The Vintage Site

Looking for an original party idea, with a bit of a vintage twist? Then perhaps take the suggestion of the November, 1923 issue of the Woman’s Home Companion magazine, and throw a bridge party!

Bridge parties, where people would get together and eat and drink and talk while playing bridge (a card game played with four people), were very popular for many years. Today you can recreate these parties with a version of your own, using the recipes and decorations from the article I’ll be sharing here. If you can’t play bridge, go ahead and substitute with a card game you and your friends are familiar with. Follow along here with some words from the article:

Vintage Cookies and Sandwiches with a Playing Card Theme

“The recipes given here are sufficient for sixteen people, and the dishes may be served at four card tables with very little trouble.”

Two sample luncheons for your bridge party

“For making biscuits, sandwiches, and cookies, large and small cutters and tins in heart, diamond, club, and spade shapes will be found practical and effective. If cutters are not available, draw the shapes of desired size on a piece of cardboard, lay them on the food to be shaped, and cut around them with a pointed knife.”

Here are a list of recipes found in the article. If you are interested in any of them, you can click on the scanned pages at the very end of this blog post to read them all.

Ham Hearts
Bridge Biscuits
Ginger Ale Jelly Salad
Layer Sandwiches
Pineapple Mint Cocktail
Crabmeat and Eggs in Paper Cases
Stuffed Mushrooms
Neapolitan Charlotte Russe
Ham Salad Sandwiches
Guava and Chocolate Sandwiches
Chocolate Filling
Chicken Salad with Pineapple

Pierrot Decorations

“A color scheme of black and red on white is not difficult to arrange. Pimientoes, red color paste, and various fruits will provide the hearts and diamonds; truffles, mushrooms, ripe olives, and chocolate may be used for clubs and spades.”

As stated, here are scans of the complete article where all of the above mentioned recipes can be found. Just click on the thumbnails for a full page view:

So gather up some friends, get our your best vintage apparel, head to the kitchen to whip up some vintage snacks and drinks, and you’ll be all set to throw your own vintage bridge party!

Article and pictures from the November 1923 issue of Women’s Home Companion.

The October 1899 issue of McCall’s magazine contained this single-page article which is “a lesson in hairdressing” for their readers.

One popular hair style that year was apparently the fashionable “high coiffure”, and we as the readers are presented with very detailed information of how to replicate this style. So if you ever wanted to don an authentic late-Victorian hairstyle for a costume party, vintage outfit, or just for fun, here is your chance!

“The pretty coiffure given this month is a popular style both for day and evening, and can be arranged exactly as suggested in the illustrations or modified to suit individual taste. It requires moderately long hair – hair, say twenty-four inches or so in length.”

“Those whom nature has not favored with natural wavy hair must have recourse to artificial means, a great many ways having been adopted. The locks can either be waved with a tongs, which, however, are bound to injure the hair sooner or later, or waved with flat curing pins as shown in the next illustration.”

The Finished Product

“Fancy tortoise shell ornaments are worn to relieve the coiffure, but should match the combs. For evening these ornaments are set with real or paste brilliants. They are very fashionable, and are made in a great many pretty designs too numerous to explain here.”

Below is a copy of the entire page with the complete set of instructions in case you would like to give this one a go. If you do, please be sure to share the results!

Complete instructions for the high coiffure, 1899

According to this great article in the April 1942 issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal, “A gallant carriage indicates a gallant approach to living.”

Therefore through pictures and instruction, the author gives us some easy methods to improve ourselves through poise and posture.

“Bubble blowing is one of the simplest, and prettiest, exercises for flexing the throat and lifting the chin. Blow big bubbles – lots of them – then blow them about in the air, stretching the neck this way and that, until every tense muscle is used. Strong, limber muscles carry heads high, keep chins well up and make lovely young throats.”

“For posture is the beginning of poise. With chin up and spine properly aligned, everything else falls into place.”

How to make a shadowgraph of yourself, to check your own posture.

Silent movies were already incredibly popular by the time this issue of Ladies’ Home Journal magazine was published in April of 1916.

Theda Bara, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin were among the many actors that Americans knew and loved, and most people flocked to each new release. Hoping to capitalize on the popularity of silent films, I suppose, the Ladies’ Home Joural here presented to their readers the opportunity to star themselves in a “kitchen movie” play!

Each of the three recipes shown here are presented in a way meant to mimic those old vintage filmstrips. Each “frame” is another step in the recipe.

The three recipes were are given are “Chicken a la King,” a “Jelly Omelet”, and a “Mayonnaise Dressing.” I’m honestly not sure why these three recipes were chosen, and I don’t know why they didn’t try to give them more exciting, movie-related names. But regardless, this is an interesting little look at how much silent films had permeated society in 1916.

The February 1926 issue of the Delineator magazine features all sorts of fascinating insights into mid 1920′s life and style, but the article I am sharing here is one that jumped out at me more than any other. 

