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The Spring Edition of My Favorite Vintage Online Reads & Videos

It’s been awhile since I have done a roundup of some of my favourite online vintage reads and videos. So here we go….

Questions about the Vintage communit by Flashback Summer

Vintage Wearers Speak‘. This blog series by Flashback Summer is a Q & A with the vintage world, that myself and other vintage clothing fans recently participated in. It was a fantastic idea and I really enjoyed everyone’s diverse and interesting answers. Check them out below.

Vintage Wearers Speak:

If you could give one piece of wisdom or advice to vintage brands as an influencer and/or consumer, what would it be?

When do you NOT wear vintage styles?

Have you developed any new skills as a result of your interest in vintage style?

What is one area of vintage style that you struggle with?

What non-Western fashion aesthetics are you particularly attracted to or draw inspiration from?

What is one of your favorite interactions you’ve ever had with another vintage wearer on social media or a blog post?

When you first started wearing vintage, what was one thing that encouraged you to continue?

What vintage reproduction piece (or supply to reproduce your own vintage) has become a treasure to you?

Myth Buster! ‘Flappers Didn’t Really Wear Fringed Dresses‘. Article by Zoe Berry for Racked all about how the iconic flapper costume wouldn’t fit in at one of Jay Gatsby’s parties.

1920s photo of flappers and musicians having a party

Mary Travers, a.k.a. La Bolduc (seen above). La Bolduc was Canada’s first “chansonnière,” singing about the daily problems and difficulties of ordinary life. Her songs would cheer on les Québécois during the Great Depression. Take a look at her Heritage Minute below, focusing on the payment for her first recording session in 1930 (Video Clip).

Mary Bolduc, Canadian 1930s Famous Female Singer.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

The Google Doodle on June 4th was all about Canadian Tom Longboat on what would have been his 131st Birthday. Tom was an Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario and was one of the world’s great long-distance runners.

It celebrates the Canadian long-distance runner Tom Longboat on what would have been his 131st birthday.

He ran his first official race in Caledonia in 1905 and two years later shot to international attention with a record-breaking win in the Boston Marathon. He represented Canada in the 1908 Olympics. Hailed as professional world champion the following year, Longboat went on to set world records for 24- and 32-km races. During the First World War, he served as a dispatch runner with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (1916-19). Tom Longboat is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (Source).

Seventy-Five Years Ago, Women’s Baseball Players Took the Field.  Article by the Smithsonian

For further images, please check out my ‘All American Girls Baseball League‘ blog post.

History of Women's Baseball in United States during the 1940s-League of their Own
Source: Smithsonian

Canadian Born, Rose Marie Reid’s Vision For Beachwear Helped Shape The Modern Swimsuit. Article by the Smithsonian.

About: In the dead of winter, 1950, a Los Angeles fashion designer named Rose Marie Reid–already known for designing the beachwear of stars such as Marilyn Monroe–patented a one-piece bathing suit made using elastic fabric that could just be pulled on. Reid, who already held a number of bathing suit-related patents, had just created the earliest version of the modern one-piece suit (Source).

1950s Starlight Swimsuit. Rose Marie Reid
Source: Wikipedia

Further Reading: 1940s & 1950s Canadian Swimsuit Designer-Rose Marie Reid (Vintage Inn Blog Post)

Rose Marie Reid 1950s Swimsuit designer

The Swing Reival in the 90’s is a big part of why I am a lindy hopper and vintage fan today. So the music from that time will always hold a place in my heart. Billboard magazine wrote this long but very interesting article entitled “In Defense of the Swing Revival: Why America Flipped for ’40s Sounds in 1998“. Check it out to see why they had to defend it.

(Video Clip)

This last article/video brings us to the end of this edition of the vintage roundup. I hope you enjoyed what I had to share and thanks for stopping by!

Question time: What article or video did you enjoy above? Did you read or see anything that is in the vintage world that you found interesting? Share in the comments below! You know I love to hear from you.

Liz

The Vintage Advertising of a Canadian Beer Brand-Labatt’s

Labatt Brewing Company Limited was founded by John Kinder Labatt in 1847 in London, Ontario (my mothers home town). Today it’s no longer a Canadian owned company but still very much part of Canadian life.

