Today's Future - Yesterday

I confess, being a longtime user of the internet and the Big Three social networks I've often thought how lost I'd be if I were thrown back in time before these techie luxuries ever existed. Now thanks to a little imagination from an ad agency, Moma Propaganda, we can all witness what life would have been like if Facebook was part of the mid-century daily routine -


If Mad Men Pitched Twitter, Facebook and YouTube / Lushpad.com

Who I'm Watching: Peter Gunn

He was suave. He was sophisticated. And he was "like coolio-daddyo to all you cats!"

I only have a couple too few episodes that I picked up in one of those value-priced DVD tv collections. And I never was lucky enough to catch the series in syndication, though I've heard plenty of the series and the unforgettably suave yet danger-ladden theme music by Henry Mancini (Best Arrangement, Grammy Awards, 1958; Album of the Year). But I think I'd really like to see more this stylish private eye detective show. It's left me with a hungry appetite for more each time I've gotten to follow Gunn on a case.

Peter Gunn may have been the coolest gentleman private eye to be seen since the Thin Man series with William Powell. The epitome of cool as envisioned by the mid century, the original suave and sophisticated man's man. Remember, Peter Gunn was happening even before Agent 007 burst onto the big screens with the first Bond movie, Dr. No.

"Hot on the case, cool under fire," Peter Gunn originally aired 114 1/2 hour episodes from September 22, 1958 to September 18, 1961, preluding the years that brought us many classic spy and crime dramas such as The Avengers and The Saint. The show was the creation of Blake Edwards, the same mastermind behind the Pink Panther movies, starring Craig Stevens, Herschel Bernardi, Lola Albright. Stevens portrays the stylishly hip and ultra cool Mr. Gunn with an ample helping of wry humor thrown in for good measure. The cases takes him through an assortment of moody imagery: mod hangouts, avant-garde artists pads and film noir-esque back alley ways, always with the swanky sax, bass and drums setting the cool mood through it all.

Hmmm.... wonder if a cool cat wannabee can locate a copy of the complete soundtrack from the series?

Vintage Tourist Traps

I posted a little about the old Sioux Trading Post earlier and got to do a little of my own research about the history. Here's a bit I found on the Ogallala, Nebraska store, not to be confused with the Sioux Trading Post in Rapid City, South Dakota (a native craft supply & dealer, which incidentally I've been to before) as well as some other facts about the colorful family-run operation:

In all three souvenir stores "Out West" have been owned by the Henline family over the years along the old Lincoln Highway. The Buffalo Bill Trading Post was on the west end of North Platte on Hwy 30, and was opened for business in 1950 and sold in 1954. The Sioux Trading Post (above) was in Ogallala, Nebraska, also on Hwy 30, was opened in 1952 and closed permantly in 1969. Fort Cody Trading Post of North Platte was first opened on Hwy 30 from 1963-1969 then relocated to be close to the new Interstate I-80 in 1968 where it continues to operate to this day.

First the Sioux Trading Post and later the Fort Cody Trading Post were the summer homes for the Whitecalf family of Pine Ridge South Dakota. (some members pictured above) The family lived in the back towers (at Ft. Cody) and performed their Native American Dances during the day for our customers. They also presented a half hour evening performance which featured traditional dances including the Hoop Dance. Their final summer in North Platte was in 1977, when they returned to live year 'round in South Dakota.

The Henline family also operated the Wigwam in Atlanta, Nebraska, and the Seminole Trading Post and Indian Village near Miami. They also ran the Dunlap-Henline Company that published postcards out of Omaha during the 1950's through 60's.

Great photos seen on the following two sites:

• Fortcody.com

• Fort Cody History

Tourist Traps

Ugggh! Looks like they broke Flickr while I was gone. Don't you just love it when you PAY for a service and they decide to change everything so that you can no longer use it for the purposes you bought it for? Hopefully they will get the photo sharing options working for everyone again soon, otherwise this blog is going to be getting mighty boring fast with no piccies to show off!

Anyway, during our trip I kept my eyes open and camera lens focused to bring you some classic Old West American tourist traps. Yippee! I love tourist traps!

The first one is a diorama reconstruction of classic from the mid-century, the Sioux Trading Post once located in Ogallala, Nebraska.



This diorama is a new attraction added to the Fort Cody Trading Post (offshoot of the old Sioux Trading Post since the early 70's) located at North Platte, Nebraska. Part novelty shop, part museum, the Post is worth stopping for... especially on those long drives heading west on I-80!

