A Postcard Thanksgiving

Traditional harvest feasts and celebrations giving thanks for surviving winter and its hardships have been held by native cultures around the world for thousands of years. A gathering between the Plymouth colonists and about 90 Wampanoag Indians has come to be known as the first Thanksgiving, though Native Americans had organized such gatherings for centuries before the Europeans arrived on American soil. What actually happened that day is clouded in history, but we do know that it was a feast held in the spirit of cooperation between the colonists and the Native Americans to celebrate a bountiful harvest.

These postcards selected from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives show an array of wild turkeys, some who have already met their fate, and others that seem overly confident, two downright patriotic, and oblivious to their Thanksgiving dinner destiny. Were turkeys part of the original feast held back in 1621 or just part of the holiday’s mythology? According to the most detailed description of that famous feast from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth by Edward Winslow, we do know that fowl and venison were surely on the menu. It’s very possible that geese, ducks and swans were also part of the “fowl” offerings that graced the table. Lobster, clams and even seals were plentiful at the time and also may have been a part of the harvest repast.

I’m afraid that stuffing and pumpkin pie were not on the menu, which would make my family very unhappy. The supply of flour the pilgrims had brought with them had dwindled and they did not yet have ovens. However, they may have eaten boiled pumpkin and due to the time of year, plums, berries, chestnuts, acorns, walnuts and dried peas and beans may have been available to them as well. There were no domestic cattle, therefore no milk products. Potatoes were still viewed as poisonous by the colonists, so those creamy mashed potatoes beloved by today’s Thanksgiving feasters were definitely not on the table. Cranberries, one of three fruits native to America along with blueberries and Concord grapes, may have been eaten dried but not in the sweet and tart concoction we call cranberry sauce. Though the Pilgrims had brought sugar with them on the Mayflower, it was probably a scarce commodity by the time of the feast.

The 1621 harvest feast attended by the Native Americans and Pilgrims at Plymouth lasted for three days and was a secular celebration, not the day of thanksgiving it has become. The participants engaged in traditional harvest festival activities such as dancing, singing and game playing. It was not repeated the next year nor did they have plans to make the event into anything more than it was, a time of gathering to celebrate a good harvest. It wasn’t until 1863 that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, a tradition that has been upheld by every president since.

I took an informal poll of the Archives’ staff to see how they spend the Thanksgiving holiday. For most it is a day of family, food and football. For some the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade plays in the background while the food is prepared and as a lighthearted prelude to the hours of choreographed violence called football. There was a consensus on one element, though, the menu stays the same. An errant new dish may be introduced occasionally, only to be nixed for the next year’s lineup, but there is always turkey. One family forgoes the football and attends a movie, while another with three small children makes the rounds to both sides of the family and two full turkey dinners. My guess is that a lot of napping is happening in between visits. Whatever your Thanksgiving traditions may be, I hope your day is happy and your harvest is bountiful.

Postcard Party Time

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I’m sure many of you need some inspiration for planning your holiday soirees. This scrumptious array of meat, cheese, relish and appetizer trays would compliment any party table and simplify your entertaining dilemmas. According to the text on the back of one of these advertising postcards from the Teich Archives, “You’re a guest at your own party with this tantalizing tray of delicious meats and imported and domestic cheeses, attractively arranged to make work light for the most discriminating hostess.” Sounds like the perfect solution for an easy, breezy holiday celebration.

While many of the same food items are offered by each catering company represented on these vintage postcards, the style and arrangement of the trays differ. Personally I like the more artfully arranged trays with the rolled meats and parsley stuffed cheese florets. They look so “Martha Stewart.” The green pepper encircled egg slices and the carefully positioned whole and sliced olives lend a creative flair to the whole repast. Someone should mention to Cal’s that they are a bit heavy on the garnish and bit light on the crudités. It’s also interesting to note the changes in food offerings over the years. The Little Cheese Shop showcases its most popular snack tray in this advertising postcard from 1953. Today you might fine hummus, marinated tofu, sushi rolls or star fruit on a party platter, but I doubt if calf tongue or liver paste balls would be a popular food item at the office holiday party.

