30.10.13

Sign of the times

Having lost my bloggin mojo, it seems to have found me again.  Not that life is any less stressful or demanding or crazy, but suddenly I feel the urge to purge.
 
Picking up on the last post, whilst pulling out the timber frame of the old addition, little wads of newspaper rained out, which dates the addition: 1957.  The people that lived in our house were devout Catholics, so I'm guessing the pages from the tabloid and decidedly saucy Perth Weekend Mail were courtesy the building chaps.
 
This first piece is a classic.  Meet Patsy (another Patsy!), who interestingly comes from the area where we live. 
 




 

She's pretty gorgeous.  Cant quite make out what it she is holding, could be anything.  A radio? Pool ball?

But wait, let's read all about her ....  come hither...... what!  She's only 15!!



I was thinking this would make a fun item to frame and put in the loo, but I have to say, I'm wavering.  Yes it is an interesting piece of mass media that illustrates how times have changed, but do I really want my 11 year old daughter thinking this  is where she might see herself in four years time?  Prudish, I've never been, but I've got mixed feelings here.



Let's see, what else.  Oh my!  Nudist sunbathing in Geraldton!  I also find this pretty out there, for 1957.  Who would have thought that the local tabloid rag in this little town would have been so risque?
 


And now, moving away from salacious gossip, some useful advertising... for asbestos.  We've just spend three grand having all the asbestos in our old addition removed by men in white suits with rolls of black plastic.  There was a shitload of it.  Cheap, readily available and totally indestructable, it formed the fabric of so many Australian suburbs over the second half of the twentieth century.



Now James Hardie Industries face the wrath numerous courtcases and responsibility for many deaths in Australia, from the illnesses associated with asbestos mining and use. 
 
I was glad to see the back of it, as the ute travelled off down the lane, to deposit it in landfill somewhere.  Oh dear.

3 comments:

  1. Oh what finds, you'll have to frame these up. I love finding these bits of history tucked up in an old house. I have just managed to track down the 83 yo who was born in my house and she has old photos of Betsy, so exciting. mel x

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  2. Now what would that paper have been in there for? Insulation? Archival urges? Definitely framing is in order if not for the 11 year old then for yourself. Pantry perhaps?

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  3. Oh yes, frame them! The pictures and ads are wonderful! Newspapers are often found in the walls of old houses here too. Builders left a paper with the date they closed the walls and finished, for future generations as a proof of building date. The 15 year old (still can't believe the age part!!!) looks fabulous.
    Seeing that ad for asbestos is such an eerie reminder of the mistakes we made back then, and probably will make again...

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