Those Were The Days
It’s high time we shared our finds from the vintage magazines that we snagged for free at the Forest Hill Community Yard Sale. Towards the end of the day a nice woman had a slew of old House Beautiful glossies (we’re talking oooold, dating back 30-40 years to the early seventies) and she happily offered them up for free to avoid filling up her recycling bin. And we were just crazy enough to grab a hefty stack and lug them around for the rest of the sale. Well it’s a good thing we did because they were totally worth the effort. They were a veritable gold mine of eye candy and inspiration, with the added bonus of a good laugh on almost every page. Here are a few highlights…
We love this Neutrogena ad from nearly three decades ago. It gets right to the point.
We also liked stumbling upon ads for brand new items at the time that look super dated and old school now, like these amazing “state of the art” phones.
And what about this snazzy onesie, I mean flight suit, from Banana Republic?
This overly tan depiction of Vanna White thoroughly enjoying her Spring Air mattress in a satin suit (yes, there’s a cummerbund) also had us at hello.
And we couldn’t help but wonder who thought this Tony Soprano faux pink marble and gold jacuzzi was a good idea. Very klassy- yes, with a k. We especially appreciated that stylish updo on the lovely lady (no doubt to emphasize her upscale bathing experience).
We also liked how this faucet boasted that it was the first one that took it’s own temperature with a digital display on the top of the fixture. It may have also been the last.
This ad took us back to the days or removing the pea green toilet in our half bathroom at which point we asked aloud “when exactly were green toilets cool?” The answer: 1979 apparently.
We also loved how the last ten pages or so of each magazine was devoted to black and white ads that looked a lot like little newspaper blurbs full of strange products that nobody could possibly want, could they? I wonder how many Porta-Yoga devices they sold. I mean I can see how standing upside down would reverse the aging process, right? Just like walking backwards and putting your shirts on your legs and your pants on your arms would.
This “cordless massager” was certainly the most scandalizing black & white ad in the end of one of the oldest House Beautiful magazines (1975 to be exact). We don’t know what was more disturbing, the fact that our mothers and grandmothers probably read about it or the fact that it was available in four different lengths.
But don’t get us wrong. We didn’t spend the whole time tittering about the strange advertising of yore. We also found some fun and fabulous spaces that didn’t feel nearly as dated and odd, like this clean white room with pops of vibrant yellow.
And this lively and lovely turquoise room that could totally have been in Domino magazine last year (as opposed to House Beautiful twenty five years ago).
This groovy 70’s room is oh so Merimekko and fun, with giant graphic flowers on the bed and the vertical blinds. And check out that retro type treatment on the left page. It reminds us of Reading Rainbow (there’s another throwback for ya).
We love that this shot could have run in House Beautiful last month. And if it had I would have been looking up where that fabulous chair came from because I totally want it.
We also seriously swooned over this outdoor scene. You know we love white, natural materials, ottomans and dogs so this was pretty much the jackpot photo as far as we’re concerned. Isn’t it hard to believe it’s over 20 years old?
But there were also some pretty crazy spreads that weren’t quite as “fresh” looking. For example, we’d love this vibrant fabric on a pillow or a lampshade, but whose idea was it to cover the sofa and the two arm chairs nearby? Then they must have stepped back and said, hmm, it still needs something. How about draping some more of the same fabric over the round table between the sofa and the chair? Perfect.
Of course that’s nothing compared to this room that takes matchy-matchy to a whole new level. Yes the wallpaper matches the curtains which match the bedding which matches the table skirt. The fact that they stopped short of carrying it into the rug shows excellent restraint on their part.
Oh the fun we had with our timeworn magazines in our laps, marveling at the fact that everything on those pages was once fresh and current and oh so in style. Check out these Simmons sofa patterns and tell me that it’s easy to believe there was a time when they were in demand. The one on the top of the pyramid is so grunge-rock-plaid-shirt and the yellow floral is so grandma’s basement.
And what about this insanely busy “Congoleum” flooring? Will we someday find ourselves coveting this aesthetic once again? I hope not.
So thanks for the memories old stack of free yard sale magazines. You were enjoyed many years ago and equally appreciated just days ago when we flipped through each page, reveling in the fact that we were about negative eight years old when you went to press. We may have laughed at the old fashioned headlines and the strange infomercial-style ads at the back, but we’re still totally digging that egg chair on the cover. And white lattice, you’re still totally cool too.
So that about does it for our vintage magazine showcase. Any favorite scenes or ads of the bunch? Have any of you uncovered some old finds that had you in stitches? Do you think our iPod and Nike ads will someday look this crazy to future generations? What say you lovely readers?
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Comments
These pics are great!!! As a history teacher, this is the type of stuff that made me love studying the past–teh actual artifacts!
Um, and PS, my parents HAD that SAME EXACT digital thermostat faucet in their shower. We built our home in 1986–and yes, it was gold!!! I used to take baths in their bathroom just to use it!! And, my sister and I were mad because we felt like they got something SO fancy for their bathroom and ours didn’t have that faucet. lol! It broke and my mom ended up just replacing it with a new fixture…
Oops. I stand corrected. Chrysler building. :)
How funny that someone else’s digital thermometer faucet broke, too. If I tell my mother, she will probably be compelled to write a strongly worded letter to American Standard!
OMW! I can NOT believe you skipped right over (like we wouldn’t notice the omission) the Hanky Panky apron on the page with the yoga ad and the Bewitching Cocktail bra on the page with the massager. Seriously?!? Are these ads from another magazine? How hilarious.
