Category: History

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Pin Up Model & Actress with the Peek-A-Boo hairstyle!

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         Constance Frances Ockleman AKA: Veronica Lake  Veronica Lake was born Constance Frances Ockleman in Brooklyn, New York to a seaman father. He died in an explosion on an oil ship when Constance was five. Her mother remarried and the family was constantly on the move living in Canada, New York and Florida. She graduated from high school in Miami. The family moved to California and she was enrolled in the Bliss Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood.  Bit parts came almost immediately with RKO Studios. Her trademark was a hairstyle, with one of her eyes always obscured by her blonde … Continue reading Pin Up Model & Actress with the Peek-A-Boo hairstyle!

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Geraldine Doyle, inspiration for ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ dies at 86

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With a red and white bandana in her hair and factory worker uniform sleeves rolled up to reveal her bulging biceps, Rosie the Riveter was painted on a World War II recruitment poster in 1942. But for four decades, the real Rosie the Riveter had no idea she was the woman who inspired it. Perhaps it was because Geraldine Doyle left her factory job after two weeks – or because she didn’t actually have bulging biceps – that Doyle, who died at 86 years old on Sunday in Lansing, Mich., didn’t know for so long that she was the model for … Continue reading Geraldine Doyle, inspiration for ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ dies at 86

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The Year Was 1954

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The brainchild of Henry Ford’s only child Edsel Ford, Mercury was introduced as a much needed mid-priced line to fill the gap between price-leader Ford and luxury class Lincoln.  Unlike many car makes which began as an independent and later was purchased by a parent company such as GM, Ford or Chrysler, Mercury was a brand new car line, a product of Ford Motor Company from the git-go.  Tagged just a skoche above Pontiac and a smidgen below Oldsmobile, Mercury was just what FoMoCo needed to compete with the other two players in ‘the big three’. Mercury began life with a … Continue reading The Year Was 1954

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Give ’em Hell, Johnny!

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  Johnny Cash struttin’ his stuff, jammin’ on his Martin guitar, CA. 1959. Now Johnny Cash’s life wasn’t exactly a cakewalk back in the day.  Cash was touring like a banshee —  the marriage was crumbling — they (he and first wife Vivian) had 4 baby girls to take care of — he was partying like a fiend — he and his badass buddies, like Waylon Jennings, were taking every pill there was — he gets busted in El Paso for possession — you get the picture, the guy lived hard.  Yet, looking at these pictures, he looks simply amazing. … Continue reading Give ’em Hell, Johnny!

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A History of America’s Chain Restaurants, Doughnut Shops, and Convenience Stores

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White Castle   Year Opened: 1921   First Location: Wichita, KS   Bite of History: The very first White Castle opened its doors on just $700. Founder Billy Ingram sold his slider-style burgers at the bargain price of five cents per patty and, over the years, the chain prided itself on offering affordable food. By 1941, White Castle had sold more than 50 million burgers, and it wasn’t until 1950 that the price made it past the 10-cent mark. In 2011, the famous drive-in known for its five-hole burger — which the company maintains cooks the patties “faster and more evenly” — will … Continue reading A History of America’s Chain Restaurants, Doughnut Shops, and Convenience Stores

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Forever Bettie Page

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By Bruce Lewis Bondage queen. Sex goddess. Pin-up icon. All of these words could be used to describe Bettie Page, and all would be good choices, for she was all of those things. But she was much more, besides: a scholar, a Christian missionary, and the inspiration for a character in Star Wars. She was smart. She was notorious. She was scorching hot. And she was 85 years of age when she slipped from this world on December 11, 2008, at Los Angeles’ Kindred Hospital. Bettie Page was without doubt the face of American beauty during the second half of the … Continue reading Forever Bettie Page

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Pabst Blue Ribbon Vintage Ads

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Pabst Blue Ribbon, also known as PBR, is the most famous product of the Pabst Brewing Company, and incidentally, my favorite beer. Known by a few different names (Pabst Best Select and Pabst Select), before its current PBR moniker, PBR has been around since 1882. A while back I realized that I don’t think I’ve ever seen, watched, or heard a PBR advertisement though. I know the brand had experienced a cult renaissance during the last decade or so, and that my grandfather used to drink it when he was my age, but that was about it. A friend of … Continue reading Pabst Blue Ribbon Vintage Ads

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Miss Hurst Golden Shifter

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Linda Vaughn, the lovely, leggy, legend of the auto racing scene from the 60′s through the early 80′s was better known as– Miss Hurst Golden Shifter. She was a trophy queen whose voluptuous looks and charm often stole the show at auto racing events she attended– SCCA, NASCAR, Indy & Formula One, among others. Linda has been knocked by many for setting Women’s Lib back with her busty displays, but her passion for the sport ran deep and she had a major impact– not just in promoting the sponsors, but also in advancing women’s racing. Vaughn earned her SCCA competition … Continue reading Miss Hurst Golden Shifter