Here the magazine uses both incredible art and detailed text to keep their audience up to date with the absolute latest in fashion accessories. For us, almost 90 years in the future, it serves as one of the best ways I’ve come across to immerse ourselves in the fashion rules of the jazz era.

The elegant illustration full of every kind of accessory imaginable is accompanied by two pages of writing that goes in to great detail to describe each of them. Here, I am including article excerpts about each type of accessory.

Hats for spring will be small, larger or large, but it is the small hat that plays the biggest part.

Hair still follows the shape of the head as closely as possible, whether it is worn long or short… The sleek hair-cut, showing the ears and resembling a boy’s, is seen occasionally, but requires a beautiful head and perfect features.

Corsets today shade from well-boned coutil models that take the large figure firmly in hand to absolute zero for the young girl and for the slender, almost fleshless figure… Women who wore elastic corsets or no corsets at all are now trying to reduce their diaphragms and flatten their abdomens.

Jewelry has felt the influence of the ensemble idea. It is smart to have matching filigree beacelets and necklace and matching pins for the hat, shoulder and hip.

Hand-bags are quite large, especially the new pouch shapes in suede or antelope, mounted on amber, tortoise, gold or self-covered frames… Evening bags are frequently of the envelope type set with rhinestones or woven in gold or silver or steel beads, sometimes with jet, or of grosgrain silk worked in Beauvais or ribbon embroidery.

Umbrellas are short and stubby, with handles of carved and painted wood, of amber, ivory, galiith or enamel, of wood covered with pigskin or carved in dogs’ head. They are of red, purple, or green to match a rain-coat, of black or of brown.

Flowers are worn on the lapel or collar of coats and coat-dresses, on the shoulder or hip of afternoon and evening frocks.

Stockings for sports, steamer and country wear are of wool, mostly in monotone effects and quiet patterns. Very fine chiffon lisle and silk hose in beige shades is correct with tailored suits and simple wool dresses.

Shoes for sports, the country and the steamer are the oxford or brogue type with low heels. They are of tan calf or antelope trimmed with calf… Shoes with afternoon dress are of kid, suede, patent leather, plain or trimmed with contrasting kid or snakeskin. They are quite ornate in many cases, both in cut and trimming, though the general effect is simple and extremely dainty.

Gloves with tailored or sports clothes are made of the heavy washable leathers – chamois, doeskin, antelope, etc., or their fabric imitations… For afternoon they are of delicate colored beige in the biscuit, nude and gray shades, matching the stocking.

“A Mantelpiece, the most noticeable feature in the average room, is often so badly proportioned or commonplace as to spoil the whole room. But by the removal of objectionable ornament a pleasing result may be realized.”

So states the September 1909 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, in a short little home decor article entitled “What to do with Ugly Fireplaces” by Ekin Wallick, full of wonderful vintage illustrations of ugly vs attractive mantel pieces.

There are four pairs of fireplaces provided here, and the ugly on is always on the left. The “improved” version on the right is the result of taking away unnecessary aspects of the mantel piece and even sometimes disguising it completely. Please be sure to click on each image to enlarge it, because the text that accompanies each one is definitely worth reading. The funny part is that I often prefer the version that the magazine absolutely hates! For instance, the first image set I am presenting here.

The Fireplace in a room not dependent on it for heat

The writer explains,

“The mantel shown on the left is devoid of anything reasonable in the way of design, but the fact that the room is not dependent on the fireplace for heat has made it possible to eliminate the objectionable feature by covering it up.”

I actually liked the one on the left a lot, but for some reason it is completely offensive to the author. And I’m really not a fan of the yards of heavy fabric on the right. But I still really enjoyed reading through this article and admiring the illustrations. If you have an old home and are looking for some way to decorate your fireplace in an authentic vintage style, this is the perfect article for you to study!

Now I present to you the remaining three sets.

The Dining Room Mantelpiece

Fireplace in the Parlor

How to improve upon a popular type of mantel

The April 1947 issue of “American Home” magazine is full of retro 1940′s tips for home decor, running a household, and pages of fascinating vintage ads.

However, the part I spent the most time reading over was the cooking section. I really like these clippable “recipe cards,” with the typical photo on front and recipe on the back format. But what I most appreciated about them was the simple fare using basic, inexpensive ingredients. Nothing looks too difficult or time-consuming. And for anyone who, like many of us, is trying to cut down on eating processed foods, a lot of these recipes might be worth a try.

I have scanned some of these cards here for your use; just click on any of them to enlarge if you have trouble reading them clearly. My favorites, which I will probably end up actually making, are the “asparagus with soft-cooked egg” and “strawberry cool and sauce”. This strawberry and sour cream recipe especially looks so refreshing for the summer, and so easy – yet it’s like no dessert I’ve seen before. I think it would be a hit for summer entertaining!

Here is a complete list of recipes you’ll find here:

rhubarb relish
rhubarb betty
custard with rhubarb topping
asparagus with soft-cooked egg
cornmeal pancakes
cheese biscuits
banana oatmeal cookies
molded cream dessert
coffee gelatin cubes with custard
strawberry cool and sauce

I hope you enjoy this vintage 1940′s recipe collection, and please share if you end up trying any of these!

The June 1938 issue of McCall’s magazine features some beautiful vintage fashion illustrations, full of color and style.

Skirts at this time in the late 1930′s seem to fall right below the knees, waists were cinched tight, and overall the look was very feminine. Here are a few of my favorite sketches from this issue (though it was very hard to choose), along with the accompanying descriptions from the magazine.

“A ROMANTIC GOWN with a wide wide skirt. This year wide skirts are usually just gathered. The black lace is shown over a black slip. They are also putting black over flesh colored chiffon with lovely effect. No. 9768.

“THE CORSET IDEA has influenced the striped bolero frock. Boned satin ‘corsets’ are actually worn on the outside of some French evening frocks. This girdle is something like them, but it looks much prettier. No. 9777.”

“THE SHIRTWAIST FROCK has taken up the bloused silhouette. In the white dress the way the fullness radiates outward from the center is an important new detail. It is supposed to slim the waistline. And it does, too. No. 9785.
“AN UMBRELLA-GORED SKIRT and a balloon make this year’s two-piece frock. The bloused fullness of the pink frock disappears into tucks at the lower edge, so one does not have any bunchiness inside the skirt. No. 9746.
“A SHIRRED WAISTLINE is very graceful if there is only slight fullness in the shirrings and if the dress has unbroken lines from the shoulder to hem. All of which is true about the princess dress above with its shirred waist. No. 9760.”

“PRINTED BOLEROS are charming with plain crepe frocks. The print may be crepe too, or linen, or cotton. In this bolero frock both are rayon. The dress has a new, high, draped, straight-across neckline. That kind of a neckline looks ever so nice under a jacket. No. 9751.
“PUTTING ODD COLORS together is getting to be a kind of game this year. You see what happens when rust and turquoise join up. The dress under the turquoise bolero is one of those long slim ones. Its beltless front produces the smart long-legged effect. No. 9755.”

“THE NEW LOOSENESS in clothes is just right for chiffon. The brown chiffon dress has plenty of this easy fullness and, though simple, it is lovely. Notice that bow ties are narrower. No. 9748.
“THIN DARK DRESSES like this navy shirtwaister are very chic, and pink is newer than white for accent. Printed slips are also being much used. No. 9747.
“PINK is the preferred color this year – dawn pink, azalia, cyclamen, dusty, chalky, etc. Lovely with wine, as used here. There are always new ways to shirr a dress. This is the newest. No. 9753.”

The December 1917 issue of McCall’s magazine was published in the midst of World War I. As such, the issue is full of ads, articles, and letters that concern life for women at home while the men were off fighting. One article in this issue is called “The Junior Home Reserves,” and refers to a club for girls whose motto is,

“It’s Our War, too, and we’ll help. We’re the Junior Home Reserves, and every day, each one of us will save so many minutes of our mother’s time for our country’s use.”

One way the girls could save their mother’s time was by making the bed. For those of us who hate making the bed (I have no hesitation in admitting that this includes me), I would think that if we had to follow the drawn out instructions here, there would be many days when the bed was simply left to its own devices.

There were several things that had to be done in preparation for making the bed. Here are the first steps, taken directly from the article:

“See that the covers are taken from the bed before breakfast. Begin with your own bed. Take off the pillows and covers, one at a time, and spread on chairs by the open window, being careful they do not touch the floor. Then close your bedroom door, so the air will not cool off the rest of the house.

“Do the same with the other beds your mother is willing you should take charge of. After breakfast, take one room at a time and put it in order. Brush off the mattress with a whiskbroom, being careful that no dust lingers around the tufts. Every morning take a damp – not wet – cloth, and wipe the framework of the bed if it is wood or enamel. (If it is brass, do not do this.) If you were big and strong, you could turn the mattress every morning, but this is too heavy work for you even to try. Perhaps Mother or Big Sister or Brother will do this. If so, the mattress should be turned back over the foot of the bed to air, at the same time as the bed clothing, and you should wipe off the springs with a dry cloth – a damp cloth would rush them, but a brush dipped in kerosene will not and should be used on the springs once a week.

Whew. Not only does it sound very involved, it also sounds a little dangerous. I have honestly never heard of brushing bed springs with kerosene! But all of this is only the beginning. Next comes the actual making of the bed. Here, we have a great little set of pictures of what is presumably one of the Junior Reservists at work, along with step by step instructions.

And with that, we’re just about done.

“The bed is now ready for spread or counterpane. You should put these on the way your mother likes to have them, though I am sure she will be glad to have you learn to turn the ‘hospital corners,’ just as you would do if you were a Nurse’s Aid in a Red Cross hospital.”

Finally, if you had been a member of the Junior Home Reserves, here is the “army pledge” you would have completed.