Is Marriage a Failure? Not If You Use Sapolio!

Vintage advertising cards for Sapolio soap from the 19th century.

I asked a maid if she would wed, and in my home her brightness shed she bent her head and murmured low “if I can have Sapolio”.

A man with his money may have ease through life but without Sapolio there’s no ease for his life.

Enoch Morgan’s Sons Co. Sapolio soap products were, in their heyday, one of the most widely advertised products in the world. Founded in New York in 1869, Sapolio soon grew to be a household name through clever ad placement and imaginative, widely recognizable design tactics.

Sapolio noted for its advertising, led by Artemas Ward from 1883–1908. Bret Harte wrote jingles for the brand, and the sales force also included King Camp Gillette. Time magazine described Sapolio as “probably the world’s best-advertised product” in its heyday.

After decades of maintaining some of the best known advertising in the U.S., Sapolio’s owners decided that their position was sufficiently insurmountable as to let them discontinue most advertising. Despite the brand’s overwhelming market position, it was overtaken by competitors within a few years and disappeared from the market before World War II.

(Images via Boston Public Library)

30 Fabulous Photos Show the ’30s Bridesmaid Styles

Most 1930s fashion was taking inspiration from the silver screen. The 1930s dresses are all about glamor. And wedding gowns were no different.

During this time, after the stock market crashed in 1929, people were looking to movies and film stars for escapism. Sirens of the silver screen like Jean Harlow and Bette Davis provided perfect inspiration.

A set of fabulous photos that show what bridesmaid styles looked like in the 1930s.

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An English Wedding in the 1980s Through Beautiful Photos

The 1980s were a dramatic time marked by excess, self-expression, and rapid advancement. All aspects of the ‘80s wedding day were bigger: the dresses, the cakes, the guest lists. The goal was to get as near to Princess Diana’s bridal ensemble as possible on a regular budget.

Dresses were meant to take up space, with dramatic elements and as many frills as possible. Gowns with high lace necklines, larger and puffier gathered sleeves, and lacey details were all the rage.

Along with the grander dresses of the time, equally substantial beauty routines and accessories became popular too. Brides wanted cathedral-length veils and cascading bouquets of baby’s breath and gardenias.

These beautiful photos documented the wedding of Paul Clarke and his wife Sarah on 1st Oct., 1983 at Holy Innocents Church at Great Barton, Suffolk, England.

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A Wedding in the Early 1960s Through Fascinating Photos

The 1960s were home to a variety of looks, as the early ’60s were more similar to the ’50s, the mid-60s were characterized by mod fashion from London, and the decade closed out as the hippie movement began to make waves.

With all of the different subcultures taking root during this time, it is only natural that we began seeing a wide array of wedding gowns among brides, along with other unique trends.

Three-quarter-length sleeves were common, while cap sleeves were baby steps towards an eventual embrace of sleeveless gowns – still seen as too casual for bridal wear in the 1960s. The rise of miniskirts and mod style meant that short shift dresses were the way to go for an on-trend bride.

Pillbox hats inspired by fashion icon and former First Lady Jackie Kennedy came with attached birdcage veils for a sophisticated and chic way to complete a wedding ensemble.

These fascinating photos from Dave Hudson show what a wedding looked like in 1962.

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When Boredom and Emotional Fatigue Bring on “Housewife Headache”

Why is Anacin the most purchased aspirin by men?

“Making beds, getting meals, acting as family chauffeur — having to do the same dull, tiresome work day after day — is a mild form of torture. These boring yet necessary tasks can bring on nervous tension, fatigue and what is now known as ‘housewife headache.’

For this kind of headache you need strong yet safe relief. So take Anacin®. Anacin is a special fortified formula. It gives you twice as much of the strong pain-reliever doctors recommend most — as the other leading extra strength tablet.

Minutes after taking Anacin your headache goes, so do its nervous tension and fatigue. Despite its strength Anacin is safe, taken as directed. It doesn’t leave you depressed or groggy. See if you don’t feel better all over with a brighter outlook after taking 2 Anacin Tablets.”

This is the first in a brief series of LIFE ads touting Anacin as the cure for “Housewife Headache,” and one of two that characterize housework as “a mild form of torture” — from which there’s no respite, only a tablet that offers temporary relief from pain. Note the tactful reassurance about Anacin: “It doesn’t leave you depressed or groggy.” In other words, it’s not a tranquilizer. The active ingredients if you’re wondering: aspirin and caffeine.

Anacin is the trade name of several analgesics manufactured by Insight Pharmaceuticals. It was invented by William Milton Knight and was first to be used circa 1916 as stated in the patent. Anacin is one of the oldest brands of pain relievers in the United States, first being sold in the 1930s.

Anacin is one of the earliest and best examples of a concerted television marketing campaign, created for them in the late 1950s by Rosser Reeves of the Ted Bates ad agency. Many people remember the commercials advertising “tension producing” situations, and the “hammers in the head” advertisement with the slogan “Tension. Pressure. Pain.”

The medication was mentioned in the book “The Shining” by Stephen king. Anacin had a large advertisement behind the center field fence of Yankee Stadium from the 1950s through 1973, until the stadium’s 1974-75 renovation.

