Slide of the Week: April 27th, 2006
Crabapple Eyes & Crispy Skin, USA, 1958
I have no idea who these people are. They both wear glasses and have the same pale complexion. She is taller and more dressed up than he. He is casual in his windowpane check shirt loosely tucked into pleated pants She is semi-formal in velvet trimmed black taffeta. Apparently, they are celebrating some momentous occasion that calls for a roast beast buffet.
But the big question is what kind of beast is it? One would assume that it’s a sucking pig fresh out of the imu pit. But it looks more like a Shetland suckling pony to me!
The fact that this beastly buffet is a little blurry doesn’t stop me from sharing with you. I never discriminate against a slide just because it’s a little bit out of focus! Oh no! Our eyes will auto-focus it for us.
It’s certainly clear enough to see that the skin of the mystery mammal has been slathered generously with butter to make it golden brown and delicious to eat. And that those crabapple eyes came out of the same jar as the ones scattered on what looks to be mashed potato mounds piled on little, random bouquets of parsley. Yum-yum! The oranges halved and hollowed appear to be stuffed with yams topped with marshmallows that look melted but somehow not browned.
Everything but the sliced ham (or are those napkins?) is served on tinfoil. And let’s face it, tinfoil ads such a nice sparkly space-age touch to a table. It goes so well with the silverware.
Look closely and you will see that this sensational spread is symmetrical except for the mis-matched Jell-O molds. That’s not a half-eaten ring- mold; it must be the rarely used fish-in-a-crescent-shape mold. But they are the same artificial color. Yum yum!
Here’s to this beastly buffet and your future recreation of it!!!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
April 2006
Sets this Slide belongs to:
Food & Recipes
18 Comments on “Crabapple Eyes & Crispy Skin, USA, 1958”
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April 28th, 2006 at 1:00 am
G’day Charles,Looks like we are keeping up with the mystery meat theme this month.This week we salute Bush Tucker down Under!Throw a Wombat on the barbie sport! No Rules,Just right!
April 28th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Just a couple of observations:
1.What exactly is she hiding behind her back? Perhaps what she used to slaughter the poor piggy?
2. It looks to me like Mr. Pig is crying. His head is sort of tilted to the left (his right), and his crabapple eyes have a pleading glint to them. Perhaps he just doesn’t care for blue taffata? Only Mr. Pig knows.
*sigh* Her date really should be wearing something more festive. Men!
Thanks for the happy Friday morning picture Charles!
April 28th, 2006 at 8:50 am
German Sheppard anyone? WOW. Could you imagine what the guests at table were thinking/saying? “Here Rover, here Rover” “Hey Mable didn’t the Crabapples have a dog?”
April 28th, 2006 at 10:28 am
Hmmm? Maybe it’s an attempt at a Hawaiian Luau? I think it was 1959 when Hawaii became a state…this is 1958…think of the anticipation.
I like how the guy is dressed…see his farmer tan around the neckline? At least he’s wearing pleated slacks and not jeans. I think SHE is a bit OVER-dressed. Looks like a mighty yummy buffet party to me!
April 28th, 2006 at 10:44 am
Oh rats, I don’t think I can eat pork anymore! Poor piggy looks so sad. Dang it, thanks a lot, Charles!
April 28th, 2006 at 10:46 am
My cup overfloweth with the awesomeness of this slide. I think this may be one of my all time favorites. Good. God.
April 28th, 2006 at 10:52 am
It looks almost as if the man is sodomizing the poor little pig (or lucky pig depending on your point of view)
April 28th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Oh. My. God. And they look so proud.
Isn’t this the strange brother and sister from down the block, who later moved away and started passing as husband and wife?
April 28th, 2006 at 11:57 am
Do you think 1958 was the year that Aluminum foil was invented?
April 28th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Aloha Charles!
Although some might be dubious about the wisdom of wearing taffeta to a luau, I applaud Mrs. Fancy Pants and her penchant for sartorial splendor. And though some have mourned the lack of panache exhibited by the Mr. No Jacket For Dinner, Please, I think these two have probably struck a bargain whereby the lady sparkles and the man always dresses down to enhance said sparkling. Ah, sounds like a dream relationship to me!
I have consulted _The Family Book of Home Entertaining_ by Florence Brobeck (1960). According to Flo, this is a “big, basic book … filled with invaluable step-by-step suggestions and ideas for every possible manner of home entertaining.” Who doesn’t need one of these guides? Once you’ve played “Who Hit Me” at the potluck, what could you do next?
