Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Vintage Soda Fountain



A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores. The device combines syrup (commonly dispensed from a Bag-In-Box), carbon dioxide, and water to make soft drinks. By extension, the term also may refer to a small eating establishment, common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often within a pharmacy or other business, serving soda beverages, ice cream, and sometimes light meals. Back in the 40s and 50s these were very famous and common for the teens to hang out at these places after school. The imaginable joy of being able to go back in time and relive those marvelous days where they still had soda fountains around. Such a delightful joy to think back on those times when everything seemed so wonderful, colorful and warm. The soda fountain began in Europe, but achieved its greatest success in the US. The soda fountain that has become part of the American imagination really began at the turn of the 20th century and continued until it completely collapsed in the 1970’s. While there were certain purveyors of sodas and ice cream previously it was the marriage of the drugstore and soda fountain of the early 1900’s that gave birth to the American soda fountain.



The soda fountain that has become part of the American imagination really began at the turn of the 20th century and continued until it completely collapsed in the 1970’s. While there were certain purveyors of sodas and ice cream previously it was the marriage of the drugstore and soda fountain of the early 1900’s that gave birth to the American soda fountain. By the early 1920’s just about every drugstore had a soda fountain. The reason for the explosion of soda fountains was most likely that prohibition began in 1919 and the soda fountain filled the social void caused by the closing of bars. While one may trace the patents, of certain aspects, of the soda fountain back to the early 1800’s it must be realized that it wasn’t until the 1880’s that “ice cream parlors” came into vogue. Ice cream parlors were part of the history of the soda fountain but it is worth noting that they were usually stand alone businesses that sold ice cream and phosphate sodas.



It wasn’t until Jacob Baur began to manufacture carbon dioxide in tanks that the real soda fountain was born. Baur was a pharmacist who started the Liquid Carbonic Co. in 1888 and eventually began to manufacture and market the Liquid Carbonic soda fountains in the early 1900’s. A potential soda jerk could purchase a Liquid Carbonic soda fountain, complete with operations and recipe manual, from Baur and set up shop. He could go into the soda fountain business.

The golden age of soda fountains began in the early 1900’s and continued until the 1950’s. It was during that period that pharmacists were the operators of their own drugstore and soda fountain. Just after prohibition began John Somerset wrote, in Drug Topics June 1920 issue that, “the soda fountain is the most valuable, most useful, most profitable, and altogether most beneficial business building feature assimilated by the drugstore in a generation… “ “In the face of present pyramiding taxes and overhead, like wise the increased demand for soft drinks resulting from prohibition, can (one) fail to see which way the wind is blowing… and become a soda fan quick!” Somerset went on to say, “The bar is dead, the fountain lives, and soda is king!”



The birth of the soda fountain began with the drug revolution of the 1850’s. People would go to the local drugstore and procure a fountain drink to cure or aid some physical malady. Many of the fountain drinks were concoctions or extracts of various drugs that were flavored and effervesced to make them palatable. Drugs like cocaine and caffeine are maybe the most famous but bromides and various plant extracts were also commonly dispensed.

Many of the fountain drinks made by those early druggists contained cocaine and caffeine. The combination of cocaine and caffeine was used to effectively cure headaches. The problem was that rebound headaches would ensue and the patient would be back frequently for another drink to get rid of the pain. The soda fountain was really a place to go to get lit up to get some “pep”. Doctors, druggists and the public at large believed that stimulants were very good. These new drugs were looked upon as completely safe and effective. Many druggists even made and marketed their own secret formulations… some even mass marketed these.

Prior to 1914 every drug was basically “over the counter” so no soda fountain broke any law by selling cocaine derived drinks. That all changed when the “Harrison Act” became law in 1914. The “Harrison Act” banned the use of cocaine and opiates in over-the-counter products.



Soda drinks began to be viewed as “habit forming” and eventually became looked down upon. The “soda fountain” developed a reputation for serving intoxicating beverages. Many pharmacies began to distance themselves from the bad reputation that developed as result of the “habit forming” products sold from the 1860’s through the early 1900’s. Jacob Baur, founder of the Liquid Carbonic Company, used the following in an advertisement for one of his soft drinks, “it isn’t medicinal, won’t cure anything… isn’t intoxicating or habit forming – it’s just flavory, fruity, snappy, sparkling, delicious.” It is interesting to note that a soda fountain would advertise as “isn’t habit forming of intoxicating. The soda fountain eventually lost the old reputation and became known for serving “soft drinks”.



