Life Archives - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Jul142013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Dinner Music #2: Peach Cobbler & Otis Redding

In the Dinner Music series, I present a recipe from a vintage magazine and pair it with some appropriate music. Feel free to make the meal, listen to the tunes, and let me know how it turned out! For this entry I thought I'd lighten things up a bit. It is July after all. So I think some sweet dessert and some equally sweet music is in order. This week's recipe comes from the March 17, 1952 issue of Life magazine, and is for Hunt's Heavenly Peach Cobbler. The Recipe 1 No. 2 1/2 can Hunt's Peach Halves Butter Nutmeg Milk Roll biscuit dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch strips. Cut Hunt's Peaches in quarters. Place in greased baking dish with syrup. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Arrange strips of dough lattice fashion on top of peaches. Pinch edges of dough s...

Jun122013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Time Capsule: Los Angeles Development Boom of the 1950s

Capsules

In its July 13, 1953 issue Life magazine ran one of many photo essays on the city of Los Angeles. This one focused on the immense population and development growth the city and surrounding area encountered in the late '40s and early '50s. Here then is a gallery of the most interesting photos -- some unpublished -- that went into its story called "400 New Angels Every Day." There were all shot in either December '52 or July '53 by J. R. Eyerman. Less than two years after this piece ran in the magazine, Life published another, less sunny L.A. story -- this one about an October 1954 smog emergency. You can see those pics here.

May152013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Time Capsule: Vintage Coin-Operated Machines (Life Magazine, 1947)

Capsules

Sometimes the coolest photos from Life magazine were crammed into incidental articles in the back of an issue. Take, for instance, an article on coin-operated machines -- "Brave New Machines" -- from the March 17, 1947 edition. The original images, taken by staff photographer Wallace Kirkland, showcase beautifully designed machines that would now probably fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars on the antiques market. But in '47 they warranted little more than small pictures tucked into the very back of the magazine. Here they are in their original splendor. Click on any image for the full-size version.

Mar12013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Football Friday: Baltimore Colts at Green Bay Packers, 10/8/61

Football Friday, Sports

Another trip to the Life photo archives has yielded another great set of classic NFL photographs. These were snapped by Robert W. Kelley at a game played between the Green Bay Packers and the visiting Baltimore Colts at Lambeau Field -- then known as New City Stadium -- on October 8, 1961. Tracking down the date for this game was a little tricky, as the Life photo pages provide no details. How I figured it out was by using the visual clues. Weeb Ewbank is pictured on the Baltimore sideline. He coached the Colts from 1954-1962. One of the Baltimore players pictured is wearing jersey #34, and he appears to be a back of some kind. Only one player from this era was a back and wore #34 -- Joe "The Jet" Perry. Perry was a fullback in Baltimore for the '61 and '62 seasons only. One

Feb82013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Time Capsule: New York City Blizzard, 1947

Capsules, History

The Christmas of 1947 was certainly a white one for residents of the U.S. northeast and the New York City metro area in particular. Too white in fact. From December 25 through the 26th, a surprise storm dumped more than two feet of snow in areas. The highest recorded amount was 26.4 inches in Central Park. 77 people died as a result of the blizzard. Life photographer Mark Kauffman captured some of the storm and a lot of the cleanup in a series of outstanding photographs covering what would become known as the Great Blizzard of 1947. In this photo gallery you can see the snow falling, streets piled with the white stuff, stranded commuters, and of course some vintage period signs and vehicles. You can also see what famous Gotham locations like Central Park, Rockefeller Center and the

Feb62013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Vintage Photo Wednesday, Vol. 26: Rocket Ship Prize, 1954

Vintage Photo Wednesday

This week I take a break from my New Jersey-centric photos to feature a pair of really cool images from Life magazine. They were taken in Washington, D.C. by noted Life photog Yale Joel in 1954, although I've been unable to determine when or if they actually ran in the magazine. From what I can gather, some lucky boy won a contest involving a rocket ship. I'm not sure what he did to win it -- dress up and send in a picture or write an essay perhaps. But the rocket rolled into town on the back of a trailer, and quite a crowd turned out to see it. I'm guessing this is the kid who won the contest, all decked out in his space jumpsuit and homemade helmet. Looks like a Timmy or a Johnny. The photo description page says this about this spectacular shot, which could only have com...

Jan252013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Here’s the Inspiration for That Tom Hanks Piano Scene from Big

Ephemera, Photography

Nearly four decades before Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia danced their way into our hearts during the FAO Schwarz piano scene in Big, Life magazine photographer Lisa Larsen snapped this: I'm kidding of course. This is Betty Spornitz, who won first prize in May 1950 at the Flickertail Follies, a talent show held at the University of North Dakota. Good times.

Jan22013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Time Capsule: Vintage Detroit Car Maker World War II Production Photos

Capsules, History

As part of a larger story in its August 17, 1942 issue on strife within between Detroit's car makers and their labor union member workers, Life magazine captured some excellent photographs of Motor City manufacturers in the midst of wartime production. The pictures, taken by staff photographer William Vandivert, captured a rare moment in modern American history -- when the nation's vast commercial manufacturing muscle was flexed to produce machinery (planes and bombers) for World War II. Seen here are images from Ford, Chrysler, and Chevrolet plants in Detroit, Michigan. Click on any photo for a larger version. (more…)

Nov82012 by Chris Holmes3 Comments

Time Capsule: Classic Snoring Remedies (Life Magazine, 1949)

Capsules, History

Here are some fun pictures from a Life magazine article called "Snore Stoppers," from their February 28, 1949 issue. As you might have guessed by now, it focused on a variety of gadgets and tools designed to stop snoring, one of mankind's great remaining scourges. All photos by Herbert Gehr. (more…)