High School Senior Handbook, 1945

I enjoy all kinds of ephemera, but this--a recent gift from a friend--is one of my favorites. It sheds light on what people were experiencing as World War II was drawing to a close. This particular handbook belonged to Martha Zomack of Dayton, Ohio.

The advice for 1945 graduates is very specific: The war is winding down and the job market will be tight as war industries shut down and GIs return home. Grab a part-time job, enroll in a training program, business school or college. 

The advice for choosing a career is sound, and stands the test of time. It makes you wonder if anyone poses these questions today when pursuing a career. 

Two standouts:

"What is the effect of this type of work on the health of those engaged in it?"

"Does this occupation contribute to the welfare of the community?"

The illustrations are sweet. 

Good ol' Dale Carnegie. So emblematic of the American approach to life for the better part of the 20th century, especially the optimism that was so much a part of the postwar era. 

Was there anything we couldn't do? 

Sigh.

 

Brenda Starr: More Fall Fashions, 1941

 

Brenda Starr's First New Fall Outfits, 1941

 Professor Squell's underground cave? Brenda always had interesting adventures. 

"As Back to School I Go," 1947

Ladies' Home Journal, September 1947

 

Vintage Valentines for Sale

This is just one of the vintage Valentines in my collection that I'm selling on the National Valentine Collectors Association Marketplace on Facebook. Nancy Rosin, who has collected the rarest and oldest  Valentines, is the moderator.  But you'll see a variety of items (and price points) on the site.

You can join the Marketplace here.

Coney Island excursion ca. 1880s

This item is from the Charles Steele box. More than 10 years ago, the man who found the box in Newton, NJ, created a website with pictures of what was inside. That website is gone, but you can learn more about his find at Collectors Weekly. For anyone who loves history and ephemera, it's a fascinating story, and a reminder of how many treasures are just barely saved from the dumpster.

 

Little Orphan Annie's Paper Dolls, "Junior Commandos" 1943

Front and back covers of a pristine book. Wonderful illustration inside of the mobilization of the general public as the U.S. entered World War II. 

It's an oversize book, not that easy to scan, but I'll give it a shot before the end of the summer.