The Kitchen, Florida?, 1960
The somewhat larger-than-life cutout oranges say “Florida.” He looks happier than she does and holds what might just very well be an empty glass milk cold cream jar. I wonder if she knitted his sensible sweater vest? Whoever knitted it made it too short, but it’s the thought that counts.
Whoever did the interior designer work here is clearly gifted. Various utensils hang harmoniously up and down like musical notes of a song. White wooden cabinet doors double as a craft gallery. Among the centered fish decals are four crocheted pieces including a blonde doll being hung, a useful and decorative rose and, my fave, a grape hot pad made by crocheting over bottle caps.
Corporate Americana would be proud of the product placement here. On a make-shift, hang-on shelf, a box of Brillo pads is haphazardly placed on top of the upside-down glasses, including a purple anodized aluminum tumbler missing from its multicolored mates. That optimistic Brillo font is instantly recognizable. Just below “Mr. Short-Vest’s” left arm is the neck and cap of a Heinz Ketchup bottle. Heinz first served its salted, sweetened and color enhanced tomato-based goop in 1876. Sitting ready to be used on the counter top is Americana’s favorite deep-frying agent, Crisco. The fine folks at Proctor and Gamble proudly introduced those handle-less paint cans of grease in 1911.
I’m sure we all have the urge to deep fry more often than we do. But our fear is what that grease will do to the walls surrounding our cook top. This slide is indeed a fine example of what happens when you fry too much. The evidence goes way beyond the Crisco spatter and fume-saturated wax paper tacked to the walls. The walls themselves seem to have been deep-fried.
Here’s to Florida, the too-short vest, Brillo, Heinz and everything ever deep-fried in Crisco,
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
August 20, 2010
I would like to make a comment about that there Crisco. A few weeks ago, I got the hankering for some stove-top cooked popcorn, and my favorite grease for cooking popcorn is Crisco. Back in the 90s when I would buy Crisco, it was about $2.50 to $3.00 for a 3-pound jar. You could buy the store-brand generic for about $2.00. When I went to Safeway to buy it recently, it was ON SALE for $7.00! The regular price was $8.00 !!!! and there was no store-brand generic anymore !!! What has probably happened is that people just don’t use it that much anymore, so the sales volume is keeping the price up.
I’ve gotta agree with MadamNancy – where DID those dresses go? They were worn with sensible black lace-up heeled oxfords, aka “Nun Shoes.” My grandma always wore dresses like that. I might try wearing them myself if I could find some. Well, no, probably not, but they do have a certain appeal to them.
Charles, how the heck are you? I miss you face!
I remember the pink grapes with the grape leaf on top. Each grape was crocheted around a bottle cap, and we all had them hanging in the kitchen! Mrs house dress is starring the cameraman down, all most in a dare, do not take my picture, while Mr. short vest looks in a totally different direction, seemingly, he likes who he is looking at.
That’s gotta be flypaper.
I’d like to know what’s hanging from the ceiling between them? Seems too skinny to be a lamp. Is it fly-paper? a propeller blade? or a deflated balloon? There is so much going on in this picture, and it really is fun to examine it for all the odd details.
I think this husband and wife team are in a mobile home or a very inexpensively built home because of the trim on the walls. Also, the paper is covering up a window or windows. I don’t think it’s Florida because of the way they are dressed. They must of gone there on vacation…
Oh Charles! I do so want a dress like the one Mrs. Short Vest is sporting! There is something about the way it hangs on her matronly figure that convinces me my over 50 body would look just as sexy as hers if I had one of my own! What I want to know is why did they stop making dresses like that? Not all of us “Boomers” had time for the gym and now our figures would benefit from some senisble outfits like Mrs. Short Vest. Let’s hear it for bodies build by Crisco!
wife (wive rhymes with knife – how appropriate!)
Skinny husband – fat wive syndrome….she probably knitted that vest to get back at him for all those blissful wedded years…..The only thing worse than Crisco is butter flavored Crisco!
This has to be one of the funniest photos you have published. Wow, my mom’s kitchen never looked like that! Her decor was much nicer–beige walls and turquoise curtains with brown ric-rack trim to match the dinette set, which had coordinating turquoise vinyl chairs. We also had an orange (really bright) vinyl sofa (it made into a bed) in the adjoining family room. Everything was washable and so very 1950s!! Mom had the dinette set until she died in 1996! Ah, Formica . . .
Charles, you’re the best!!! “Utensils hang harmoniously up and down like musical notes of a song”. Your wit and humor never ceases to amaze as well as entertain me!!!
Grandma doesn’t look too happy here; someone must have sampled her cooking “talents”. My folks had the same problem with the kitchen- it was as if they didn’t make the kitchens large enough so they had to get “creative” for storage (can’t get rid of the valuable free gas station drinking glasses, you know).
Note the cutting board under the counter top that is a bit too small . Love this stuff!
That sweater vest just might be a bib.