Misc. Ephemera
Chicago World’s Fair – the 1893 Columbian Exposition

Chicago World’s Fair – the 1893 Columbian Exposition

The World’s Columbian Exposition was a world’s fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, held in Jackson Park, was a large water pool representing Columbus’ voyage to the New World. These scans are Volume 8 of the pamphlet series, The Dream City: A Portfolio of Photographic Views of the World’s Columbian Exposition. I also bought Volume 10, thinking that this was the St. Louis World’s Fair (the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), but that’s what I get for being on eBay too late at night.

16mm home video film about The San Diego Zoo in the 1950s

16mm home video film about The San Diego Zoo in the 1950s

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This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Digitized 16mm Films

This was my first time attempting to digitize film with my iPhone and run a 16mm film projector. To test it, I bought the cheapest 16mm film that I could, which was labeled “16mm Film – Car Stunt Driving San Diego Zoo 1950s? Found Footage Incredible Rare”. Enjoy this old zoo and family vacation film footage, and let me know any info in the comments… or tips on running a 16mm projector and digitizing the films (I’ve since bought another one, a vintage Bell and Howell Specialist 550 Filmosound projector).

Historical Bus Routes to the Muny in 1943

Historical Bus Routes to the Muny in 1943

This entry is part 13 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 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

List of St. Louis Businesses in 1943

This entry is part 3 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 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 St. Louis Municipal Opera Seating Chart and Ads

1940s St. Louis Municipal Opera Seating Chart and Ads

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This entry is part 4 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 1943

This set of scans of the 1943 St. Louis Municipal Opera Theater Program includes the seating chart and seat prices in an advertisement for C.L. Finot Inc. Concessionaires. It looks like during WWII, The Muny seated 10,000 people and you could get front section box seats for two dollars, or sit in the back section for 25 cents. This was my favorite page in this set.

Synopsis of The Great Waltz and more 1943 St. Louis Business advertisments

Synopsis of The Great Waltz and more 1943 St. Louis Business advertisments

This entry is part 7 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 1943

Here are more St. Louis beer and brewery advertisements and the synopsis of The Great Waltz from the 1943 St. Louis Municipal Opera Program.

Advertisers in these pages included: Falstaff Brewing Company, Manhattan Coffee, Efficiency Service Co (employment specialists), Griesedieck Brothers Brewing Company, The Circus Snack Bar at the Forest Park Hotel, and the Gaylord Container Corporation.

1940s ads for St. Louis Businesses

1940s ads for St. Louis Businesses

This entry is part 8 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 1943

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.

World War 2 advertisements

World War 2 advertisements

This entry is part 11 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 1943

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

1940s theater program advertisements

This entry is part 12 of 13 in the series St. Louis Municipal Opera 1943

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.).

Illustrated 1960s baby shower cards with rhymes inside

Illustrated 1960s baby shower cards with rhymes inside

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This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series 1960s New Baby and Baby Shower Cards

I am just posting the rest of these 1960s baby shower cards all at once! These are vertical new baby welcome cards from that 1962 baby shower. I absolutely love the illustrations on the fronts of these cards, and the cute happy rhymes that are inside!

The mother-to-be wrote what gifts she received on the backs of these cards, which I’ve scanned also.

Here are a few of the baby shower rhymes….

9 Vintage Baby Shower Cards from the 1960s

9 Vintage Baby Shower Cards from the 1960s

This entry is part 2 of 10 in the series 1960s New Baby and Baby Shower Cards

This expectant mother must have had a heck of a party in the heat of that August of 1962! This was the baby shower for her first child, and I think it was the first grandchild on either side. It’s always extra special to be first (speaking as the eldest child). Here are 9 different vintage baby shower cards from 1962. I love the gentle, cute, illustrations… and, ofcourse, the rhymes inside!

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