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Jobs at Douglas at the airport in Toronto in the 1970s

Toronto's Spanking New Subway

Thankfully, spanking, along with other forms of frottage, is nowadays considered to be completely inappropriate on the subway. That's progress.

Princess Phone

This is a keychain fob given to Bell employees on the 1959 launch of the "Princess" phone.  On the bottom is molded, ""The Princess phone...it's little, it's lovely, it lights!"  My wife remembers her father telling her that the male supervisor, who handed out these promotional items, had to dress up in a princess costume.  The phone itself was designed by Henry Dreyfuss specifically for women:  it had a lighted dial that acted as a night-light and was available in a range of feminine colours.  It had a good run, not being discontinued until 1994.

Vespa & Seven-Up

Ah, a more innocent era.  1958 to be exact.  And "Vespa" is Italian for "Wasp", which is also the group to which this ad was directed.

Unusual Tools: Hammer Pliers

Combination hammer/pliers, stamped "Rogers Sons, 4, Steel Hammer, Warranted."  Brilliant example of forging.  As can be seen, the plier jaws are both curved and serrated.  What were they designed for?

Thanks to the visitors below for the answer.  I subsequently discovered the picture below in a brochure for the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto:

Are you a rider who frequents the highway?

A leather patch that came with an issue of Performance Bikes.  Inscrutable. 

Electric lights!

 Dated 1876. Meritton is part of St. Catherines, Ontario. Found inside the walls of an old farmhouse we were renovating. We left it there.

Seen at Daytona Bike Week 1995

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/futuramic-two-wheeler/



Underneath this streamline art deco shell is a Henderson KH. If it looks familiar, it has reappeared in the last few years, beautifully restored and painted black, sporting a hand-tooled leather seat.

Chevy-Davidson

January 1963

This may be from the age of greasers, but you have to be impressed that the article used language like "nonpareil" and "to wit." I would love to have seen the principal's face when the guy fired this thing up in the high school parking lot.

For the full 2-page article, click here.  

Holding your belt up without suspenders

My dad made one of these for me when I was a kid.  You hang a belt in the slot, and then balance the whole thing from the end of your finger.  It works really well.  Good demonstration of centre of gravity.