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There'll be more to come in a future post - stay tuned!

Pink Picnic Stove on Ebay

It's very Fifties/Sixties, very Outdoorsy, and very Pink: Coleman Pink Single Burner Picnic Stove

I see these often on the auctions, and almost all are offered at very reasonably low bids (I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure that your typical nostaligic outdoorsman manly-man-type isn't much interested in pink stoves. Undoubtedly when Coleman marketed these they were aiming for the manly-man-type's Better-Half. There was also a version of the same picnic stove in the more classic Coleman green.

Because it's a bit different than the typical camp stove, it caught my eye... just because I like the mid-century feel of this. I can see a family packing up one of these into the station wagon for an afternoon getaway at the lake.

Mind you, if you decide to bid on this, the stove was designed to use small LP gas cans that popped in easily for the stove fuel, also sold by Coleman. And I haven't seen these sold since I was a kid. So... unless you're handy and can rig-up only a SAFE means to hook up to a modern LP gas canister (which I am only guessing can be done - I'm not making any claims and taking NO responsibilities here!), remember that if you decide to bid that this will likely be useful only for a display item only.

Campground Cabins for the Modern-Minded

SPECULATOR, NEW YORK Camp Of The Woods VINTAGE 1960s POST CARD, originally uploaded by Christian Montone.

Yes, I'm dreaming a lot these days of the upcoming camping trip I've got planned for next month.

Though Junior and I are not going to be staying in any ultra modern lakeside cabins like this one, I can imagine what it'd be like. Couldn't you imagine spending a nice long holiday in a setting like this? Glass walls, angled roof supports and bright colors... heck, I could live here!

Incidentally this is from a postcard dated back to the Sixties for Camp Of The Woods, Speculator, New York.

Cool Cooler on Ebay

One of the things I seem to be accumulating are vintage camp thermoses and coolers. Not only are they still reliable for camping trips, but they look great above the cabinet in my kitchen! I really like the highly graphic design on this little cooler. I'd make a bid on it myself, but sometimes you just have to stick to the budget ;P ...but I can still look though!

Super Nice Vintage Cooler on Ebay

I Promise to "Do My Best"

1954 - Cub Scout, originally uploaded by clotho98.

This year the Boy Scouts are celebrating 100 years of meetings, camp outs, pinewood derbys, and den mothers!

This year Junior is joining up!

This year I really really wish Dad took a photo of me sometime when I was wearing my own scout uniform!

How many of you were in the Boy or Girl scouts? Brownies? Awanas?

Cub Scout illustration published in the October 1954 issue of Family Circle magazine.

The Big One-Oh

So... I haven't been seen too much in recent days, but I have a good excuse. Yesterday the formerly 9-year old Junior turned double digits - the big one as in the Big One-Oh (pssst... that'd be Ten-years old, btw)!

You'll be happy to know that he's been living it up on this monumentally big occasion, and that his Pop (that'd be me) is surviving fairly well, with all things considered. Junior started off his big day with a pancake breakfast in bed. Next he was forced to watch home movies of his original birth day from exactly ten years ago (muah-ha-ha!). Then we had a day at the waterpark followed by a night of video games (yes, he's earned it). We wrapped up the festivities last night by braving mosquito hordes to laze away in our over-sized kid pool while watching the moon and the lightning bugs dancing overhead.

Today we're headed to the lake. And tomorrow, if I can hang on that long, were aiming to go to the RR Days event up in Omaha.

Three days, three full days of fun-filled kid-excitement and thrills... what on earth was I thinking? =O

If you don't hear back from me again by Monday, send a rescue team - please!

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So where's the vintage connection I'm supposed to make with this blog??? Worry not... Here's a few favorite pics from the family album of birthdays past...


Brother Dear's birthday goodies: A Merry-go-Round cake (probably made by Grandma) a gumball machine, a dump truck and a nifty tin machine gun!


Sis's baby doll cake, also likely made by Grandma... she was a cake designing genius!


A Snoopy-themed birthday party for the future Space Commander! Is there nothing in this poloroid shot that doesn't just scream "Seventies" at you?

One Small Space

1957-8 Magnavox Record Player - Another Record Player!, originally uploaded by kerrybeary.

Retro artwork, a 1957-8 Magnavox Record Player, a pair of amorphic astrays, and that awesome atomic lamp!