Hey, easy there!!! I owned that flight suit and LOVED it. When Banana Republic first opened in NYC, entering the store was like walking into a jungle. They even had a vintage jeep as part of their props. There is absolutely no resemblance to the store then to the store now. Keep up the good work. Both my 29-year-old newly-engaged daughter and I (age 58) read you daily.
And look how they describe the battery-operated massager: “deep gentle penetrating vibrations”…uh huh. Definitely for the feet.
My best friend’s mom ACTUALLY owned the Porta-yoga. We used to play with it in junior high.
these are great! i recently bought some old BH&G decorating books that extolled the virtue of the split level (my house style).
This whole post had me tickled. Maybe I should be saying “in stitches”. It’s such a great throw-back phrase that our G-ma’s would be proud of. And also, I don’t want anybody thinking that I purchased that “foot” massager!
Y’all are fantastic!
This post completely made my day – I read through every one of your comments on the imagery found and it cracks me up. We are in advertising and yes, some of those images from past days are quite the find. Keep up the great work – thanks for sharing your bits of history!
How did you take the pictures of the magazines? There’s very little glare from the camera flash and no background.
Hey Amy,
Good question! We always take photos without the flash (things just look better that way, and as long as you’re in a room with a lot of natural light- we used our sunroom- that’s usually good enough). Then we just brought the pictures into Photoshop and got rid of the background. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
So I’m not the only crazy person who LOOOVES looking at old magazines?! I wanted that Mickey Mouse phone so bad…
Holy cow- That’s my tub! Only ours is white and not pink. Same gold waterfall faucet and everything. That’s awesome.
Don’t laugh but my Mom had that Congoleum floor except it was brown and gold. And to add to the drama(what else would you call it?), the formal living and dining rooms were decorated in red and gold. Thank goodness we moved out of that house in 1978!
i forgot to add that my dear mother in law still owns a couch (has it in her living room) just like the grungy plaid in the Simmons ad, except it is covered in a harvest gold, avocado green, and brown floral print. Talk about ugly and the most uncomfortable couch in the world!
You know the grunge-rock plaid hide-a-bed? We actually have that, in the loveseat/twin pullout size, in a strikingly similar if not identical pattern! By the way, what’s the name of the style listed beside it?
You can see it in the background of this pic of our kitten and puppy fighting to the death. It was a hand-me-down from my parents, who bought it used for a couple hundred bucks in the late ’70s. Its age is pretty obvious from the fading.
I actually kind of like it, but that’s probably just nostalgia. It’s tacky and retro and goes with all our other mismatched hand-me-downs. I’ve considered a slipcover, but for now I’m content embracing the kitsch.
Oh, that Kohler ad made me laugh out loud. Terribly unappealing to have the green toilet overlapping with the guy’s face. Ick. Heh heh.
Hey Melanie,
We flipped through our big stack of mags but can’t seem to locate the grunge sofa among the hundreds of pages to find that style name for you, but so funny that you have its twin!
xo,
s
I remember that phone ad. I used to drool as a kid for the Mickey Mouse phone. I never did get it.
Is it weird that I would really like a faucet that said what temperature it was? Not in gold of course but I think that it would be handy!
Hilarious! My parents still have one of those hideous plaid convertible sofas too…and let me tell you, that thing really knows how to stand the test of time! If only it were more attractive.
Personally, I’m loving the whipped cream-style bra cups advertised directly below the, ahem, “cordless massager”.
I am getting ready to buy a house, and I swear that brown Congoleum floor is in the kitchen! Or at the very least, something VERY similar. I can’t believe somebody would put that in their kitchen… because I’m looking for creative ways to cover up that ugliness! Good to know my house was in style in the 1970’s.
“Do you think our iPod and Nike ads will someday look this crazy to future generations?” ABSOLUTELY YES! I was in high school in the 70’s, so I remember all those ads…the flight suit WAS SO COOL you just have no idea. Thanks for taking me back in history…MY history!
My mother still has the floor in the Congoleum ad in her house. I think it was installed around 1978. We’ve all hated it for years! It’s kind of comforting to know it was in style at one point. Comforting but SCARY.
great post and laughs. i love the hanky panky apron! i was looking at an old fashion mag from the 50’s and it had an advertisment for children’s clothing. it stated they came in “chubby girls” sizes too! how awful!
Oh my gosh, my mom totally wore that BR flight suit. She still has it and I love to put it on when I’m home. I just sent her the pic from the ad, she will die!
I had that Mickey Mouse telephone – cracks me up now…and the fact that we had to buy telephones from Bell. Those were the days…
Is THAT what those outfits are called? Flightsuits?? There are so many pictures of my mom wearing those in spumoni colors with me as a baby on her lap. It’s good to know they have a name :-)
When looking through this blog about old House Beautiful magazines, I noticed the last cover you showed (with the white lattice) featured the private retreats of several famous people including the home of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. Many years ago, I was engaged to their son Christopher and spent a lot of time with his family. I wondered if you might consider selling that issue. I would love to have it as a keepsake.
Hey Julie,
We actually donated those old issues to the library near our house after we enjoyed them ourselves. We thought other locals would get a kick out of them too. So sorry it’s not ours to pass along anymore!
xo,
s
A couple summers ago, my husband and I went to a huge auction and they had a bunch of home decor and wedding magazines from the 60s and 70s. We missed out on the auctioning of them and I was a bit disappointed.
But lo and behold, later that week, a lady dropped off a box full of those same magazines at the library (where I work) as a donation. I grabbed them all and they are now in my guest room.
They are quite hilarious to look at but can be inspirational at times too. How fun is it to look back in time and see how some things have changed?! Thanks for sharing!