For this weeks post I wanted to show off some of the vintage advertising from it’s beginning days to the 1960’s when Labatt’s was still a Canadian brand. So please join me on this adventure down beer advertising lane.

Labatts London Ale Vintage Beer Advertising
Source: Wikipedia

The Vintage Advertising of a Canadian Beer Brand-Labatt’s

Cool Vintage Labatt Beer History (Source):

In 1847 the company produced 1,000 bottles of beer in its first year. Today, Labatt is a proud member of the global Anheuser-Busch InBev family and brews a total of about 10 million hectolitres annually – the equivalent of more than 350 million bottles of beer to customers across Canada.

1919 Labatt Beer vintage advertising
1919 Ad. Source: Tavern Trove

In 1876, Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald proposed a “national policy” to protect domestic manufacturers from foreign competition. It was the same year that Labatt took on the competition at the World’s Fair in Philadelphia and proved that not all Canadian manufacturers needed protection: The fair attracted brewers from all over the world – but when the judging was done, Labatt had bested them all, when its India Pale Ale won the gold.

Vintage John Labatt Ale & Stout advertisement from the 1970's.
Source: Strategy

1932 Labatt received a powerful and instantly recognizable identity when its bright, bold red, aerodynamicly designed streamliner trucks first appeared.

1930s Vintage Truck: Labatt's Brewing Company 1939 tractor trailer beer delivery truck
Source: Pinterest
Labatt's delivery truck vintage truck as seen at Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC.

When the Second World War broke out, Labatt stepped in and supplied “cold comfort” to soldiers fighting in Europe, North Africa and East Asia. They did the same during the Korean War, when Labatt sent its Anniversary Ale – which was subsequently renamed “50” (to celebrate it’s 50’s anniversary under the leadership of the grandson’s John S. and Hugh Labatt) – to the Canadian troops who were fighting for the United Nations.

1950s Vintage Ad for Labatt's 50 Pale Ale Beer featuring an illustration of men and women sailing.
Source: Brookston Beer Bulletin

1946- In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Labatt develops a program to train amputee veterans to be drivers; the instructor is Fred Hamilton, a World War I amputee.

1940s vintage photo: Labatt's brewing amputation driver training program 1946
Source: UWO.ca

Now it’s time for more vintage beer advertising!

1950s /1960s vintage ad for Labatts 50 Ale Beer featuring an illustration of people
Source: Pinterest

1934 Print Ad. “Labatt’s India Pale Ale – When you serve Ale to people who know see that it’s brewed in the old country tradtion:.

Labatt's 1934 vintage beer ad
Source: UWO.ca

Bottom’s Up! “Easy-Going ’50’ Ale”

Labatts 50 Ale Beer vintage alcohol advertising
Source: Retro Metal Signs

1954-“For an UnBEARable thirst, there is only one cure…Labatt’s Pilsener.”

1950s Vintage Ad: Labatt's Pilsener Beer John Labatt Ltd. London Ontario Canada

1954. “It’s lighter than Ale, it’s drier than lager”.

1950s vintage ad for Labatt's Pilsener Beer (1954)
Source: Tavern Trove

1955. “Mmmm! So Light!”

1950s Vintage Ad for Labatt Pilsener Beer from 1955.
Source: Tavern Trove

1958 “Friendly” Beer & Backyard Party.

1950s vintage ad for a 1958 Labatt's Beer advertisement featuring beer for your backyard BBQ.
Source: Brookston Beer Bulletin

Meet Me at the Fair! Expo 67 in Montreal Canada.

1960s vintage ad for Labatt Beer at expo 67
Source: Expolounge

This last image is not an ad, but it was just so cool I had to share.

In the early 1940s, Labatt employees put together an official company songbook, which included the anthem “Glorious Beer” (Source). The below image is from 1942.

If any of my readers have heard this song, please share in the comments below I’m very curious to know what the words were. Thanks!

Labatt Beer Songbook Vintage Advertising 1940s
Source: UWO.ca

And that my friends is just a “taste” of Labatt’s Brewery so I hope you had fun learning a bit about this beer. If you are interested in learning more, please visit UWO’s full timeline website on this brand. It’s quite well done and very interesting. You can see it HERE.

Question time: What was favourite Ad (or image)? Have you heard of Labatt’s beer? Fan? Not a Fan? Share in the comments below!

Further Reading:

Liz