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Tag: 1940’s images

My Favourite Vintage Pinterest Content

Do you join me in being equally addicted to Pinterest or do I stand alone? I don’t think I do since I find myself liking many of the images and boards that my lovely readers post (I see you! hehehe).

Today I’m going to share with you some of the fun vintage things I’m liking/loving on Pinterest. Maybe you like the same ones? Or have others you want me to see. If so lets follow each other!

Collection of Vintage Images, Advertisements, Fashons and more as seen on Pinterest

Now lets check out my board “Vintage Photos from the 1920s -1960s“. By now you know I love vintage photos, I’m such a sucker for a good one or two or three. Here are some of the goodies I have fallen in love with recently.

What caught my eye in this wonderful 1940s photo was how this young woman has managed to make her war work smock super stylish with all these fantastic details. Her well styled 1940s hair, her dainty pearl necklace, brooch that looks like it has berries and a pine cone on it, that beautiful small watch and her cute bow in hair as the cherry on top. Wonderful and sure does spice up what could be a super boring work attire.

Further Reading:

1940s vintage photo of a woman in 1940s fashion and 1940s hairstyle working on the homefront during WW2

On the website where this 1940 photo came from, the blogger mentioned that all he knew was that the picture was 1942 and that was it. His theory was maybe the girl was in Hollywood looking for stardom and I think I have to agree. All her hopes and dreams in one little suitcase, looking out to the world wondering if she will be the next big star, will someone notice her? Gosh I hope something happened for this pretty young woman.

1942 vintage woman on the street with a suitcase in 1940s fashion.
Source: Old Photos Blogspot

A women’s bowling team poses on the front of Chevrolet in a showroom. San Francisco, California 1945.

Not 100% sure what a Chevrolet and Bowling have in common but I love this photo for all the fun details. Aren’t the ladies outfits just adorable? And I’m kind of crushing on the wedges on the lovely blonde on the left front.

Further Reading: 1940s & 1950s Bowling Fun!

A women’s bowling team poses on the front of Chevrolet in a showroom. San Francisco, California 1945
Source: Tumblr-Hoodoo That Voodoo

For my final photo in this section, I HAD to share this darling couple from the 1940s. They have such style (can we talk about her shoes for a moment? ohhhhh pretty!) and I kind of think her very handsome man looks a bit like Denzel Washington (or Denzel looks like him I should say).

Further Reading: Vintage Photo Tuesday: Vintage Black Style

1940s vintage photo of a stylish Black Man and Black Woman posing in front of their car in 1940s fashions.
Source: Etsy-TheTwinkleOfAnEye (not for sale anymore)

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase


Next Board “For the Vintage Styled Home“. I live in a teeny tiny small apartment in Toronto so I’m constantly dreaming about my future home..vintage home I should say. Ideally it would be a craftsman or even a mid-century bungalow but I won’t be too picky if it meant I could have a big closet. Here are some of the vintage details that inspire me…

Question..How to move in to this living-room asap and add Don Draper sitting on a bar stool (my husband won’t mind, I swear!).

mid-century retro living room
Source: Flickr

Atomic Print Wallpaper…love it!

Further Reading: Fall in Love with Mid-Century, Atomic Age ‘Starbursts’ Design

Atomic print wallpaper retro 1950s 1960s
Source-Etsy: littlesuzyhomemaker

Vintage TV as a cool Retro Bar, yup my husband would approve of this piece.

Cool Home Craft Idea: Vintage TV being used as a Vintage Bar
Source: Fat shack Vintage Blog

Friends, I cannot possibly do a blog post on Pinterest and not show off some of the vintage clothing pieces I’m drooling over on the on the Internet..right? So here you go.

1940’s dress & bolero jacket by James Rothenberg. I cried a little when I saw this stunning and very different dress and I can just see it looking absolutely amazing on some lucky gal who can fit in it. If I owned it, I would just look at my sleeves all day as they are my favorite part (I’m a nerd I know).

1940s Fashion: Vintage 1940s Dress & Bolero Jacket 1941 New York Creation Label James Rothenberg
Source: Etsy-swingkatsvintage

1940s rayon dress. This is so Liz and also several other ladies as well from the amount of shares on Pinterest this dress has had. But seriously I don’t blame anyone, how could you not love this simple design?

1940s vintage Rayon Dress with a novelty print, yellow and black.
Source-Etsy: Mill Street Vintage

I have been wanting to get into 1930s dresses for a while now but I not sure about the silhoutte with my figure, however I do believe this particular dress would do the job. A “Solène” Original 1930’s Capelet Gown.

1930s Fashion: 1930s Solene Original Capelet Gown
Source: Relevant

The last image I’m going to show you falls into a couple of categories so I’m showing it on its own. The last remaining sombrero restaurant on old Route 66.

I can just imagine that you can see the top of the Sombrero from miles away. I know I would want to stop, I love Mexican food. Yum!

Route 66 mexican restaurant -The last remaining sombrero restaurant on old Route 66.

There it is friends, some of my favorite Pins from Pinterest. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the things that inspire me and I look forward to maybe see your Pinterest loves as well.

