Category Archives: 1970s

Flemmie Kittrell, Pioneer in Nutrition

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Lynn

Born in North Carolina, Flemmie Kittrell (1904-1980) has an inspiring story.  Read about her long career here.  She was eighth child of share croppers and had to earn her own money for her education.  After getting a BS at Hampton … Continue reading →

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Florida Retirement Hotels in the 1970s

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Lynn

When photographer Flip Schulke was assigned to the federal photo project Documerica in the 1970s, he paid particular attention to the network of inexpensive retirement hotels that had blossomed in South Beach Florida.  Retirees, mainly from colder climates, could find … Continue reading →

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Duchess of Windsor Patterns

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Lynn

Perhaps you have not heard of the Spadea Pattern Company, which put out patterns by the likes of Claire McCardell and Mollie Parnis from the 1950s to the 1970s. Read about its fascinating history in Lizzie Bramlett’s Vintage Traveler blog. … Continue reading →

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Eunice Johnson–Black Power Fashion

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Lynn

It is hard to overestimate the contribution of Eunice Johnson (1916-2010) to African American fashion in the United States.  She and her husband were the founders of Ebony and Jet.  Although she worked as secretary and treasurer for the Johnson … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990, 2000s, 2010s, General | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Meet Bricktop, International Star

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Lynn

Born in West Virginia in 1894, Ada “Bricktop” Smith gained her nickname because of her red hair. Her family soon moved to Chicago, a center of African American culture, where she started performing full time at age sixteen.  She didn’t … Continue reading →

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“Five Babushkas,” 1970s. A Photo by Rod Bradley

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Lynn

I’m slowly forgetting all the Russian I learned in my career as a historian of the Soviet Union. However, I do remember that the proper plural of the word babushka (grandmother) is babushki.  I suppose I should be glad that … Continue reading →

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A Remade Sari Dress, 1971

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Lynn

I was ready to call this remake of a sari an unwelcome appropriation of traditional clothing.  A South Asian woman on my block who sold her saris before she died expressed a final wish that they not be cut up … Continue reading →

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Considering Mrs. Claus

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Lynn

A recent viewing of Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street made me consider the fate of Mrs. Claus (or Kringel), the often forgotten partner of Santa.  Her history stretches back to the nineteenth century, but she is almost always left out of … Continue reading →

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Josie Home on Vacation, 1977

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Lynn

“Josie home on vacation,” reads the text on the back of the photo. It also includes the date, 1977, so helpful in analyzing style choices. Josie must be the younger woman in the middle. “Home on vacation” makes me think … Continue reading →

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Phyllis Diller, Happy Eccentric

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Lynn

There are many reasons to remember the comedian Phyllis Diller (1917-2012).  She was the first well-known female standup comic in America; she had a long career in television and film; and she was an enthusiastic advocate of plastic surgery—theme for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments