For instance, those who control the fashion industry still seem to think that body parts can just go in and out of style as easily as a cardigan or mini skirt, as the Day Book from Chicago seems to tell us.

The day book., October 27, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 13 http://tinyurl.com/7zp5okh

Remember when feet were an unpopular accessory during the Ugg Boot surge? Yeah, I’m hoping to forget that also.

The popularity of a certain style of skirt dictates the popularity of a certain style of shoe or shirt to go with it. According to the Day Book, ankle muffs were really only worn due to the popularity of shorter, wider skirts during the winter season.

The day book., October 08, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 13 http://tinyurl.com/6umjl6c

Fashion can be recyclable. Thrift stores and consignment shops are more popular and trendy today than they’ve ever been. Borrowing clothes and styles from family is also very trendy. Wearing an old sweater that you found in your grandma’s closet is like wearing a badge of honor. The popularity of recycled fashion has apparently been around for quite some time.

The day book., July 14, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 13 http://tinyurl.com/7v84vcn

There are those among us, however, that will always oppose the concept of fashion, or even condemn it.

The day book., December 07, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 13 http://tinyurl.com/842p7nf

But I think it’s safe to say, however, that fashion isn’t going anywhere.

The Wichita daily eagle., December 27, 1903, EDITORIAL SECTION, Image 18 http://tinyurl.com/7oz8m9w

And in another New Year’s comic, a man resolves to stop swearing, but from the time he wakes up until he arrives at work he is put in many situations that would provoke him to swear.

The times dispatch., December 27, 1903, MAGAZINE SECTION, Image 21 http://tinyurl.com/7o5b3rb

Many people, like the characters in these comics, fail to keep their resolutions for very long, so it’s always encouraging to see when people actually succeed at their intentions, as unusual as their resolutions might be.  This gentleman resolved to not cut his hair until a democratic president was elected and has the mane to prove his dedication.

The day book., February 03, 1913, Image 22 http://tinyurl.com/86elkb8

Or this Eugenic couple, who vowed to be physically and mentally fit in order to improve the genetic make-up of the human population.

The day book., March 03, 1914, NOON EDITION, Image 11 http://tinyurl.com/6ocl8sl

There is always the hope that the New Year will bring joy and promise to all, no matter what their resolutions may be. From all of us at the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program, Happy New Year!

The Jasper news., December 27, 1917, Image 6 http://tinyurl.com/6omadcy

You may not have noticed, but so many Christmas stories and movies employ the familiar theme of burglars robbing people during the holidays: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bad Santa, Home Alone and all of its sequels. Our society seems to have a fascination with people who are perpetually on Santa’s “naughty list.” Take for instance this article from the Evening public ledger in Philadelphia, PA.

Evening public ledger December 24, 1921, Night Extra, Page 3, Image 3 http://tinyurl.com/73y2clq

And this news clipping from the Scott County kicker in Benton, Mo. is another example of the bad guys making the top stories over the winter season.

Scott County kicker., January 10, 1914, Image 3 http://tinyurl.com/7aavk6k

Christmas robberies make for great stories. There’s a sense of holiday spirit, adventure, and the good guy always getting the last laugh. Take for instance this story from The Sunday Oregonian about a young woman who saves Christmas day from a robber set out to ruin it all. Betty, a young and brave girl headed to see her mother, encounters a robbery in progress while she’s traveling. Thanks to her quick wit, she’s able to trick the robber into leaving his captives, allowing her to take them all to safety.

The Sunday Oregonian December 18, 1904, Image 44 http://tinyurl.com/8xnksfa

So this holiday season, avoid becoming part of a headline, and have a safe and merry season. From all of us here at Chronicling America, lock your doors!

The Christmas card has been a traditional holiday exchange for many years, but the origins of this beloved practice remain somewhat shrouded in mystery.  According to an article from The Bourbon news, the first Christmas card can be attributed to three different men.

The Bourbon news, December 06, 1921, Image 11 http://tinyurl.com/74fjmu7

But in a separate article from the Warren Sheaf,  (from Warren, Marshall County, Minn.), only one man is credited with this holiday invention.