Free Booklet From the 1950s Shows You How to Train Your Wife in 5 Easy Lessons

Where do we even start with this one? This ad offers a free booklet for men to train their wives just like they would teach a loyal and obedient dog to greet them when they get home, fetch their slippers, and stay quiet beside them or at their feet.

Among the promised results of these lessons are the woman’s ability to attentively respond to verbal cues like the snapping of fingers. This particular gesture is extremely offensive because it tells the man he can treat his wife like he would any attendant at a disreputable dive bar. The wife is likewise expected to massage her husband’s feet, bring him ice-cold beer, and grant all his requests—including sexual demands since she is supposed to wear nothing but a cellophane wrap.

Hopefully, the Committee for a Better America realized how offensive and backward this ad is because the country has become a better place when advancements toward gender equality were made.

30 Fabulous Photos Show Wedding Dresses of Brides During Wartime

Although the world was in turmoil during the ‘40s, people did still get married! However, 1940s weddings were not as formal as they were before or after the decade.

Rationing, restrictions and the uncertainty of the Second World War were just some of the challenges faced by couples marrying in wartime. 1940s wedding dresses and groom attire varied from business dress to very formal attire.

Take a look at these fabulous photos to see what brides’ wedding dresses looked like during wartime.

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30 Vintage Photos of Korean Weddings From the 1960s

Marriage is very important. It’s all about joining two families together under the name of love and respect. In the past, weddings in Korea were sacred and very important events. A traditional Korean wedding starts when a groom sends a proposal letter to the bride’s family so the two families can sit down and discuss if it’s possible to join the two individuals together after making sure both of them are matched in terms of social status and personality. This act is called the eui hon, the “marriage discussion.”

If it all went well and the bride and her family agreed, the bride would send a wrapped piece of paper back, with the date of the wedding ceremony written on it. Then the bridegroom also sends a hamm which is a box containing three things. Among them is the hanseo, which is a letter from the bridegroom's parents. The box also contains the red and blue cloths, the chaedan, and small bags containing five different grains. Different gifts for the bride’s family can be added too.  

In the past, the ceremony was held at the bride’s house when the groom and his family arrived on horses carrying ceremonial gifts, like wooden geese and ducks that represent a long happy marriage. Both the bride and the groom should wear wedding attire that’s the closest thing possible to traditional Korean Hanbok attire, but with some additions, like long ribbons and the head pieces that the bride wears.

Some women help the bride to walk around, take a drink and bow, because of her covered hands. Then the couple passes a jujube between each other using their mouths, which is similar to the West’s “You may now kiss the bride.” After the ceremony, the bride and groom bow to their parents and parents-in-law as an act of respect and to gain their blessings. Then the groom can take his bride carried back to his parent’s home in a gama or a palanquin to start their new life. 

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30 Amazing Photos Show Norwegian Weddings From the Early 20th Century

Sogn og Fjordane was a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the county administration was in the village of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality. The largest town in the county was Førde.

Although Sogn og Fjordane has some industry, predominantly hydroelectricity and aluminium, it is predominantly an agricultural area. Sogn og Fjordane is also home to the Urnes Stave Church and the Nærøyfjord, which are both listed by UNESCO as world heritage sites.

The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has campuses in Sogndal and Førde.

Here below is a set of amazing photos from Fylkesarkivet i Vestland that shows weddings in Sogn og Fjordane in the 1900s and 1910s.

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In the Old Days at Christmas, Women Apologized to Their Husbands for Their Mistakes During the Year

At the turn of the 20th century, where traditionally at Christmas women would get on their knees and beg forgiveness from their husbands for all the mistakes they had made during the past year.

In the early Victorian era, a woman entering upon marriage had almost no rights. All her property automatically became her husband’s. Even if she had her own land, her husband received the income from it.

A husband had the right to lock up his wife. If he beat her, she had no legal redress. The law mostly removed itself from marital relations.

Married women were put into the same category as lunatics, idiots, outlaws and children. Even her children were not hers, according to the law. And if a woman left the home to take refuge elsewhere, her husband could lock her out, without needing a court order.

(via lindaseccaspina)

Beautiful Photos Documented the Marriage Ceremony of a California’s Couple in 1957

A small collection of beautiful vintage photos from Devil Doll documented the marriage ceremony of her parents in California on June 23, 1957. These photos were taken by Don W. Jones Photography.

The bride, Oakland, CA, June 23, 1957

Mom and her bridesmaids (her sister, my aunt Jane, is helping with her shoe), Oakland, CA, June 23, 1957

The ceremony, St. Peter's Church, Oakland, CA, June 23, 1957

   Man and wife, St. Peter's Church, Oakland, CA, June 23, 1957

Posing by the altar at St. Peter's Church, Oakland, CA, June 23, 1957

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28 Cool Vintage Photos of ‘Father of the Bride’ in the 1950s and ’60s

Traditionally, the father of the bride has one of the most coveted roles in a wedding: walking the woman of the hour down the aisle. In that moment, all eyes are on him and his daughter as the bride makes her big-day debut.

Although her ceremony ensemble is the main attraction, the dad’s outfit is important, too. Many fathers dream of this milestone from the moment their daughters are born⁠—they deserve to look and feel their very best, as well.

Here below is a set of cool photos that shows beautiful brides with fathers on their wedding days in the 1950s and 1960s.

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