1905 - Jell-o Ice Cream Powder

This post is inspired by my recent trip to the Jell-O museum in LeRoy, New York.  In 1905 Jell-O was still a new product, struggling to gain popularity with homemakers.  The 10 cent price was considered expensive in those days, equivalent to $2.50 today.  Housewives did not believe the claims that all you had to do was add water to Jell-O to have a dessert.  The product below is a slightly different product than we are familiar with, that is supposed to be used to make ice cream.

1717 Anodyne Necklace for Teething Children

The purported inventor of the Anodyne Necklace, Paul Chamberlen claimed that the necklace would help children’s teeth as well as woman’s labor. It is no shock that children during the eighteenth century often died as infants, and as many times during infancy the baby is teething, it may have seemed natural that the teething itself was the source of illness and death. The Anodyne Necklace was invented to simply place around a baby’s neck to prevent infant death during teething. Chamberlen deserves the last place on this list for preying and capitalizing on the grief and terror of parents who were more often than not during this period resigned to the fact that their children would be more likely to die in infancy than to make it to adulthood.

1747 Dr. Newman's Famous Anti-Venereal Pill

From the Penny London Post, Jan 2 1747
This ad promised to cure venereal diseases in such a way that " your relations, nay your bedfellow, shall ever suspect you are out of order."

1975 Marine Midland MoneyMatic Machine Demonstration

It's hard to imagine today, but in 1975 most people deposited and withdrew money at the bank, during bank hours.  ATM machines were a new concept, and demonstrations of how to use the machine were given, so that customers would give them a chance (and also allow the bank to employ fewer tellers).

1975 Barbara Moss

This is where I used to shop for all my clothes as a teenager in the '70s and '80s - Barbara Moss.  I remember my mom having a Barbara Moss credit card with me listed as a user, and the limit was $50.  I bought every trendy thing here as soon as it hit the clearance rack.  Even today I never pay retail!  Sasson jeans (bet you didn't know they were the official jeans of the NY Rangers!), Gitano jeans, Jelly Bracelets, Bongo Jeans with palm trees printed on them, day-go tee shirts, punk rock style shirts with zippers.  If it was a fad, they had it sooner or later.  Our Barbara Moss was in City Center plaza in Watertown, NY, along with a few other stores like Music for You, a headshop, and Tops and Bottoms.

1948 Utica Club Beer

$1,000,000 for a glass of any beer is too much, even if you are drinking it ironically, in keeping with your hipster image.

1972 Woolworth Lunch Counter Special

1972 Evel Knieval at Custom Car Expo, Syracuse NY

Evel Knievel performed at the NY State Fairgrounds in 1972, at the Custom Car Expo.  According to evelknievel.com, here is how he got his famous moniker:

After a police chase in 1956, in which he crashed his motorcycle, Knievel was taken to jail on a charge of reckless driving.  When the night jailer came around to check roll call, he noted Robert Knievel in one cell and William Knofel in another.  Knofel was well known as “Awful Knofel” (“awful” rhyming with “Knofel”) so Knievel began to be referred to as Evel Knievel (“Evel” rhyming with “Knievel”).  He chose this misspelling because of his last name and because he didn’t want to be considered “evil”.

And thus the legend was born…

Short article about the Paddock Arcade in Watertown, NY.  This is believed to have been the first covered shopping mall in the United States, and is still open for business.

1976 The Enchanted Forest, Old Forge NY

Here's what was going on in 1976 at the Enchanted Forest theme park in Old Forge, NY.  I don't think today's kids would be content with these offerings...it was definitely a simpler time!  For pictures of the park and Paul Bunyan statue go here: Roadside Architecture

1903 Easter Egg Designs

Strange suggestions for Easter Egg designs.  It says "You'll know to whom each design may appropriately be sent."  So, for example, you might not want to send the "China-man" egg with the braid to one of your Asian friends, it would probably not be appropriate.  Many of my friends would probably enjoy the silent movie villain with the top hat and the mustache.  The top left looks like either a mean cat, or a badger, with a monocle.  The top right, I have no idea...

1962 Carrols Drive-Ins

Herb Slotnick bought the franchise rights for the New York area and started opening restaurants in the Syracuse, New York area in the early 1960s. They expanded over the years throughout New York state. During the 1960s, a yellow slug character served as Carrols' first mascot, replaced in 1974 by a young blonde boy wearing a tweed suit and a Fedora hat.  Most Carrols restaurant locations were converted to Burger King franchises in 1975, with less profitable stores shuttered. 

1921 Planters Vineyard Maid Candy Bar

Ad for a candy bar that used to be manufactured by Planters.  It's interesting to see how Mr. Peanut has changed over the years.  The Mr. Peanut mascot was designed by a child who won a contest sponsored by Planters in 1916.

1920 Bizarre and Disturbing ad for Live Electrical Goods

This ad is pretty "shocking", pardon the pun!  Combines animal abuse with unsupervised child.  You have to wonder, did the child put the cat on this electrical battery to be shocked, or did he happen to come across a cat who jumped up there by himself?  Disturbing, either way!

1912 Titanic

Falsely optimistic headline regarding the HMS Titanic on April 15, 1912 (the morning she sank).
From the Odgensburg NY Journal.