OK, I always say, “This is one of my all-time favorite vintage slides…but this one REALLY is!”

A 1955 Ford Pick-Up crosses the intersection in front of a colorful corner lot full of chromy, two-toned cars. The art deco style Valley National Bank in the background wears its sky-high sign like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. Bold car lot signage tells us the goods are “USED.” I can just hear those plastic pennants flapping in the breeze. And that land-of-the-giants scale FORD emblem is so effectively rendered it looks 3-D. It for sure would be the crowning touch to this intoxicating city scene but it’s a bit upstaged by a man about to jump out of a 1959 Ford Sunliner convertible on a pole.

At first I thought the man was real. But he can’t be unless he’s seven feet tall. ’59 Fords are quite large! But it also seems highly unlikely that one could buy a mannequin in this pose and bolt him to the car. Maybe he is real and he’s a professional publicity stunt pole sitter. What do you think???

Here’s to Ford’s on poles, pro pole sitters and YOU!

A young man wearing a smart plaid shirt stands before a white washed fence holding a pink duck in a turquoise laundry basket.

Several years ago after one of my slide shows a guy in the audience came up to me and said, “I want to give you my family slides.” I said “Are you sure?” He said, “Yes I’m sure.” So I said ok fine, thank you very much and took them. After I got home and went through them all and found this one. Since pink ducks don’t occur in nature I called the guy up and said, “What’s with the pink duck?” he said “Oh, that was our pet duck. Every year we dyed him pink for Easter. We used food coloring. It was a family tradition. We died him every year…until he died!”

Happy Easter Everybody!

Here’s to the Pink Duck, Easter and YOU!

Today is the first in my new ongoing series celebrating people that I consider to be Americana Royalty.

This week I introduce you to Paul J. Orloff, owner of EXOTICAL in Downey, California. I visited the master merchant of “Matching Hawaiian Clothing for the Whole Family” in his spectacular store where I took this pic of him behind the original turquoise Formica counter. He opened the store in 1964 when he was 34. He is now 79.

When you pull up to the front of EXOTICAL you are greeted by an extended family of colorful Hawaiian-clothing-clad vintage mannequins posed in several classic deep-dish display windows. You know you are in for a timeless treat. When you walk in the door you wonder what decade you are in. Most likely, Paul J. Oroff, will greet you. His grandfatherly charm, rosy cheeks, white beard and sparkly eyes remind me of a summer Santa.

Besides well stocked racks and racks of authentic “Made in Hawaii” apparel the store is filled to the brim with leis, grass skirts, hula dolls, blowfish, seashells, exotic perfumes and island arts and crafts. He even sells coconut bras – in six different cup sizes.

He artfully displays every exotic item in its perfect place. Many things are well marked with stylish signs that he renders in felt-tip marker by hand.

The Astro turf floors, thatched hut roofs and bamboo beams are a lesson to us all in classic Tiki bar décor. And the four dressing rooms, each covered in a different fun fur animal skin, are genius!

Over the course of our conversation he spoke of his upbringing in East Los Angeles where his Russian immigrant father manufactured wicker furniture, mother who died when he was five and hot-tempered stepmother who drove him out of the house at age 10 to live with his grandparents. He married, had two sons and imported bamboo before settling into the Hawaiian apparel business.

In he time and place he has dedicated to his trade he has become a legend. Therefore I am honored to say… MR. PAUL J. ORLOFF, YOU… ARE AMERICANA ROYALTY OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. You inspire my imagination and make my spirit soar!

EXOTICAL is located at 8136 E. Firestone Blvd. in Downey, California. Hours are 10AM to 5PM Monday thru Saturday. 562-869-0575. Make sure to tell him I said Aloha!

Many people smoke in bed but few are photographed doing it. Few smoke with a another in such perfect harmony. The synergy between these two summer pajama-clad women is amazing. And the standing-on-the bed-view of them is inspired to say the least. But the crowning touch is that bellybutton balanced ashtray complete with a butt on the bias sitting in a bed of its own ashes.

This is very favorite smoking slide ever!

Here’s to smoking in bed…in harmony, and YOU!

There are family portraits and then there is this family portrait taken in front of cloud-reflecting plate glass windows of a modern suburban strip mall supermarket somewhere in New York in 1957.

This has to be, in no uncertain terms, an all-time favorite find. It’s not because Howdy Doody and his big brother are dressed alike in tweed suits; not because daddy-o remembered the movie camera but forgot his dress socks; not because little Miss “Bobby Socks” has a bee-themed board game called Buzz; and not because the lady in black sits there like she owns the place.

Its because the star poser, toting a picturesque plastic purse and brown paper bag, stands there in front of those supermarket super graphics with the dignity and poise of a goddess – the super goddess of Americana.

Here’s to Family Value, the goddess of Americana and YOU!

LA’s legendary Clifton’s Cafeteria is a local landmark of the highest order. It’s also my all-time favorite place to have a stuffed moose stare at me as I enjoy a tasty turkey dinner and Jell-O beside a waterfall overlooking the redwood forest mural. After I finish eating I step inside the tiny chapel and push the button to hear the prayer. After that its up to the third floor “VIP Room” to enjoy the Clifton’s memorabilia on display. Among the array of amazing artifacts on display is this poster from about 1960. Don’t you just love how happy daddy-o, mommy-o and junior are? That’s exactly the way I feel when I’m at Clifton’s! And, btw, please enjoy the timeless classic gold metallic and red-flocked wallpaper you can barely see behind the poster!

You can experience Clifton’s and dozens of authentic Los Angeles attractions with me this Sunday, Feb 24 or next, March 2, on my “Disneyland” Tour of Downtown Los Angeles. The MAIN STREET USA, ADVENTURELAND, FRONTIERLAND, FANTASYLAND and TOMORROWLAND of the heart and soul of our city awaits you! There are a few tickets left.

For Tickets and all the info click here.

Here’s to CLIFTON’S, rediscovering Downtown Los Angeles as theme park, and YOU!

Charles presents a retro celebration of Valentines Day with photos from his collection on Martha Stewart’s Valentine’s Day Show.

This Thursday I’ll be showing vintage Valentines Day slides to Martha Stewart on her show. I wonder what Martha will say when I tell her I have no idea who this fresh-faced piano player is so I call her “Little Miss Martha Stewart Wannabe!” And what will Martha say when I ask her to be my Valentine? Check your local listings.

Speaking of Valentines Day, the other day I was thinking about when I was a kid exchanging personalized Valentine’s every year with my elementary school classmates. I remember addressing the little white envelopes with the name of every girl and boy in the class then stuffing it with a colorful little card asking them to be my mine. It didn’t strike me as odd then but it kind of does now. Valentine’s Day is a very adult-themed holiday. It’s all about love and romance. Has the most grown up holiday tradition for kids been passed on to this generation?

Here’s to Valentines Day, Martha and YOU! Happy Valentine’s Day!

A little girl’s yellow turtleneck matches those instantly recognizable Play-Doh containers as perfectly as the turquoise coat draped over the seat back matches the pie tin-plated Play-Doh front and center. I love when vintage slides are unintentionally color coordinated.

Among my favorite childhood playthings Play-Doh stands out as the one I wanted to eat the most. Since it looked good and felt good I thought it must taste good too. After several spit-out samplings, like every other Play-Doh player I’m sure, I declared it unfit for consumption but sure fun to play with!

I had no idea that I was molding, sculpting and taste-testing what was originally made and sold in the early fifties as a wallpaper cleaner by Kutol Cleaning Products of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1955, they gave mounds of their moldable medium to area school kids to play with as a clay alternative. The little kiddies loved it! In 1956 it was renamed Play-Doh (why not Play-Clay?) then made its toy department debut at Woodward & Lothrop, a major retailer in Washington, DC.

Like Coca-Cola the recipe for Play-Doh is top secret. According to the legend it’s a concoction of flour, water, deodorized kerosene, salt, borax, color and perfume. Perfume? I never thought it smelled good did you?

Here’s to Play-Doh and YOU!

A man half-hides behind a redheaded woman posing before a rural, roadside billboard for the Dutch Haven Barn Gift Shop. The colorful, multi-font display promotes Amish stuff, shoo-fly-pie and free intercourse!

Everyone likes a bargain but let’s face it – it’s always better when you can get it for free!

And what exactly is shoo-fly-pie? Anyone have a good recipe for it?

Here’s to all the Amish stuff the Dutch Haven Barn has to offer and you!