The insecticide DDT was introduced in the 1940s, and originally thought to be safe for people and pets. It was marketed with happy cartoon characters and family-friendly products, but, as we eventually discovered, the poison was bad for people and animals, too.
Step into a time capsule of fitness with this look back to the 1970s, an era when exercise equipment began its invasion into the American
Throughout the 20th century, the nursing profession and vintage nursing uniforms evolved in step with society.
The vintage ambulance has a history rooted in far simpler designs than we know today. Here’s a look back at how they’ve changed over time!
Direct from ’50s fashion experts come these tips for calculating a woman’s body measurements for the ideal figure. See how much things have changed!
Based on the state of plastic surgery in the 1920s, and with regular improvements in science, one journalist suggested in 1922 that soon women wouldn’t have to age – ‘I mean shriveled or waddling old and all that.’
Back when smoking was considered not only cool, but somehow healthy, television and movie stars had no compunction about promoting the practice, as evidenced by the 18 celebs featured in these vintage cigarette ads.
When Florence Nightingale died, tributes poured in from around the world — including ones from American sources like this one.
Join us as we journey through futurism history, exploring predictions made about the future by those from the past!
Ayds candy debuted in the 40s, and was basically a piece of caramel or fudge that contained an appetite suppressant. For years, the diet candy called Ayds was a big seller… and then came AIDS.
Before gummy vitamins existed, there were several other chewable supplements for kids – but none was more iconic than Flintstones vitamins.
Everybody’s doing it. Swingers, congressmen, housewives, businessmen, engaged couples, secretaries and kids. They’re all out there jogging.
Back in the 1920s, footwear manufacturers and merchants decided that X-ray shoe fittings could bring in lots of customers – people who would be thrilled to let a recent scientific advance help them find the perfect shoe. There was just a little problem…
On the way to today’s super-simple, pregnancy test sticks that give results in minutes, women had to use these chemistry set-style vintage home pregnancy test kits, then wait hours for a result.
Old pregnancy test sticks like these were a huge step forward, and meant that millions of women finally had a way to find out they were pregnant without going to the doctor, and without having to do a more complicated liquid chemistry test.
By the mid-1980s, reasonably accurate home ovulation predictor kits hit the market, simplifying the process of pinpointing peak fertility.
Though she was born famous, then grew her fame as an actress, Jane Fonda’s workout videos were one of her greatest successes. Here’s how it happened.
Here’s some eye-opening insight into the invention of contact lenses! The contacts were made of glass, and although they worked much like they do today, they were thick, uncomfortable, and even a little dangerous.
April 22, 1970, was set as the first Earth Day across America – the culmination of demonstrations and teach-ins protesting the deteriorating state of the country’s environment.
Old-fashioned dentistry in the early 1900s had come a long way since the Wild West days, but, compared to what we have available in the 21st century, it might as well have been the Dark Ages. Take a look!
Remember getting drinks in vintage Dixie Cups? While many of us recall them from childhood because of their cute designs, they weren’t invented simply for convenience.
While Benjamin Franklin may be known for ‘Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,’ that wasn’t his only insight on the subject of sleep. In the summer of 1786, he wrote this, summing up his advice for better sleep.
Here, see what experts then were saying a century ago about how the height of women has changed over the years. They suggested that women were indeed growing taller – and modern data backs that up.
The old-fashioned benefits of breastfeeding are many, no matter what century you’re living in. Here’s a look back at some of what experts were saying about nursing babies back in the early 1900s.
These vintage insect killer ads from the fifties didn’t hold back, using phrases in their vintage marketing like drop dead, declare warfare and mow down insects. The Gulfspray can holding a gun was also a creative touch.
Edward Jenner, the discoverer of vaccination – including the smallpox vaccine – and one of the greatest benefactors of the human race, performed his first test experiment in 1796.
