1st Grade Drawing Exercise, 1983

I guess I was trying to go for Hitler for the “bad lad.” And “rat on a cat” came out looking a little obscene.

In Soviet Union, World’s Fair Exhibit YOU!

From the Official Guidebook of the 1939 New York World’s Fair:

“Visit the Soviet Pavilion and become acquainted with the 170 million people of the Soviet Union in their daily life, their work and their achievements in the first Socialist country in the world.”

The Soviet Union was one of sixty nations who participated in the Hall of Nations at the 1939 World’s Fair. Each participating country had their own pavilion, complete with exhibits, artifacts, performances, and food. Visiting the pavilion was to be an ersatz approximation of a visit to the country itself; it was to be both educational and entertaining. This is precisely where the EPCOT World Showcase concept comes from. In fact, the guidebook says the following, and these words could have came from the pen of Walt Disney himself:

It’s a Mod, Mod Birthday

I really dig this totally mod birthday card from the age when teenagers had pencil-thin limbs, giant bouffants, and cool shift dresses, and when musical notes and record albums would just magically appear out of thin air when one started rockin’ and a rollin’.

Great Moments in Metal – The Ramones (1987)

From Creem Metal, October 1987

Hardcore Wrestling, 1985

Hardcore Wrestling was a 1980s ‘zine written by a bunch of punk rock/hardcore musicians who also happened to be hardcore wrestling fans. I’m not sure how many issues were produced, as I was given the premiere issue as a gift from a friend. This issue contains columns by Dave Hintz, Bob Mould, Richard Sheir, Greg Stout, Bill Stretch; scene reports, card results, wrestling history, explanations of wrestling holds and moves, wrestler profiles, etc.  As someone who grew up as a very big wrestling fan (and later, a big punk/hardcore fan), this zine is about perfect.

The Story of the Sponges, 1969

The following images are from a 1969 postcard album titled “The Story of the Sponges – Tarpon Springs, Florida.”

Tales from the Infirmary

When I was studying for my MA in Popular Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, I worked as an intern at the Wood County Historical Center and Museum. The museum is located on the site of the county’s former infirmary or “poor farm.” Built in 1867, the infirmary was a repository for the county’s cast-offs — the homeless, the downtrodden, the sick, the elderly, orphans, and of course, the mentally ill. The museum is located inside of the old infirmary building; a really neat sprawling building with three wings. I was hired to help develop an exhibit in an outer building called “The Lunatic House”, which was built in the 1880s especially to house mentally ill residents. I did a lot of research in old local newspapers for the exhibit, and was fascinated with what I found. It wasn’t unusual to find articles proclaiming “(insert local resident’s name) IS INSANE,” with an unflinching account of their descent into insanity. The honesty and amount of disclosure can be pretty stunning. People really did view mental illness as a community issue, and felt good knowing that the infirmary was there to care for local unfortunates. Treatment styles changed over time however, and local cases were eventually sent to larger state asylums. Institutionalization was pretty much the de facto “solution” for most of the 20th century — today, we’ve still got that, but we’re getting back to more local, community-oriented responses as well. Yesterday’s “lunatic house” is today’s group house.

Crusade Against High Heels and Lolly Pop Habit

Crusade Against High Heels and Lolly Pop Habit

BOSTON, Dec. 7 – A ban on high heels such as never carried a Puritan or Pilgrim ancestress to church is to be sought from the legislature by the Massachusetts Osteopathic society. Announcement that the society would introduce a bill to stop the high heel at its source – the manufacturer – was made at its nineteenth annual convention.

Brick Bradford

BRICK BRADFORD

The crew deserts the damaged space-sphere in escape-globes, leaving Brick to a fate that seems to hold little promise….

Brick: (thought balloon) This place is becoming an oven…can’t use the controls…they are beyond repair…

Brick: (thought balloon) This door is locked from the outside…no way out…and no place to hide! Hey! The door is opening!

Brick: Angel! Thanks for dropping in…let’s get out of here!
Angel: Come along! We still have time to get to an escape globe.

Poop Doodles III

Yet another remnant of the bathroom from a college apartment that I shared with my BFFs Billy, Kari, and Jamie in 1998-1999 in Urbana, IL. See the two earlier posts here or here.

Mustache Discrimination!

From the Coshocton Tribune, December 7, 1920

Beware of a Charlie Chaplin Mustache

CLEVELAND, Dec. 7 – A Charlie Chaplain[sic] mustache has no place out of the movies. Judge Kennedy decided in court here today. It was in the case of Oscar Martin, who is suing his wife for divorce. When Martin got on the stand Judge Kennedy got a god look at the upper lip decoration.

“Get off the stand,” Kennedy cried. “Anybody with a mustache like that has no business anywhere, let alone in a court room.”

Martin departed for a barber shop and the case was continued.

Cascara Quinine (1920)

Kill That Cold With
Cascara Quinine
Hill’s Bromide
for Colds, Coughs, and La Grippe
Neglected Colds are Dangerous
Take no chances. Keep this standard remedy handy for the first sneeze.
Breaks up a cold in 24 hours-Relieves
Grippe un 3 days – Excellent for Headaches
Quinine in this form does not affect the head – Cascara is best Tonic Laxative – No Opiate in Hill’s
ALL DRUGGISTS SELL IT

Anger worksheet from third grade

Sometime in third grade, we had to fill out these worksheets describing how we dealt with feelings of anger. Mine is simultaneously funny and sad.

It is OK to feel anger sometimes. I get angry when…
When people bug me.

When I get angry I want to…
Kick something.

I remember once when I was so angry I wanted to cry.
Here is the story.
When I went to the Hospital I was so mad. I cried and wanted to go home bad.

Cats Rule

I got this folder in the late 90s, and used it a couple times in college and graduate school. It was always a huge hit with my classmates. How can you not love a punk rock kitteh? I like the intense and dignified look on his face despite the ludicrousness of the set and costume.

William S. Burroughs Shopping Lists

On EBay, someone is selling a couple shopping lists written by William S. Burroughs. I have no idea how this person came to own these items, or why they were saved, but I’m glad they’re around. Shopping lists are truly ephemeral items; I don’t know a single person who crafts them with any intention of hanging on to them. But are they any less important than some of the other things that people are more likely to save? They’re a transactional record of sorts; documenting the material items that you have an immediate need for. I can learn much more about a person from their shopping lists than from their electric bills or whatever. Sometimes it’s the records that we never intend on keeping that are more revelatory of our true selves than the ones we consciously archive.

Apparently, Burroughs loved cats, tea, and waffles, and was perhaps a bit of a germaphobe.

Link via Boing Boing.