Warren sheaf, December 17, 1919, Christmas Edition, Second Section, Image 12 http://tinyurl.com/7d57tfs

And even still, The Rice Belt Journal does not credit the cards to any one man, but instead states, “About a hundred years ago the first Christmas cards were used. These were printed in London and consisted of a visiting card with the words “A Merry Christmas,” printed on it.”

So who had it right? Well it seems all three publications got it partially right. According to György Buday’s book, The history of the Christmas card, the first Christmas card was designed by John Callcott Horsley, (JC Horsley), in 1843 at the request of Sir Henry Cole. In London, two batches of cards were made available, totally 2,050 cards sold for a shilling each.

The first Christmas card showed a family enjoying a holiday dinner, with a greeting for the receiver to have a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” Image is in the public domain.

In 1875 Louis Prang became the first printer to offer cards in America. Here’s an ad for Christmas card booklets from The Evening Herald in Klamath Falls, OR.

The Evening herald, Klamath Falss, Oregon. December 1, 1919: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063812/1919-12-01/ed-1/seq-8/

So when you’re out shopping for the perfect gifts, remember that Christmas cards are a great way to show someone that you’re thinking of them this holiday season.

Season’s Greetings from all of us at the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program!

Our website will be down on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 for some routine maintenance, but will be up and running again on Thursday!  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Best wishes,

Oregon Digital Newspaper Staff

Not having to kill and clean our own turkeys for the Thanksgiving feast.  The turkey may be the king of Thanksgiving, but uneasy lies the head that wears that crown.  Finding a bird in a hermetically sealed bag that does not share a likeness to an actual living creature can be a great relief for those preparing their Thanksgiving feats.  The comparison of the bird to the children adds a nice Hansel and Gretel twist to this Thanksgiving photo from the Omaha Daily Bee.

Omaha daily bee., November 26, 1899, Image 27

When there are too many cooks in the kitchen or when you have some time to relax, it’s nice to have a little entertainment whether it be the Thanksgiving parade or a good football game.  Not everybody agrees that football is a fitting Thanksgiving activity.

“When our Puritan fathers thought it wise and well to give thanks to God for the benefits showered upon them little did they think that in after years this, their day of greatest worship to the Creator of every good and perfect thing, would be turned into a day for the purpose of distributing football trophies among the youths whose muscle was their religion and whose halfback was their God.” San Francisco Call November 28, 1895.

We might not enjoy the hours of traffic and flight delays required to get to and from our Thanksgiving destinations, but we can be assured that as we sit in traffic, snug in our cars listening to music and reading books, that we are traveling in ease and comfort compared to holiday travelers 100 years ago.

New-York tribune., November 25, 1906, Image 17

Whether you serve a turkey you harvested yourself from the nearby foothills or a soy-based turkey substitute, the fundamentals of Thanksgiving remain the same.  We are given one day to gather together with the people we care about and take a moment to appreciate everything that life has to offer.  That is something to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

New-York tribune., November 25, 1906, Image 17

Mummies were not always the second-class monsters that we think of today.  During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century mummies were the monsters that captivated the minds of authors, artists, musicians, scholars, fashion designers, and homemakers. The interest in Egypt can be seen in every aspect of American culture: the Washington Monument in DC, Louisa May Alcott’s Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy’s Curse, or  in the daily news.  Hundreds of articles can be found in Chronicling America and Historic Oregon Newspapers that provides a little more insight into this misunderstood monster.  In the April 22, 1906 Sunday Oregonian, George Ade described his travels in Egypt, where he encountered a young American student of Egyptology who had some experience with mummy trafficking.

Sunday Oregonian April 22, 1906 http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1906-04-22/ed-1/seq-41/

According to Ade’s acquaintance, mummy prices varied greatly depending on the state of preservation, the status of the individual who was mummified, and the quality of decoration on the casket.  A Ramesses or Ptolemy would be sold for upwards of $1,000, while the mummies of more modest grandeur would be sold for $60-$125.  Ade’s friend offered to sell him a mummy who was “probably a tourist,” for the bargain price of $7.50.