Here at the Curt Teich Postcard Archives we’ve all been having visions of food, glorious food. We pulled dozens of food related images for a new exhibition called Food in the Atomic Age, and these party trays are some of my favorites. Though they were not chosen for the exhibit, I thought I’d share them with you because they are so festive and might spark some ideas to make your next holiday party a rousing success. After studying them carefully I have a few suggestions for the discriminating host and hostess: light on the garnish, go with the hummus, and nix the calf tongue.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Fast-Food

As early as the late 1800s the lunch wagon became a popular fixture at work sites or factories, often serving food at night when other establishments had closed. As these rolling food vendors became quite popular and a lucrative business opportunity, ordinances were enacted to restrict their hours of operation in many cities and towns. Owners began to find stationary sites for their wagons to circumvent local zoning restrictions. Many displaced streetcars were purchased, converted and pressed into service and the local dining car or “diner” was born. By the 1930s diners were being manufactured using the latest in building materials that suggested speed, luxury, efficiency, hygiene and the desire to be modern.

The evolution from traditional streetcar to the streamlined version made from stainless steel, chrome and neon had taken place by the end of World War II, but the desire for convenience, speed and efficiency was overtaking American postwar society. By the early 1950s the elegant gleam of the diner was fading. America was smitten with the automobile and the nation’s population was on the move and in a hurry. Dining behind the wheel became the ultimate car culture convenience and the American Drive–In restaurant was born.

By the 1950s drive-in restaurants with their snazzy architectural styles were a staple of the American landscape. Standardized menus replaced the home made comfort food of the early diners. McDonald’s restaurants employed the production-line technology of Henry Ford nicknamed the Speedy Service System as it streamlined food preparation and maintained consistency in its limited menu items. This uniform production kept the food hot, the service fast and the prices low. Other franchised restaurants such as Burger King, White Castle and Kentucky Fried Chicken were also fulfilling the American desire for fast, convenient meals people could eat in their cars or take home to eat in front of their television sets. The growth in automobile use that came with the suburbanization of the country gave fast food establishments a big boost and contributed heavily to their success. By 1955 Americans were spending 25% of their food budgets eating out.

Almost every one of us grew up with a favorite fast food joint. In my neighborhood it was Don’s Dairy Frost. Don’s started out as a soft serve ice cream stand called Shakey’s that served those twirly cones dipped in your choice of a chocolate, strawberry or butterscotch crispy coating that firmed up almost immediately and cracked as soon as you bit into it. I tried the strawberry early on because it was such a pretty color, but decided it tasted like perfume so I stuck with the chocolate. Besides, you can never go wrong with chocolate. Later Shakey’s became Don’s Dairy Frost and introduced burgers, crinkle cut fries, and corn dogs to accompany the twirly cones, shakes and sundaes. Today it’s called Don’s without the “Dairy Frost” and is still the neighborhood place to be after the baseball games at the VFW field. It’s been remodeled a few times, the menu has expanded to keep up with current tastes in fast food and there are a number of booths and tables inside for those who’d rather not eat on the run. I ate a lot of meals sitting in a car in that parking lot during my teenage years and with my children when they were little. Every time my daughter comes home for a visit you can be sure that she’ll make time for cheese fries and a double cheeseburger from Don’s. My granddaughter Evie loves the corn dogs.

These images from the Curt Teich will be seen in a new exhibit at the Lake County Discovery Museum called Food in the Atomic Age and celebrate great American diners, drive-ins and fast food joints.

Halloween is for Lovers

Looking for love in all the wrong places? Tired of on-line dating and searching for suitable prospects at your local health club? According to old traditions and superstitions your Halloween night activities could land you a mate. Perhaps you should spend a little time on All Hallow’s Eve looking into the mirror by “pumpkin light” or sitting in front of a cozy fire. Then again, how about throwing a ball of yarn into a dark room and waiting to see who might eventually pick it up? Want to know the first initial of the name of your true love so you don’t have to bother dating any Peters, Paulas or Penelopes? You could just peel an apple and throw the peeing over your shoulder, then hope it doesn’t land in the shape of letter X or Z.

These postcards, all from the early twentieth century, celebrate the superstition that Halloween is the perfect time to conjure up love and romance. So if you’re looking for that special someone, try a different approach and cast a little Halloween spell. You never know what might happen.

All of these postcards are from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives.