Well, Ms. Brobeck suggests a Hawaiian feast! As she says:
“A luau (pronounced loo-ah-oo) is an Hawaiian feast, gay, friendly, beautiful — with special music, dancing, and luxurious flowers.”
Sounds fine (although I’m unsure of that luau pronunciation). Seems like our Party Duo is playing by the party book. But here is where Taffeta At Any Time goes, well, a bit off course.
“Luau tables are either left bare but decorated here and there with blossoms. They may be covered with broad, shiny ti leaves as in Hawaii, or with a straw or split-bamboo mat, or fish nets. Wooden bowls and platters, green leaves, and hollowed, halved coconut shells hold the foods. Flowers from the garden or those ordered from Hawaii decorate many dishes and drinks as well as the table and are worn by all guests in their hair and as leis.
They may be as many as ten main dishes, a great many relishes, and a continuously arriving variety of lime, orange, pineapple, passion fruit and guava drinks, some frappeed. All of these are decorated with blossoms or fruit or both, and served in frosty mugs, bowls, large footed goblets, and hollowed-out pineapples and coconuts. (Hmmm … I see nothing here about jello molds).
Guests are supposed to wear summer sports clothes, the men flowery shirts and shorts, the girls sundresses or shorts and flowery bra-tops. Party of the hospitality is to provide both men and girls with leis, and the girls with grass skirts and flower anklets.”
Flowery bra-tops! Well I never! I had no idea that I would reach a bunch of smutty suggestions at the end of this otherwise suitable passage. Harumph. Flowery bra-tops are never good etiquette if you are leaving the house to attend a party. Wear them at home, ladies.
A good thing that Lady Fully Covered and Full Skirted didn’t read this passage. Can you imagine her in a flowery bra-top and grass skirt hoisting the pig over to the table?
xoxo!
Miss Sharon
April 28th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
This moment in time sums up perfectly just exactly what’s wrong with our eating habits of today. I’m fully convinced if we adopted these “delightful repasts” into our normal mealtime dining, we’d be happier, healthier and I dare say, even more svelte-! Now, chow-down!!
April 28th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
My guess is that the lady is hiding a bottle of beer or perhaps a cigarette behind her back. There are many pictures of my grandmother in a similar pose, and my mom tells me that’s the sort of thing she was hiding back there.
By the way, I love your new webpage, Charles. Your slide show was sorely missed at Viva Las Vegas this year. Maybe you could venture up to Green Bay next May?
Cheers,
Mike V.
April 28th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
where’s the beef???
April 28th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
I think the “sliced ham or napkins” is actually sliced bread. Maybe they were going to carve up Rover, er . . . I mean the pig, and everyone was supposed to make their own ham samich? The amazing thing is, it looks like wheat bread! Can it be??? I think she has his leash behind her back in case he tries to make a run for it. The pig, not her date! Y’all are kinky!!!
April 29th, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Charles,
Where did you find this picture? It appears to be my 8th grade metal shop teacher, Mr.Norris (I’d be sure if I could see his hands clearly) and my sizeable childhood next door neighbor, Wilma Renfro? As for the poor beast in the garishly golden glaze posing so undignified in a bed of “let’s just use whatever we got in the pantry”–well, it’s just a sad, unfortunate way to wind up.
April 29th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
When was tinfoil invented you ask…Reynolds Metals Company introduced its most famous product, Reynolds Wrap Aluminum, Foil in 1947.
And where did you find this slide you ask…It was part of a small collection that came from somewhere back East. But no location was written on on the slides, and none of the others that came with it revealed any location clues. So, I wish I could tell you where it was taken but I can’t!
Thanks for the compliments, comments…and questions!!!
Charles
May 1st, 2006 at 1:21 pm
A fine example of how Americans used to take the time to celebrate! A more laid back, fun time. An era gone by. Let’s revive the old traditions of festive times! Roast a beast with your friends and celebrate life!!!!!
October 29th, 2006 at 2:06 am
Maybe they were a couple that lived near a Navy base and were at a party thrown by their Filipino neighbors. No joke; my parents are from the Philippines, and our parties (in the ’60s) always had the roast pig with apple in its mouth. The only way to tell for sure if this theory is correct is whether or not there was a big plastic punchbowl at the end of the table with Hawaiian Punch and julienned apple pieces and round, thin orange slices (with rind still on) floating around in the bowl. Hmmm…