If you wanted to see a mummy, but lacked the  funds to travel all the way to Egypt, you could visit the Lewis and Clark 1905 Exposition in Portland, Oregon.  There were several mummies on display at the World’s Fair, but it was the “Rockafeller mummy” that seemed to attract the crowds for its uncanny resemblance to the famous oil magnate, John D. Rockafeller.

Hopkinsville Kentuckian October 12, 1905 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86069395/1905-10-12/ed-1/seq-7/

If the thought of having a real mummy in your living room was a bit too gruesome, there were other ways to bring the fashionable mummy craze into your home.  Several newspapers, including the Saint Paul Globe, ran articles on the scarcity of mummies and the effect on the art world.

St. Paul Globe January 24, 1904 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059523/1904-01-24/ed-1/seq-28/

Mummies were popping up everywhere and rather than making people jump and exclaim “Jinkies!” they were regarded as a sign of sophistication.  Literature and operas written in Europe and the United States increased the popularity and fascination of the mummy.  Richard Carle and Robert Hood Bower’s 1904 Broadway musical, The Maid and the Mummy, was equally as praised for the music and the acting as it was the costumes.  The mummy was so successful at capturing the imaginations of the general public that its influences could be found in popular fashion.  The November 22, 1908 Washington Times ran this full-page article, which advises ladies not to “tilt a disdainful nose and look offended” if she is referred to as a mummy, but rather “smile with a conscious superiority and accept it as a compliment.”

Washington Times November 22, 1908 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1908-11-22/ed-1/seq-43/

The demand for mummies was so high that it was difficult for suppliers to fill their orders with the genuine item.  Several articles, like this one from the September 30, 1906 Los Angeles Herald Sunday Supplement, warns of the fraudulent mummies being manufactured and sold to Americans seeking genuine Egyptian antiquities.

Los Angeles Herald September 30, 1906 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1908-11-22/ed-1/seq-43/

Like all celebrities, the mummy fell from stardom and has faded into the collection of monsters roaming the streets on Halloween night in search of treats.  Perhaps it is time for a revival of interest?  Find more exciting Halloween stories in the news at Chronicling America!

The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) January 15, 1921

The origins of certain food items usually make for good conversation. Potato chips were invented in 1853 when a customer complained that his french fries were too thick.  Ketchup is a derivative of a Chinese fish sauce.  Sliced bread became commercially packaged around 1928.

Peanut butter is one of those foods that seems like it has always been around and well-loved by Americans.  Surprisingly enough, not only did peanut butter not become popular until the late 1800s, but even when it did make a widespread appearance, people didn’t necessarily go nutty over the condiment.  It was a tough market to crack and things didn’t always go smoothly for peanut butter marketers.  It took a few years for consumers to come out of their shells and incorporate peanut butter into their daily grind. … Okay, the puns will be finished… in a Jiffy.

Chronicling America affords us with incredible resources to investigate the first commercial appearances of peanut butter.  We can search freely through historic digitized newspapers from across the country to find the very first mentions of this new product.  Of course, advertisements for peanut butter are fascinating in their own respect.  They reflect the economics of the time, the relative value of peanuts and peanut butter depending on national demand and interest.

Corpus Christi caller and daily herald. (Corpus Christi, Tex.) May 15, 1915

Interestingly enough, early peanut butters were used as a protein supplement for vegetarians.  Take, for instance, this early mention from 1898, predicting the rise of peanut butter sales:

The Banner-Democrat. (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) April 02, 1898

Or this blurb describing peanut butter as a “butter substitute”:

The evening bulletin. (Maysville, Ky.) December 15, 1897

"Peanut butter is a new article that is expected to crowd the genuine stable. Freedom from dangers which beset animal fat and its wholesomeness are the main points of its excellence." Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) October 24, 1897

The general public was skeptic of this new spread at times, as seen in this (somewhat unappetizing) description:

The Wichita daily eagle. (Wichita, Kan.) December 11, 1898

A bit of controversy was sparked when peanut butter hit the market.  This stemmed from the assumption that peanut butter was meant to replace regular dairy butter in all uses and applications. In theory, this could cripple the dairy market.