A Woman's Nation

Escorts of Abbott Park Professional Guest Relations Department

“A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything.” This is the catchphrase for the Shriver Report, a study by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress on the changing roles of American women and how they are affecting today’s society. Though I haven’t been able to tune into any of the segments being broadcast on NBC this week, I have heard a few of the conversations concerning the report that have aired on the Today Show and they have really hit a nerve with me. Born in 1951, I’ve been a witness to the drastic changes that have brought women out of the “Mrs. Cleaver” era right into today’s job market where nearly 40% of mothers are the primary breadwinners in their families and nearly 63% bring home at least a quarter of the family’s earnings as they account for half of the jobs in the country. This is a major social trend affecting all of us so check out NBC for additional programming on the subject and go to the website to read this relevant and insightful report. A Woman's Nation

What better way to watch the changes affecting women over the last 100 years than to look to the postcard. From the Suffragette, to Rosie the Riveter and the 1950s housewife wearing a shirtwaist dress as she prepares a three course meal, postcards reflect the many changes society has imposed upon its female citizens. The images I’ve chosen from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives to reflect this theme are cataloged under that major subject heading “Women” and the minor headings “suffragettes, changing social attitudes, the work force.” It’s interesting to note that two of the images of women in the workplace are from the decade before the post-war images depicting the quintessential housewife.

The Teich Archives Goes Hollywood

As a photo archives, the Teich Archives deals with a number of different issues and researchers, but once in a while we have a brush with the glamorous life. Because the Archives is world renowned, we occasionally hear from people in the entertainment industry looking for colorful, vintage images to enhance their projects.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating its 25th anniversary with two concerts coming to Madison Square Garden on October 29th and 30 th. A number of short films in conjunction with the event will showcase the origins and inspirations of some of the Hall of Fame’s performers. The Director of Archival Research at the RRHF contacted us searching for some great images of Asbury Park, stomping grounds of Bruce Springsteen. If you are a Springsteen fan you may remember that he used a Large Letter postcard of Asbury Park on one of his early album covers. The addition of the colorful vintage postcards we provided is sure to liven up the footage.

Earlier this year Paramount Pictures and Runaway Homes Film contacted the Teich Archives to search for vintage images for two of their new releases. Produced by Paramount and directed by Jason Reitman, the Oscar nominated director of Juno, the comedy called Up in the Air stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham. A corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road, Bingham is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he’s worked toward for years, reaching ten million frequent flyer miles. To make matters worse, he’s just met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams. The art department of Paramount Pictures purchased three images of airport exteriors that will be used as set dressing in a Hilton Hotel in the film. Keep your eyes open to see if you can find them. The movie is scheduled for release in December 2009. You can check out the movie’s website at Up In The Air

My One and Only, starring Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon, is loosely based on actor George Hamilton’s unconventional upbringing. The year is 1953 and Ann Devereaux, played by Renée Zellweger, has just left her philandering bandleader husband and takes to the road with her two teenage sons to find a wealthy replacement mate. “As the miles roll by, their adventure veers from eccentric, to hair-raising, to poignant, to comic.” The art department of Runaway Homes Productions purchased a number of images including one of the Brooklyn Bridge, a California beach resort, and “Greetings From” or Large Letter postcards of Kansas, Arizona, California, New York, Pittsburgh and Albuquerque. It will be interesting to see how they are used in the film’s production. The movie was released in August and may still be playing at a theatre near you. My One and Only

Vintage images such as postcards, photographs and any type of paper ephemera often add a colorful and nostalgic element to period projects.

An Apple By Any Other Name

Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Macintosh, Jonathan, and Honey Crisp; if you’re an apple lover, perhaps one of these varieties available in your local supermarket is your favorite. I like tart apples so my supermarket favorite is the Pink Lady. But have you ever heard of Arkansas Black, Winter Banana, Ohio Nonpareille, Cox Orange Pippin, Sweet Sixteen or Pound Sweet? Though the names may sound like they're right off the Sherwin-Williams paint sample card, these are actually apple names. If you work for the Lake County Forest Preserves you probably have tasted one or more of these heritage varieties. A Lake County nurseryman is married to one of our staff members and beginning in mid-September the apple requests start rolling in. Dozens of bags of these delicious beauties are delivered to the staff and we all consider ourselves very fortunate to have access to such wonderful local fruit. The juicy snap of your teeth biting into it and the luscious sensation of tart and sweet in your mouth is proof positive that there is absolutely nothing in the world that tastes like an apple right off the tree.

Now that the leaves are beginning to show their true colors and the crispness of fall has permeated the mid-western air, it’s time for apple picking, and of course apple eating and baking. I hope you enjoy these postcards that celebrate the incredible, edible apple.

The bottom postcard is from the Lake County History Archives.

All the other postcards are from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives.