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Category Archives: 1930s
Anna May Wong, Aging
By now, everyone must have heard that Chinese American actress Anna May Wong has earned a place on American quarters. Key elements of her famous look, including the bangs and high eyebrows, remained with her as she aged. The photo … Continue reading
Posted in 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, General
Tagged Asian American, California, hair
1 Comment
The Gracious Lady in Polka Dots, 1938
I’m not surprised to see the “Gracious Lady,” Sears’ euphemistic attempt to address the older woman, wearing a polka dot dress! A very popular print in the 1930s, polka dots were even more common for the older set. In their … Continue reading
Mother Bloor in Life Magazine, 1938
You are forgiven for not knowing who Mother Bloor (Ella Reeves Bloor, 1862-1951) is, even though she got her own page of photos in Life magazine in 1938 on the occasion of her 76th birthday. One of the United States’ … Continue reading
Ukrainian American Women, 1938
According to the caption, this photo documents a political meeting of Ukrainian American women in 1938. What was it about? Politics in their homeland? It was before the start of the Second World War, but after the Great Famine of … Continue reading
Mother at the Old Farm
The polka dot dress! I think of this as the archetypal dress of the 1930s, when polka dots were everywhere. This particular outfit has some fancy details. The dress itself appears to have a halter strap around the neck—or is … Continue reading
Ho, Ho, Humbug–Thoughts on the Christmas Sweater
When it comes to Christmas sweaters, call me Scrooge. What is the point of making or buying something that is meant to be either silly or unattractive and can only be worn a limited time of the year? Surely this … Continue reading
Pose with Swagger Coat, early 1930s
This photo introduced me to a new fashion term. Although some of the words are cut off, the writing on the back clearly reads, “I wanted you to see my new swagger coat.” Quick online research revealed that the swagger … Continue reading
Mrs. Kate Mike Sets Sail for France, 1933
In my search for images of women on Veterans Day, I quickly discovered that the most common pictures were of Gold Star mothers, women who had lost children in American wars. The group was founded in 1928 for mothers of … Continue reading
Hair Raising Stories
A curly headed friend of mine recently posted a picture of herself as a young teen when she was trying to approximate the Vidal Sassoon-inspired geometric hairstyles of the era. Although her hair looked fairly straight in the picture, she … Continue reading
Dots and Dashes, 1935
Well, this much we know about Mrs. A. T. Hermann—she liked jewelry. I count one choker, two necklaces, and one pin. She must have dressed up for the photo. I imagine that the trim on her exuberant bow is made … Continue reading