Monday, February 14, 2011

L.A. Times Midwinter Magazine - January 2, 1957

Welcome to Magazine Monday. From January 2, 1957 it’s the Los Angeles Time Midwinter Magazine. This larger format magazine (10” by 13”) is all about Los Angeles and how wonderful it used to be to live here. The watercolor on the cover is by Rex Brandt (link) and is a “beach scene at Balboa depicting a typical Sunday in Southern California”.





This is a great magazine that really captures Southern California as it entered 1957. Unfortunately the Disneyland article is only one page long. At least it’s a nice picture of the castle.





Jumping ahead to the advertisement pages we find a little more Disneyland in this magazine!





The next 18 scans have nothing to do with Disneyland but they do embody the idealism of American life in the 1950’s that Disneyland was born from and into. Go ahead and sit back, the time machine is set for January 1957 and first up are a few pages from Hollywood USA!





It’s January 2nd and the Star of the year has already been chosen, nice choice!





Jack Warner is reminding you of some of his handy work. Giant was filmed in WarnerColor.





My mom used to tell me how when she was a kid she would go to Hollywood and listen to records before buying them, looks like it was the in thing to do.







If you're into vintage TV you’ll love this four page article that reflects on the giant TV has become in just ten years.





Desilu’s influence was giant as well.





I wonder what set Lucy in on. ABC-TV’s Wyatt Earp was filmed in Chatsworth, hey that’s near my house!







The caption for this slightly blurry photo reads “Gleaming new Chevrolets pour from the assembly line of General Motors Van Nuys plant. California automobile production is second only to Detroit.





Mammoth Lakes actually looks just like this vintage photograph. That map on the right looks very much like the early Vacationland magazine back cover maps (link).





Check out this concept art of a Jet Age airport in Los Angeles; think they’ll ever build it?





Now for some vintage advertisements. Ammunition and Fireworks all in one, sign me up! Great phone number there in Newhall.





This jet powered Snark gets a burst of speed from two rocket boosters and is one deadly weapon.





Wouldn’t you like to buy a couple of these at 1957 prices?





After scanning this you have no idea how bad I want an ice cold Orange Julius, I bet they're not 10¢ anymore.





TWA’s Super-G Constellations were pretty fast for non-jets (link) and they looked cool too.





A future Disneyland sponsor.




4 comments:

Major Pepperidge said...

That Van Nuys Chevrolet plant blew me away!

As for listening to records before you bought them, I once showed my mom some old postcards of L.A., and when she saw Music City on Sunset and Vine, she immediately started singing their radio jingle from 60 years ago!

Katella Gate said...

Well now, I used to live in the Grandview area of Palos Verdes. I'm going to print out that ad for them. Mom will get a kick out of visiting the old place!

Lincoln Savings? No thanks. Aside from the now long-forgotten Savings and Loan tax payer swindle of the 1980s, I see that Lincoln only pays interest 4 times a year. No thanks. I want interest compounded DAILY, Mr. Drysdale.

Of course now banks basically charge you for keeping your money in their vaults.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Major, I actually know a guy that worked at the Van Nuys plant in the 1950's, he's got great stories and some neat photos and "souvenirs". I remember when they were building Camaro's and Firebird's there and they always had one on a pedestal out front!

KG; I used to date a girl who owned a house in Grandview, I think she figured out I used to date her just for the "view"! In the 1980's the escrow company I worked for had all its trust accounts at Lincoln Savings, that was fun! Miss Jane will get back to you regarding your request of Mr. Drysdale, he's a busy man ya know!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the photos of the GM plant. My father in law and his uncle and a few other relatives worked there for many years.

Orange Julius sounds great on a hot day like today.