Because... it's a weekend that I'm actually home, and anyway... here's another issue of Meyers, this time chock-full with great ads and a special fashion addition!
On the cover today... a cute little girl in her handknitted jumper - and yes, the pattern is inside.
The Fashion
First up, a project that'll keep you occupied for long - a hand-embroidered tablecloth!
In the spirit of "Make do and mend" - how to make a new dress out of your old one by taking off the sleeves for example, and adding new ones made from fabric remains too small to make a whole dress. I like the second from left - cute!
And here are the knitting patterns! A sophisticated looking shortsleeved jumper for mom, and the cute stripy one made from wool remains for her girl.
And now...
This issue included a special insert, printed in color, to advetise the newest patterns. None of these are included in any of the pattern sheets that came with the mags of course - these could only be ordered, and this insert would certainly whet anyone's appetite! Just look at the little coat on the left - there's so much fabric in there, it seems to foreshadow the New Look already!
This little blurb says "From the sheep to the knitting needle" - I think it doesn't need much explanation. The sheep are shorn in spring, and girls like Theresina spin the wool, and then use it themselves to knit. It says that the photos are from the Julier area, a mountainous area not far from the Italian border in eastern Switzerland
Hollywood!
Meyer's hat to talk about Hollywood too, of course. Here it claims that this is the first post-war movie premiere in Hollywood, at the Carthay Circle Theater. I doubt a little that this would only have been in early 1946, but they don't say which movie premiered here actually, and so far I haven't been able to find out more. But the Carthay was certainly an important cinema for big premieres, as Wikipedia tells us here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthay_Circle_Theatre - I admit I hadn't heard the name before though!
But now I'm sure you'll want to know who's in the photos! So, from left to right: Johnny Sands and Joan Leslie, Alfred Hitchcock with "a female companion" (I'd love to know who she was - love her outfit and hairstyle!), Rhonda Fleming, Henry Fonda (not dressed in black!) and his wife, Sabu and Miss America, and finally, Lana Turner, Roy Calhoun and a radio reporter.
Around the world
An article about people who live on canal boats in England, titled "Watergipsies in England". Reminds me of the canal houseboats you see on "Lewis" sometimes!
Dog sled tours in northern Sweden - for tourists! Who would have thought about that then...
The usual mixed-news page.
Quick-build houses that should go up within 24 hours to cater to American soldiers returned from the war. Admiral Louis Mountbatten visiting the young king of Thailand (then still called Siam). French wives of GIs leaving for the US. A Swiss diplomat and his family finally returning home after being held back by the Russians. Apparently five Swiss diplomats in all had been held back and prohibited from returning home by the Russians. A big bunny at a pet show, and Swiss ski champions. Plus a small blurb/ad for Pro Infirmis, an organisation that still exists today.
For the thrifty housewife
Recipes, of course! What to do with cheese, herbs and oat flakes - things that anyone would have knocking around their kitchen at the time.
Meyer's also published a household book - I'm guessing that was some kind of accounts book, because it says that with that you could show your husband how much money you were spending and that it wouldhelp you with saving money. Knorr's sauce cubes als "help and save" and a "new kind of apron", ppre-shrunk and all covering, that you could embroider yourself.
The "big discussion"
What's an independent girl to do? Pay for her own coffee or let the man pay? This was a big point of discussion it seems, and they promise more opinions further on. These two readers whose letters are printed here basically say that while it's ok that women are getting more independent, have their own money, pay for their own things etc., where's would romance and chivalry be left if you didn't let your man pay for coffee or a dinner if he takes you out...
Ad-tastic
Lotsa great ads in this issue too!
Science in the service of the housewife - a washing poweder ad by Steinfels (whom I talked about before
here).
Another page full of fun ads. Note the Elna sewing machine ad, the one advetising a book by Neil Shute... and of course, shampoo - for blondes or brunettes (so you see, John Frieda's idea isn't exactly new) and of course all those wonder cures - face creams, pills for your period and... Rondoform. But more about that further on.
And more again! Pills for the nerves, concentrated milk by Stalden - nowadays, Stalden is better known for their custards in tins. It says that for 2 extra coupons you get 2 big tins of concentrated milk, which equals 2 liters of whole milk, which is a welcome addition to your family's milk consumption - doubly welcome with the tight butter rations! This is what gets me any time - on one side you have ads like this one that talk about the very real rationing of food, which would have meant that certain things that you would normally consider to be a basic item would be hard to come by, and on the other hand you have all those crazy ads for slimming products! You'd really think people had other things to worry about than their figure!
But going back to this page, there's also an ad for Forsanose, which was kind of a similar product to Ovomaltine (better known as Ovaltine in other parts of the world, similar also to Milo if you might be more familiar with that...):
Oh yes, the GI thinks that Forsanose is "excellent indeed". The product was available coupon-free and they stress the fact that it "tastes like before the war again". The funny thing is, my newspaper here, the Tages-Anzeiger, just ran an article about this this week, which you can check out here:
http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/zuerich/region/Auch-Winnetou-konnte-Forsanose-nicht-retten-/story/19040321. There's a small exhibition about the company and Forsanose in Volketswil, where it was produced. The old factory has been rebuilt into apartments. The company existed until 1972, it's owner was an inventor and man with lots of ideas. He founded the company in the 1930s and invented all kinds of "wonder cures" for rheumatism, potence and... contraception befor the pill, if his claims are to be believed. This reminds me of all the crazy ads like the Rondoform pills or Diva slimming cream that come up again and again in Meyer's! They also advetised for Forsanose with a cycling champion, or a child with a hump on his back, saying that this would make him stand up straight. The man who was used in the ad as a boy in the 50s actually contacted the paper and they featured it the other day, but isn't online. Maybe I should send them my ad too...
Lots of well-known brands here! The Juventus school (still in operation), Gold-Zack elastic bands and Mettler threads. The little article about the "Quiet happiness of Lucienne Bourdet" is an ad too... for Möbel Pfister. They really liked to put their ads into little stories, about how little their furnitur cost etc. etc. And again they stress that people had better come on weekdays or Saturday mornings, as Saturday afternoons are busy.
And more yet! "Basler Läckerli" (hmmm....!), caffeine free coffee (I'm guessing this is one of those chicoree or whatever coffee substitutes), artificial honey, cures for constipation (Tipex), rheumatism, gout etc. (sirup made from nutshells... what?!) and Albinol, which is in every other issue too, still talking about the evils of "women's complaints".
Slimming ad
Need I mention it again? Orbal, of course!
Breast enhancement ad
Yes, you already saw it - Rondoform were at it again. And it's a new ad again, of course! Now Rondoform is being called a proven means to make your bust more beautiful. And then it keeps on talking about all it's wondrous properties. Duh.