Further Reading:

Liz

The Canadian “Rosie the Riveter”-Veronica Foster, The Bren Gun Girl

While browsing thru this cool dance book I own (and blogged about before, called “Let’s Dance: A Celebration of  Ontario’s Dance Halls” my friend stumbled up a  picture of a girl dancing jitterbug and the caption said she was the “Bren Gun Girl“. My friend turned to me and said “Who is a Bren Gun Girl?” I replied with a “I don’t know” and quickly ran to the internet for answers and what I found was pretty cool!

The Canadian "Rosie The Riverter"-Veronica Foster

The Canadian “Rosie the Riveter”Veronica Foster

Who was the Bren Gun Girl?

The Bren Gun Girl according to Wikipedia was a young woman named “Veronica Foster” who became a Canadian icon representing nearly one million Canadian women who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and material during World War II. She was popularly known as “Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl” and worked for the company John Inglis Co.Ltd producing Bren light machine guns on a production line on Strachan Avenue in Toronto, Ontario (Where I live! And now called “Liberty Village”). She became popular after a series of propaganda posters were produced; most images featured her working for the war effort, but others depicted more casual settings like Foster dancing the jitterbug  (just like the image we found in my book) or attending a dinner party.

She can be seen as the Canadian precursor to the American fictional propaganda tool Rosie the Riveter (Source-Wikipedia).

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". Posing for a photo with a bren gun while smoking.
Source: Wikipedia

Image comment: I find it interesting that she is smoking in this picture. I know in the TV Show Bomb Girls that would not be allowed but maybe it is because she is posing with a gun and not a bomb 🙂

Note from Laura-Veronica’s Daughter:

Just to clarify a small fact… my mother never smoked. The photographer wanted her to smoke because I guess it was considered sexy in those days and smoking was supposed to be the socially acceptable cool in those days. Up until a few years ago you could smoke anywhere you wanted at any time. But… my mother never smoked… just for the “Ronnie” photos.

Now for some more pictures of our Canadian Rosie the Riveter

Inspecting a lathe at the John Inglis Co. Bren gun plant.

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". Veronica in her 1940s Homefront fashion is working on a machine.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Demonstrating the use of a kerchief to protect the hair of female employees from being caught in machinery.

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". Veronica is tying her 1940s Headscarf before going to work on the homefront in a factory.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Playing Baseball. The site of the photo is in what is now Liberty Village in Toronto.

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". Photo features Veronica playing baseball in Toronto.
Source: Preserved Stories

Our Bren Gun Girl getting her photo taken for work. She was a petite woman.

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". PHoto features Veronica getting a photo taken
Source: Preserved Stories

Preparing to go to a party at the Glen Eagle Country Club. What a fantastic 1940s hat!

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". 1940s Photo features Veronica is beautiful 1940s Fashion for a night out on the town.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter. 1940s Photo features Veronica is beautiful 1940s Fashion for a night out on the town.  Super 1940s Hat
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Jitterbugging with plant foreman Bill Ward during a party at the Glen.

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter. 1940s Photo features Veronica in a 1940s dress dancing (doing the jitterbug / Lindy hop) at a party.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Love the shot of her dress in this image and the dance pose as well!

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter. 1940s Photo features Veronica in a 1940s dress dancing (doing the jitterbug / Lindy hop) at a party.

Veronica Foster the Big Band Singer:

1940s vintage photo of Veronica Foster the Canadian Bren Gun Girl and also 1940s Big Band Singer.

Veronica was also a singer of repute in Canada. She sang & toured with Mart Kenney and his Western Gentlemen from 1943-1944 and then met her furture husband, trombonist George M. Guerrette (they would go on to have 5 children). She also sang with Ellis McLintock’s Orchestra as well as the Bobby Gimby Orchestra.

Here are some fantastic photos courtesy of Veronica’s daughter Laura of her mother performing in the 1940s (Oh my goodness her 1940s dress is just stunning!).

1940s Vintage photo of Canadian Veronica Foster performing with an orchestra in 1940s dress.
1940s Vintage photo of Canadian Veronica Foster performing with an orchestra in 1940s dress.

And now my personal favourite news clipping that features Veronica Foster & Swing Dancers who were jumping and jiving at Maple Leaf Gardens, thanks in part to Miss Foster who sang with one of the orchestras (Bobby Gimby I believe).

1940s newspaper article featuring images of 1940s teenagers and adults swing dancing and admiring Veronica Foster the singer.

I actually featured an image in a past blog post called “Vintage Photo Tuesday: The Social Dance” that you can see below.

It’s the Simpson’s Teen-Town Time dance at Maple Leaf Gardens (1940’s) featuring Bobby Gimby (Toronto Orchestra Leader), Art Hallman (popular Canadian Tenor) and Ken Watts.

1940's Simpsons Sears Teen Town Time Dance at Maple Leaf Gardens
Source: Toronto Archives

Want to learn more about Veronica Foster?

Here is a video on Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl done by CBC a few years ago. This video was pointed out to me by one of her daughters Laura. HERE IS THE LINK TO THE VIDEO (playback on my blog was removed by the owner of the video so you have to click on the link to see it)

AND…I was just told from Ronnie’s daughter about a Postage Stamp from Canada Post in honour of VE Day 2020 (75th Anniversary). THIS IS AWESOME!!!

Veronica Foster -Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl Canada Post Stamp.

And check out this 2016 Blog Post with another story about Ronnie..HERE.

To end this post I want to leave you with this great video to watch on our “Rosies of the North” Click Here

FURTHER READING:

Liz 🙂