First up is an ad for the late, great Lorain National Bank and its newfangled BankAmericard. The ad – which ran in the Journal on December 1, 1969 – helpfully explains how it works (use it “just like cash”).
(I had to Google BankAmericard to see if they were still out there. They are.)
Next up is an ad that ran on December 4, 1969 for Penneys at Midway Mall, promoting its Santa Mouse tie-in. It looks like Santa Mouse was expected to be the next big thing, with a book, record, stuffed toys, sleepers, night caps (hmmm, that’s kinda Dickensian for 1969) and other items.
But I don’t think there was a Santa Mouse animated TV special, so maybe that’s why the red-clad rodent is not well-known today. Santa Mouse books are easily found on Ebay, though.
This ad (below) for Mister S Family Restaurant ran on December 12, 1969 promotes not only its “Maxi” Burger but also “the world’s largest Christmas stocking,” which was going to be given away to a lucky winner. Anyone know who the cute little girl is posing with the 8-foot tall gigantic stocking?
And lastly, here’s a clever ad for Lorain’s iconic Faroh’s Candies that ran in the Journal on December 15, 1969.
I noticed in the ad that Faroh’s suggested candy as a gift for the “newsboy, mailman or neighbors kid etc.” It reminded me of the days when the Journal was an afternoon newspaper, and when we had a regular “paper boy” who brought it each day.
The “paper boy" was usually a slightly older kid who lived in the neighborhood. He would come to “collect" on a certain day, and he would punch a card that corresponded with our family’s subscription. If he had provided good service, then he was tipped right there while payment was being made.
Now the local papers are all morning editions, and are delivered under the predawn cover of darkness. You never see the person delivering it (or flinging it from their car, as the case may be) although you might hear them if they have a bad muffler.
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As my old Masson schoolmate Mike noted in a comment left on this post, there was a popular Santa Mouse song sung by Burl Ives. Here it is, courtesy of YouTube.
10 comments:
Or Paper Girl! I delivered the Journal for several years in South Lorain. I had a route of 43 customers that I took over from my brother. I well remember my big ring of punch cards from Collecting, and I recall having to insert the comics and ads into the Sunday morning edition. Every paper was delivered to the door--rain, snow, or shine--and I walked that route. Tips were relatively rare, despite my good service, but for Christmas, many of my customers came through.
Christmas in Lorain back then still had magic.
Merry Christmas, y'all.
Happy Birthday Alan D.!
Good point, Nance! In later years, my parents had several 'paper girls' (who were neighbors) who did a good job and were always friendly and respectful to them. The family handed the paper route down from sibling to sibling.
And Happy Birthday, Alan!
I was a paper boy in the early 60s. For each customer, you had to know where they wanted the paper delivered - front door, side door, back door, milk box, etc. You also had to know where the unfriendly dogs lived!
Dan,
There never was a Santa Mouse special, but there was a song and it was popular enough that several artists (including Burl Ives and Jerry Vale) covered it. I remember it being fairly popular into the Seventies, but fading away after that.
BankAmericard became fiesta in the mid-1970s. The name has been revived recently under a different National Bank.
Thanks Mike and Jim for your clarifications!
Who is the little girl next to the giant stocking in the ad?
Hi Lisa,
I exchanged emails with the daughter of one of the founders of Mister S. She showed the ad to several family members, who did not recognize the girl in the photo. So it looks like the little girl may have been a professional model. I'm guessing the photo was supplied for use in promotional ads.
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