jim henson

Recently I've been visiting
My Friend Topic, and cruising her amazing collection of 'zines and booklets and pamphlets and other fascinating paper ephemera.

(You'll likely be seeing more results from my raids soon.)

One that I found intriguing was this booklet from 1954,
"... Published for mothers by Personal Products Corporation, Milltown,
New Jersey, makers of Modess".






This was one of many such booklets advertised in women's magazines over the years, so moms could send away for information to help them explain the process of menstruation to their growing daughters.

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What struck me here, however, was the overwhelmingly somber tone to the illustrations in this particular edition, the work of
Alexander Brook, "... one of America's foremost painters."

Divorced of context, these painted illustrations are more than a little bit creepy.

Yes - - I'm a man, so what would I know of such mother-daughter talks, and yes - - it's 50+ years later and times have changed, as has 'personal products' technology.

Still, had I been either mother or daughter confronted with this book at that time, I think I might feel my life was over.
(I'll guess that may have been an ordinary response.)





A bit of further investigation online turned up a truly amazing website, The Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health, which is loaded with a wide and varied collection of information and images, from the whimsical and 'historically sad' to a gateway of helpful information.

You can read the entire text from this '54 edition of 'How Shall I Tell My Daughter?' archived there, along with commentary and background information.

While there, you can also link to several later editions of the same book (with completely different visual styles), or the companion volume, 'Growing Up and Liking It'.

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As to American realist painter Alexander Brook (1898–1980), he was known for portraits of women in quiet or reflective poses, so that reputation certainly couldn't have hurt him here.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, but lived and worked in several places around the U.S. and in Europe after his artwork became popular in the 1930's.

During military service in WWII, he provided sketches to the army as a correspondent in Panama.
After his service he continued providing war illustrations under commission to LIFE magazine.









You can see more art by Alexander Brook online.
Follow links to:
- 18 selected Brook drawings on view at the Childs Gallery
e-catalogue.

- 4 Brook pieces at
The Smithsonian American Art Museum.

- A few more at artnet.

See also:
- More Modess print ads at the TJS Labs Gallery of
Graphic Design.

Vocalist & mandolin player Sammy Allred teamed with vocalist & guitarist
Raymond Dewayne 'Son' Smith not long after they met in high school in Austin, Texas.

It was the last part of the 1950's when they began to perform country novelty tunes as The Geezinslaw Brothers, and it was the 1960's when they flourished in the recording studio and in TV appearances.

After their string of albums recorded that decade, they sort of receded into the sunset for a while, returning stronger in the '80's, '90's and beyond as venerable regular fixtures of the Austin music scene, now known simply as
'The Geezinslaws'.

The A-side of this 45 is the original country version of a tune that would later become a popular single by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs, released as 'I Couldn't Spell !!*@!', with the 'yucch' in the chorus replaced by a blown razzberry.

The B-side covers a song previously recorded by Buck Owens.

Both of these tracks were produced by Kelso Herston, a Nashville session musician who'd played guitar and/or bass on records by Loretta Lynn,
Ernest Tubb, George Jones, Ferlin Husky, June Carter Cash, Bobby Bare and others.

Herston would also produce records for these artists and others like
Bobbie Gentry, Merle Travis, Sonny James and Wanda Jackson.

He went on to work as the musical director for the TV show 'Hee-Haw', before becoming a successful writer of commercial jingles.



Listen to:
The Geezinslaw Brothers -
I Couldn't Spell Yuuk
(Capitol Records 45, 1968)
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Listen to:
The Geezinslaw Brothers -
We Split The Blanket
(Capitol Records 45, 1968)
(click for audio)








(MANY THANKS again to Joe Sixpack for another generous loan from the Slipcue 45 collection)

Below, a smattering of advertisements that ran in The Saturday Evening Post just about exactly 51 years ago...

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