kitchen and that has the same style and same era of knick-knacks. The little donkey on the sill could be a toothpick holder or something like that. That table is a beauty. Like JG, I think our in NYC was white, but Mom always had a red checkered tablecloth in it. I still have two chairs my cousin gave me. They are green and sparkly. Look like they belong in a bowling alley.
Still trying to identify that object behind that brand new dish towel.
Thanks Major, love these kinds of photos.
DrGoat, that looks to me like it might be a drain stand for kitchen scrubbers. It looks like a rectangular sponge on the left, a rusty Brillo pad next to it, and a new Brillo pad that hasn’t had all of the blue soap washed out of it yet.
Chuck: Or does DrGoat mean that thing attached to the wall, behind the new dish towel?? ‘Cuz now I’m trying to figure out what that is...
More for Chuck: hahahaha(!) about poor Major not having any TP in school! I did just send Major proof that I had TP in school - which he can post here, if he wants to (and has time)...
The orbs are nuclear reactors. The clean energy of the future!
Oops, my hair fell out...
Looks like it’s March, according to the mystery calendar in the first pic. If I knew my advertising icons better, I might be able to identify that man in the lower right corner, unless he’s a policeman. Seems that Mr. Hobo has picked up quite a few hats to choose from. I bet Charles Phoenix would love that second picture. I’m happy to inform everyone that at least at my library craft programs, toilet paper roll creations are still made, though we buy cardboard tubes sold as “craft rolls” so we don’t have to collect icky t.p. rolls from everybody’s bathrooms at home.
Sue, I think that's a small cork bulletin board. The large, red things are oversize tacks, there's a piece of paper tacked to the center, and if you look in the space between the towel and the windowsill, just under the towel rack, you can see a blue or green pencil hanging with the sharpened end down.
Chuck, GREAT eyes! Thank you!
My wife pointed out that the “policeman” in the bottom right corner of the calendar looked more like a gas station attendant to her. Looking at it with that set of assumptions, you can see what looks like an Esso sign and service station in the background over his right shoulder. There’s another Esso logo half-obscured underneath all of the calendar pages.
March 1st was a Thursday in 1945, 1951, 1956, and 1962.
I'm guessing the kitchen photo is 1951 or 1956, and "probably" 1951 based on the shiny new breakfast set.
JG
Chuck,
You have an eagle's eye. And I bet that's a Bakelite knife holder. What's your guess on what that red thing above the calendar, or the little red teapot looking thing next to the donkey?
Sue, I didn't even try to guess what that thing on the wall behind the dishtowel was. (lazy).
Got a lot of good mileage out of that kitchen Major. Thanks!
The Amazing Mrs. Chuck comes through again…
DrGoat, the red thing the calendar is hanging from looks a lot like a small lamp, except that I don’t see any power running to it, unless maybe it’s concealed in that white trim. It would have to be a small bulb, like a C4 nightlight bulb.
Zooming way in on the teapot-looking thing, it looks squared off. It might be some kind of souvenir from somewhere, maybe being used as a toothpick holder?
And I love that Bakelite knife block!
@ Chuck-
"The Amazing Mrs. Chuck"-! Sort of like "The Amazing Colossal Man"; or perhaps "The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman". I had started down that road, but wasn't so lucky. So, it's a speaker - just imagine the fidelity-!
I've no doubt that calendar features a gas station attendant and the ESSO chain of filling stations, but I was hoping to find an exact match but I wasn't so lucky.
Mrs. Chuck - you really must 'sell your services' for a handsome fee-! (I hear tell The Major is loaded-!!)
Based on the Esso design at the bottom of the calendar and the way the month/year are stacked like that, compared to Esso calendars each year of the 1950s, I believe this year would be 1957 because both match this image. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a photo of what the March 1957 Esso calendar page looked like, but the artist that year appeared to be Charles Dye. I think the Thursday square is actually stacked text like we see in the photo example linked above and not the first day of the month, which would make March 1st a Friday, which it was in 1957. If only someone selling their 1957 Esso calendar would share a photo of March! :)
I spoke too soon! Someone IS selling a 1957 Esso calendar on Ebay right now, and they included a photo of March - they match!
Wow, great calendar sleuthing, everyone!
My Goodness-!
What are the odds... and yet, here it is-! SunnieDaze21 is the recipient of today's Blue Ribbon-! I was wondering what the section in the very lower-left was - and I see it's for "important phone numbers".
Great work.
I love the amazing detective work the regular commenters here manage to do. Identifying the *exact* calendar in an oblique photograph is incredibly cool ans to do so in 17 hours is even better!!!!
-AlbinoDragon
Great work, team! Collective iterative analysis at its finest.