Lexington gazette. (Lexington, Va.) April 19, 1899

It could be that people were confused by the label “butter” and associated peanut butter with dairy.  For example,

Semi-weekly interior journal. (Stanford, Ky.) May 27, 1898

Eventually, peanut butter gained popularity and became a staple for nearly every kitchen.

The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) August 19, 1899

And of course, mentions of this new food made their way to Oregon, with one of the first appearing in 1899:

The new age. (Portland, Or.) December 23, 1899

These are just a few examples of articles addressing the creation of peanut butter.  Hundreds of pages exist in Historic American Newspapers for you to search and browse, either on this topic or any other subject that interests you.  I suggest investigating the rise of the peanut and its multitude of new uses at the turn of the century.  You’ll be surprise at what you find. Peanut bread, anyone?  –Sarah E. North  (I’d also like to thank the UO Map/GIS Librarian, Kathy Stroud for the lunchtime conversation that inspired this post.)

The Sunday Oregonian, August 27, 1905

World’s Fairs are an unforgettable event in a city’s history, bringing scores of tourists, revenue and prestige for years after the fair.  If you’ve ever seen Meet Me in St. Louis, you’ve experienced Hollywood’s take on the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904.  If you’ve ever wondered what the reality of a fair might look like, you can search many historic U.S. newspapers of the era at http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ for first and second-hand accounts of U.S. World’s Fairs.

In 1905, Portland, Oregon joined the illustrious list of cities that have sponsored a “World’s Fair” event.  Although it was commonly referred to as a World’s Fair, it was not in fact recognized as one by the Bureau of International Expositions.  Instead, it was an exposition dedicated to the centennial year of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. For four and a half months, Portland was host to 1.5 million visitors at the fairgrounds constructed for that purpose along the Willamette River.  You can read about the goals and plans for the fair in this article from the New Year’s Day edition of The Morning Oregonian, “The Great Lewis and Clark Exposition: 1805-1905.”

If you’re curious to know more about Portland’s “World Fair,” you can find a wealth of information in the pages of historic Oregon newspapers at the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program‘s website.  Nearly every aspect of the Exposition was covered by newspapers of the time, including economic, cultural and political perspectives.  I’ve listed a few interesting articles to pique your interest, but the amount of information on this incredible event is astounding, so get in there and do some searching! (For a brief overview of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, you can also visit the Oregon Encyclopedia’s entry on the fair.)

• “An Army of Men,” Morning Oregonian, November 18, 1904.
• “Congress Asked to Give $2,125,000 for Lewis and Clark Fair,” Morning Oregonian, October 06, 1903.
• “The Park Possibilities of the Lewis and Clark Exposition Site,” The Sunday Oregonian, October 30, 1904.
• “Concessionaires Lose Heavily,” Morning Oregonian, October 16, 1905.
• “The Lewis and Clark Centennial,” The Sunday Oregonian, May 24, 1903.

You can also find more images of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in the shared OSU/UO Digital Collections website, like this photo of the States Building, or this colorful postcard of the Agricultural Building.

The Sunday Oregonian, April 29, 1900

These days, posting a personal ad or joining an online dating site is common and (generally speaking), a culturally accepted way to find a potential relationship.  Online dating sites like Match.com like to boast that one-in-five new relationships begins from an online encounter (Match.com’s blog entry on their survey).  Whether you believe the accuracy of this statistic or not, online dating, personal ads and the resulting relationships are normal enough that chances are you know or have encountered someone who has tried one of these non-traditional versions of matchmaking.