When this article was published, touting the wonders of c-section deliveries, they stated that the cesarean rate was one out of 20 births. And that
Vintage Reef mouthwash may be memorable only for the name that calls to mind saltwater and tropical fish — not exactly minty freshness.
The measles vaccine was invented because it was a common but dangerous disease that could cause inflammation of the brain – and could also be fatal.
In these vintage ads from the ’50s, the message was clear: ‘If you don’t wash with Lysol, you’ll smell bad, and your husband won’t love you anymore.’
If you suspect that you are too fat or too thin, there are several simple rules that you can follow to find out your ideal weight… according to society in 1920.
Through observation, experimentation and genius, scientist Louis Pasteur was able to create the first rabies vaccine – even though he didn’t exactly know what caused the disease.
Companies promoted it. Celebrities touted it. Everyday people paid attention, and then spent hours in the sun, trying to get the perfect suntan.
If women of the ’60s needed slimming or trimming for their legs, they might have tried these retro leg exercises, created for maximum leg-watching appeal.
In the ’50s, doctors started testing Thorzaine on patients – a drug capable of powerful, sweeping effects on the emotions, used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Exercises to take off inches, and diet to drop off pounds – this program was planned for the readers of Woman’s Day by the famous beauty expert Elizabeth Arden.
While the term “early infantile autism” was first coined by Dr Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1943, for decades beyond that, autism
This TV movie debuted in 1973, and played occasionally in reruns at least until the 1980s. The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical, Mystery Trip: Musical fantasy
The expensive facts: Can you afford a baby? (1976) By Richard Flaste NEW YORK — Forget, for a moment, the buzzing confusion that greets infants
Camel cigarettes at Thanksgiving? You enjoy food more — have a feeling of ease after eating when you smoke Camels between courses and after meals.
Radium face cream made its debut in 1905: ‘The radium in the cream energizes the cells of the skin so that they throw off impurities… producing the charming glow of delicate color.’
Every year, hundreds of children were stricken with polio. Before testing iron lung machines on humans, two dozen cats had to die under anesthetic.
Electricity will cure all the ills of the world, predicts Thomas Edison, whose inventive genius is responsible for the widespread application of electricity.
A hundred years ago, you wouldn’t have found too many products to help take care of your skin. Ladies back then relied on other little tips and tricks – explained here!
What is the average lifespan for men and women in America? Among the curious things shown by the census of 1880 is the new data relative to the US life expectancy.
The way life is carried on now seems near discovery (1953) By Watson Davis, Director, Science Service – Rocky Mount Evening Telegram (North Carolina) December
Deaths caused by automobiles are few in comparison with other causes. For example, three times as many persons are killed by horses as by automobiles.
Will baseball live? An article from 1893 Firmly believing in the future of baseball, I have no hesitancy in complying with the request made by
Author Hereward Carrington, who earned his PhD six years after this article was published in 1912, was a fairly well-known British investigator of psychic phenomena. The piece below
Ads for a diet plans seems totally commonplace today, but in the early 1950s — especially so soon after the war, which meant food was
Organic foods: Are they modern-day cure-all elixirs sold by modern-day hokum medicine men? Or are they a more wholesome alternative to the chemically-treated foods we customarily eat?
If men “hate the sight of you” read this (1930s) Good news for thousands of girls who have no sex appeal (1940s) Don’t be skinny!
In 1908, they said it was wrong for women to smoke in public places – it was offensive, and detrimental to the character and dignity of the ladies.
Below is some parenting advice from more than 100 years ago. Please keep in mind that much of this is information is out-of-date and provided
Thousands of lives would be lost before it was discovered that simple asbestos – something natural, helpful and seemingly innocuous – would actually lead to many major health problems.[
A dedicated and growing band of people — most of them young — has taken to cooking and serving no-nonsense natural foods.
Chances are, excepting for regional quirks, a student of teenage habits could pinpoint your age (within five years), social status in high school and academic achievement, just from what you wore at high school.
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
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Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Now that you know, have fun looking around!