Nanook, I made the same comment about the audio quality to my wife. It was probably tolerable for AM radio.
And with regards to her research fees, I’ve advised her to hold out for double what the Major pays the rest of us. She’s worth it.
SunnieDaze, incredible work! And did anyone notice that on Saturday, March 16th of 1957, the owner of that calendar wrote "My 1st Polio Shot"? What's up with that? Wasn't the polio shot just a "one dose" shot?
And the second one’s on April 18...
And someone’s small pox vac on April 22...
3rd(!) polio on October 19...
Ok, now this all makes more sense, TokyoMagic! From the Internet:
“The inactivated polio vaccine (or IPV) is now the only vaccine given in the United States to prevent polio. IPV is given as a series of four shots at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years of age.”
I think everyone made Jr. Gorilla Detective with these posts.
Thanks everyone. I've still got that Bakelite knife caddy swimming around in my head.
Chuck, I only wish we had those fancy corn cobs like the rich folk used. Brown tiles, yeah, not very inspiring. I generally like ceramic tile, but even plain old white wouldn’t look as dated as that 1970s brown.
DrGoat, I used to be fascinated by my great aunt’s farmhouse, it had little hexagonal tiles in the bathroom, mostly white, with an occasional black one as accent. Even today I really like that look! Light green sounds like a good color, I could live with that. Good thought on the donkey possibly having a use like a toothpick holder (or maybe a match holder?). Funny you should mention bowling alley furniture, I knew someone who had some bowling alley seats in their den, they were surprisingly cool and “modern”, and indestructible too. Gosh, no idea what that thing behind the dish towel is!
Chuck, oh I thought Dr. Goat was talking about the thing on the wall beneath the cabinet.
Lou and Sue, ha ha, yeah!
Lou and Sue, I’m sorry I was gone for so much of the day, people are just going to have to wait to see your works of art.
Stu29573, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
Kathy, I believe that the calendar is from Esso, someone else in the comments mentioned that as well. Probably a sweet giveaway with every five gallons of gas! You’re right, the hobo is having a field day with the wind blowing all those hats away. Ha, I like that you can buy “craft rolls”, that makes life much easier for everybody.
Chuck, aha, good theory! I like it. The note probably says, “Buy more big red tacks”.
Lou and Sue, I don’t think I would have ever gotten it.
Chuck, yes, I am quite certain that you are correct about the Esso sign on the calendar.
JG, I would have bet 1956, but who knows, 1951 is just as likely. Good detective work!
DrGoat, ha ha, this has turned into a real guessing game! I do like the shape of that knife holder, and if it is Bakelite, so much the better. I have no good theory about the “teapot-looking thing”. I guess that other red thing could be a lamp, but it seems like a a funny place to put one. “We always need to know what date it is!”.
Chuck, many thanks to Mrs. Chuck! Meanwhile, that red thing looks like a thermos lid/cup to me! I am aware that that makes no sense at all. A toothpick holder (for the teapot looking thing) is good, or maybe matches?
Nanook, believe me, I spent more time that you would believe trying to ID that calendar, and especially the illustration. It’s sort of my thing! Besides vintage Disneyland of course. And yes, I have so much money that I don’t know what to do with it. I throw it in the trash just to clear out my closets.
SunnieDaze21, (this covers both of your comments), WOW! Great job! I am amazed! Thank you for doing the detective work!
Kathy!, I’m really stunned.
Nanook, for sure, I should send SunniDaze21 some of that money that I normally toss out.
AlbinoDragon, this is not the first time that the readers have amazed me with their powers of deduction, but today’s example is a good one.
Chuck, those speakers (at least the tri-color versions in today’s photo) are so appealing that I almost wouldn’t care if they didn’t sound that great! I can’t help wondering if that photo is from some sort of home show, and not inside an actual house.
TokyoMagic!, interesting! I also thought that the polio vaccine was a single dose.
Lou and Sue, yes, those other dates, plus “Gina” gets her third shot on June 10th! Thanks for doing the research, I had no idea that folks had to get so many shots for polio. It must have been a real rite of passage for many in that day and age.
DrGoat, ha ha, time to look for “Bakelite knife caddy” on eBay!
Wow, SunnieDaze wins the Golden Banana Peel for that research.
Behold the power of Collective Nostalgia! This was a beautiful thread.
Major, that thing might be a match holder. We had (and still have) a match holder in our kitchen, dating back to when Mom and Dad had a wood stove. I remember him lighting the stovetop gas burner with a wood match. I kept it and use it today, even though we have electric starters on the Viking. I still need matches for candles.
JG
Those TP tube crafts make me think of the various Rifftrax shorts for arts and crafts, like this one for Puppets
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