Learn The Bop By Record, 1958

‘TEEN Magazine Cover, September 1958

Passed Notes: The Tiffany Files

When I was in junior high and high school, it was pretty common for girls to pass notes. The notes were generally pretty inconsequential; but occasionally contained juicy gossip, or a funny anecdote from the days proceedings. I suspect the passed note (along with other forms of handwritten communication) has probably become an artifact in teenagerdom, given the ascendancy of e-mail and text messaging.

GAG CARDS – Each Gag Card is a Carload of Laughs! 1958

One time when I was a kid, I stumbled across a cache of little white cards in my mother’s box of school mementos that she kept under her bed. She had collected the little business-style cards embossed with the names of her classmates, the kind of cards that seniors generally hand out with their yearbook picture. Mixed in with these cards, I found some that didn’t seem to fit. They were the same size, but had weird slogans printed on them instead of names. I surmised that they must have been jokes — even though I certainly did not understand what in the world they were about. I hadn’t thought of this experience until I saw this ad from the Sept. 1958 issue of ‘Teen Magazine for “Gag Cards.” This is exactly what those cards were! It’s kind of fun to look at these as an early form of text messaging or social networking. I realize the cards just contain goofy jokes and expressions, but they come from an era when teens didn’t have many avenues for getting their snark on. These gag cards allowed them to cut loose in at least some way, with some mild-mannered innuendo. These are relics from the original era of the teenager, ephemeral items that few probably thought worthy enough to save. I am definitely going to ask my Mom if she kept those cards now that I know what they are.

GAG CARDS
Each Gag Card is a Carload of Laughs

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’.

Selections from Teenage Living

One of the many things I collect are old teen advice books, especially ones geared towards describing “proper behavior” in girls. These are the printed analogue to the mental hygiene film, another form of  “social guidance” for the young that covered topics such as manners, dating, sex, money, driving, eating, and grooming.  Teenage Living (published in 1960) covers pretty much all of these topics with winning, old fashioned flair.

The cover itself says so much. This girl is getting so much simultaneous male attention that she has no choice but to bury her face in her hands.  She doesn’t know what direction to bat her eyelashes or flip her hair. The boys on the other hand, look calm, cool, collected..downright languid. They’re just oozing 15 yr. old boy sex appeal!

Boys DO Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses

From Teens Today, Nov. 1960. Click on the thumbnails for the full page image.

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Though tanned and five pounds heavier, Bud Rutledge was not a happy man when he appeared in TT’s offices shortly before returning to his studies at Columbia University. He was frowning as he entered our outer office, then as he stopped to talk to Louie Caruso (who replaced him as Male Box editor, re­member?) the frown turned to a glare. • By the time he made his way into Mrs. Silber’s office (without knocking, as always), Bud looked weary and depressed. “I’m giving you a story,” he announced grimly. “Free of charge, understand? This one’s on me; I wouldn’t take a dollar even if you forced it on me.”