Even today, the soda fountain is legendary, and the image of chrome-plated countertops and swivel stools conjures nostalgia in people who never saw the real thing. Why do we love the idea of the soda fountain? It seems there's an intrinsically human appeal in a place that lets you rock, roll, gossip, and feed your craving for sweets all at once. And if too many egg creams got you down, well, many soda fountains conveniently shared space with a pharmacy. (Say, maybe there's something to that ... Maybe we ought to combine candy stores with dentists' offices?).



The real deal on the 50's soda fountain is that it was an ideal place to be social. And who'd be able to keep their mouth shut when presented with a custom-made soda and creamy hand-made ice cream?



The popular memory of the soda fountain is an idyllic one, of a place where soda "jerks" mingled with starry-eyed teens on dates and kids seeking a snack and a song after school. But in the 1960s, the rising popularity of fast food, commercial ice cream, bottled soda, and restaurants marked the end of the age of the soda fountain.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Vintage Christmas

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Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. And with it approaching now it just fills me inside with a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside. Combining that with my love and passion for vintage nostalgia just makes the perfect excuse to share in my blog some of my favorite vintage christmas pictures. Here are a few I have saved from the internet and I hope you all will enjoy it.

Family portrait by Christmas tree
December 13, 1949
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Family christmas photo father two daughters and son with presents and tree
Christmas 1931
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1960s Family Father Mother Two Sons Sitting By Christmas Tree In Living Room Reading A Book
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One year old baby boy gets a drink of Coca Cola in front of the Christmas tree, ca. 1946
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Now don't these pictures make you want to wish it was Christmas all year long?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Vintage Thanksgiving

What can I say, I am an old fashioned girl. And I love all things retro, vintage, and cozy family gatherings. And what better cozy family gathering than to celebrate Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love with tons of comfort food. I always browse the net for vintage or retro pictures. And I have come across some delightful images of vintage thanksgiving and I would love to share some with you all. So here they are, I hope you all enjoy these images and I hope everyone has a wonderful and delightful Thanksgiving this year!

A very retro Thanksgiving
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Stuffing the turkey
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Cooking a turkey dinner
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Hungry granddaughter
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1970s 3 Generation Family Sitting Dining Room Table Grandmother Setting Down Turkey Platter
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1960s 1970s Three Generation Family Saying Grace Prayer At Thanksgiving Dinner
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1950s Family 5 Sitting At Dining Room Table Dad Carves Turkey At Head Of Table
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1950s Family Of 5 Saying Grace Before Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Mother Father 3 Children
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1920s 1930s Mother Grandmother Boy Girl Cooking Turkey In Kitchen
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1960s Portrait Of Family Looking At Thanksgiving Or Christmas Roast Turkey
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1960s Woman Serving Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
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African-american family at Thanksgiving dining table with turkey saying grace praying
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Vintage Halloween

Ok so as a Christian I don't really celebrate halloween. Instead we have a harvest celebration. But I enjoy the time of the year so much and am always thrilled looking at vintage halloween pics. So here's a collection I found on the net, so enjoy! :)

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A pair of women bob for apples at a Halloween party
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Some fun loving women moon the camera while under a table at a Halloween party
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And of course the infamous Betty Grable halloween photo
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Not quite sure who this is but it's a cute photo
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And last but not least, the queen of halloween herself, "Roseanne Conner"
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I love watching those Roseanne halloween marathons during halloween. They are so much fun to watch and never get old. It's no wonder she's called the queen of halloween.

Check out some episodes on youtube...

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

My Love For Vintage Pink

I love all things vintage pink. I never knew how to ride a bike but I think this bike is so neat.

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Vintage china with pink roses. How lovely is that!

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Found this amazing treasure online. Vintage pink Millinery Photo Album.

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Vintage pink 1950s doll.

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Another treasure I found online. Pink vintage millinery dress.

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I'd give anything for any one of these rooms.

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This would be like my dream kitchen! What more can a gal ask for.

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And this room is too dreamy for words.

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How about this pink vintage bathroom?

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Or maybe even Jayne Mansfield's pink bathroom from her infamous pink palace.

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Whichever way you put it, I think all of us could agree that us gals simply love pink and if you put that together with anything vintage or retro, than you have the perfect match.