Finding alternate ways to meet mates certainly isn’t a new idea.  Personal ads have been around for over 300 years in different forms and variations.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, “matrimonial agencies” were often called upon to deftly and confidentially assist bachelors and old maids over the age of 21 to help with the shameful problem of singledom.  These agencies collected correspondence from hopeful ladies and gents and relayed them to prospective matches, preferably resulting in a marriage.  By the late 1800s, even the Salvation Army was getting into the matchmaking business, with hopes to “materially lessen the number of unsuitable unions.” The Evening Capital Journal from Salem describes this business venture as it unfolded in London: “A Matrimonial Agency” from April 11, 1892.

Matrimonial agencies often had their own circulating publications, but they also frequently created newspaper ads in local newspapers on behalf of their clients, taking advantage of the near-ubiquitous newspaper readership of that time.  Although it was certainly useful to ask a matrimonial agency for help, it was also quite embarrassing and not something a respectable couple would outline in their marriage announcement.  It was quite surprising then, for people to publicly mention their involvement with a matrimonial agency, like this couple in the April 26, 1903 edition of The Sunday Oregonian.

These advertisements didn’t always lead to happy endings, unfortunately.  Newspapers of the time are riddled with unsatisfied customers and jilted respondents.  Take for instance, this woman:

The Coos Bay Times, March 16, 1912, Evening Edition

Her hopes of snagging a wealthy husband (or at least one who can pay the bills) seem to have backfired after the nuptials were read.

Much like today, there were no guarantees that an advertisement would lead to a successful union or, if one of the correspondents was particularly cunning, even lead to a successful meeting.  The Morning Oregonian from November 24, 1903 tells the sad story of a tailor, waiting fruitlessly for his paramour to appear.

Of course there have always been those particular youth who are bolder and more independent than their peers.  These brave souls took it upon themselves to post their own personal ads without the help of matrimonial agencies.  These advertisements were often mailed to the postmaster general and forwarded to local newspapers.  This meant that postings could originate from across the country with the hopes of snagging more exotic partners.

Evening Capitol Journal (Salem, Ore.), March 11, 1889

Creating your own personal ad also meant the ability to skew the facts and/or perhaps be a bit more demanding in your requirements for a mate.  For example, this California woman in 1909 cares naught for appearance, but requires any interested suitor to be worth at least a quarter of a million dollars (the modern equivalent of about $6 million).

Daily Capitol Journal (Salem, Ore.) May 25, 1909

One particular phenomena that benefited from the advent of newspaper advertisements was the tradition of Leap Year Proposals.  Historically, February 29th, the extra day in the Gregorian calendar every four years, has informally given special privileges to marriage-minded women.  According to English Law, the day was “leaped over” and carried no legal status with it.¹  It was generally assumed that traditions also held no merit on the day.  This was exciting news for daring women who had the opportunity to reverse the tables and propose marriage on that leap year day. (See Snope.com’s description of the tradition).

The leap day was taken advantage of in different ways, some of them controversial and some vexing to the men who were quite content to remain single.  Some men quite happily supplied their names and contact information for women hoping to propose:

The Coos Bay Times, April 06, 1908

You can see here in this April 06, 1908 issue of The Coos Bay Times that some newspapers published lists of all the eligible bachelors in the surrounding towns in order to give the all single ladies a chance to hunt them down and offer up a proposal of marriage.  Some men didn’t necessarily appreciate being exposed as single men, however: “Times Recieves Protests From Bachelor Brigade”.

Needless to say, any advertisements at all with the subject of marriage often scandalized the older members of the community of newspaper readers.  You can read an editorial denouncing the whole practice of personal advertisements here: “Advertising for Husbands”.

Personal ads have been bringing couples together for over 300 years and been taboo for nearly the same length of time.  Luckily for today’s singles, online formats have made dating advertisements and profiles a more accepted way to meet people.  If you’re looking to post a personal ad and in need of some inspiration, I’ve listed a few of my favorite advertisements here for your viewing pleasure.  You can find your own favorites, be they sweet or scandalous, at http://libweb.uoregon.edu/diglib/odnp/.

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¹For a bit of reading on the topic, see: Pollard, A.F. “New Year’s Day and Leap Year in English History.” The English Historical Review. Vol. 55, No. 218. April, 1940. pp. 177-193

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