A Jewish History Book: Jews in American Wars
I found this old Jewish war history book at a thrift store. It's about the history of Jews and how they helped out in American Wars, published in 1943 in the midst of World War II and Hitler's...
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WWII WAC Uniform
Back in 2011, I got to borrow this World War II Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC and later WAC) uniform with matching garrison cap from a local historical society.
This was my first shoot for the Carondelet Historical Society, and the first picture from this first shoot is my favorite.
1940s Swimming Pictures
Historical Bus Routes to the Muny in 1943
It appears as if bus service to the Muny at Forest Park during World War II was very comprehensive! Bus service extended as far as Gravois and Hampton, Grand and Holly Hills, 3rd and Washington (downtown), Florissant and Kingshighway, and Delmar and DeBalviere… a pretty wide radius!
Also in these last few pages of the 1943 St Louis Municipal Opera program, besides ads, was the list of large donors who gave to the Municipal Theatre Associations guarantee fund. It reads like a long list of old St. Louis society’s who’s-who and includes Adolphus Busch II and his son, August Buch (of the Anheuser-Busch brewery). It’s interesting to see who the early supporters of the Muny were!
List of St. Louis Businesses in 1943
These pages of the Municipal Opera Silver Anniversary program contained small ads for local companies that had been in business for 50 years and 75 years or more, as of 1943! This showcased St. Louis businesses that had started before 1869 and 1894. I wonder how many are still in business?
1940s ads for St. Louis Businesses
These 4 pages of the 1943 St. Louis Municipal Opera Program were a little less blatantly patriotic, but such a preponderance overall of beer advertisements and funeral parlors! In today’s modern theater program, you might find one advertisement for a Mausoleum, but not so many… it reminds me that 1943 was the thick of World War II when peoples’ husbands, sons, fathers and friends were coming home in body bags or not at all.
Four pages from the 1943 Municipal Opera Program
These next four pages of the 1943 St. Louis Municipal Opera program were packed with advertisements! Monsanto Chemicals had a full page ad, “Streamlined Flavor” appealing to World War II sensibilities:
World War 2 advertisements
Here are four more pages scanned from the 25th anniversary program of the St. Louis Municipal Opera (now known as The Muny).
The Zodiac Cocktail Lounge and Bar at the Chase Park Hotel advertised Neil Bondshu and his Society Orchestra, Mary Raye and Naldi, Don Tannen (Russian Comedy Song Star), and “Snow White” Sensational Wizard of Tap with Bobby Swain and his “Note-ables”. Entertainment nightly with Joe Karnes and Betty Barr (satirical songs and piano styling). This was probably my favorite advertisement of these pages, because they really gave me a flavor for the type of WWII nightlife and entertainment available here in St. Louis.
1940s theater program advertisements
Here are 4 more pages out of the 25th Anniversary Program for the 1943 season at the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The Muny). The St. Louis Municipal Opera was started in 1918, and 1943 was the 25th (Silver Anniversary) Season. Included is an advertisement for the musical romance “Rosalie”, an ad for Hunter Meat Food Products (out of East St. Louis Illinois), Philip Morris Cigarettes, Alpen Brau Beer (and KMOX) promotional advertisement, and an ad for Nu Grape Soda (bottled locally by American Soda Water Co.).
Silver Anniversary of the St. Louis Municipal Opera – 1943 Season Program
Pinup Gals of World War I and World War II: Mary Pickford and Betty Grable
In World War I, Mary Pickford became the favorite pinup of soldiers when she dressed in uniform and toured the nation selling Liberty Bonds. In World War II, “demand for it [pictures of Betty Grable”] ran as high as 20,000 per week…”. “Able Grable”‘s legs appear in Army topographic maps designed to teach recruits how to hit their mark.
How World War I and World War II influenced womens fashions
Pictures of women in World War I and World War II. How early feminism and wars influenced women’s fashions.
World War I Book: “Liberty’s Victorious Conflict”, a Photographic History of the First World War
I am not sure why I didn’t buy this photographic history book… It has some really good pictures of World War I in it, and I believe it was written and published before World War II.
Last pages of The Language of Fashion
What a cool treasure, to find a fashion book published at the dawn of World War II. It’s been interesting to expand my fashion vocabulary, and to learn so many new things about the history of fashion.
Types of Blouses and More from The Language of Fashion, a Fashion Dictionary (Blouses thru Caps)
The illustrated “blouses” section was pretty interesting, especially since I sell vintage clothes. It’s nice to have precise definitions, general illustrations on how the garment was worn, and approximate dates for when the look was fashionable!