Ballyhoo Vintage News

1930s Leather Coat Styles

2012-01-21T05:56:00.000-08:00

Another page from The Spear & Company of Pittsburgh's "75th Semi-Annual All Star Value Sale" catalogue.

1930s Striped Tee

2012-01-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

1930s "T-Mates" striped tee shirt. Ring knit by Manchester Knitted Fashions. It appears Manchester Knitted Fashions may still be in business in New Hampshire. This beauty is never worn old store stock, a size small. There is some fold lines which we could mitigate if not completely remove at the customer's request. We'll leave it as found to preserve the NOS state. Vintage 1930s Tees are so hard to find. As this one fails to mention sanforization, I suspect it is very early 30s.

19th Century Shopkeepers

2011-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

I found this old photo in a very old dry goods store on 3rd and Market st in Philadelphia.

This is not the store in the photo, perhaps one of their wholesale customers out West?

The guy on the far left has what look like Stifel indigo fabric sleeves to protect his white shirt underneath. Another fellow to the right has plainer ones as well. You can see they buttoned to the white shirt at the top.

Vintage 1930s Mickey Mouse Wool Cap

2011-12-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

I found this in a fantastic old store In Philly. Two buildings, three floors of clothing, the newest stuff was from the 1960s. Stretched back to the 30s. This hat is wool knit and bares a tag from the "Honey Hat Co." The hang tag is now gone-if it had one. Perhaps the oldest Disney clothing piece i've seen.

Celebration In Honor of Al Schmid "Pride of the Marines", 1943

2011-11-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

A 1943 celebration in honor of Al Schmid who was blinded by a grenade at the battle of Alligator Creek on Guadalcanal. The battle was depicted in Tom Hank's Miniseries "The Pacific" Al was one of the Machine gunners on the front line. He continued to fire even after being blinded with direction from an injured friend. This ceremony was at Rayburn Plaza in Philadelphia. This crowd shot is a photo I found among a large collection by a avid amateur photographer and office clerk.

Turn of the Century Union Suit

2011-10-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Found this wonderful light weight summer union suit in an old suit case we had in the warehouse. I'm not sure where we acquired it, I guess they were with a large group of things and I didn't notice it. The fabric is a wonderful crisp cotton with a super tiny houndstooth check. The checks are indigo blue. The construction is both hand stitching and machine. A very simple machine btw. The tailored worked buttonholes were overcast by hand. There are pleats on the outside of each leg.

1940s Men's Sportswear

2011-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool store display for Rugby Brand men's sportswear. When you find Rugby items, they are usually really nice vintage clothing items. Always well made and usually a bold design. This is a semi translucent card-stock, I am not sure whether its been waxed or plasticized somehow. It was used in a deep frame that was illuminated. Sadly the frame was missing when i found this pinned to the wall in a very old store. The store owner described for me how it originally was displayed.

Spear and Company Pittsburgh

2011-09-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

A page from their " 75th Semi-Annual All Star Value Sale" Catalogue. My guess is late 1920s early 1930s.

The Hat Box

2011-08-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

The cover of The Stetson Company House Magazine from March 1930

1940s WWII USN Dungarees

2011-08-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Very cool WWII US Navy dungarees with the guy's name bleached across the back. Unusual blue line selvedge in crotch seams. Probably pre 1945. Listed on ebay with no reserve, curious to see what they go for.

Restoring A Vintage Wood Tank

2011-07-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

So, about a year ago I found this late 19th C wooden tank or cistern. It was removed from a Chester county house. It provided water pressure and continuous supply from the well. Soon after the house was built it was hooked up to public water and the cistern was disconnected and drained. It then sat for almost a hundred years in the dry and dark attic. It has no rot (of consequence) or bug damage. The company that made it is still in business and making classic wooden cisterns. My plan is to reassemble it and hook up modern hot tub heating and filtration to use it "Petticoat Junction " style as a hot tub.

I'm starting with the bottom. It is made up of a bunch of edge joined cedar boards that are doweled together. I've sanded the inside surface to remove a bunch of iron rust sediment and to make sure there are no spots that may cause scrapes or splinters. I also had to plane the edge of one board to get it to mate properly. It had bowed a little. It's nice and snug now. I got badly stung by bees when making this photo, it seems there is a hive in the ground near that old tree in the background. They were pretty pissed at me and made me pay for coming too close.

The hand made dowels are scored along their length and have a flat planed into them long one side. You can see how the hole was located with a pencil mark and a scored line along the grain. All of the dowels are slightly offset from each other.

You can see here that the bottom boards are bevelled twice to fit the rabbet in the staves. The fit to the staves is nice and snug. That's a split that was wedged. Also there are a few small knots that were drilled and small hand made plugs were driven in.

This is the stencil on the side. There is also a round 'Unionmade' stamp in the wood above this. It's hard to spot.

All of the staves are hand made, unique ( no two are alike in width) and are numbered on the inside.

Here is one of the pieces of dunnage that it sat on. Note the original owner or installer's ? name and address in marking pencil. I'm going to use new, much more massive pressure treated material for dunnage. As I move along I'll add more updates.

A Unique Necktie

2011-06-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

I found this tie some years ago and have yet to see a more bizarre design. Sure a few Dali ties have come and gone and they can be pretty cool- The one of disembodied bloody hands playing a piano is pretty wild
But this odd tie with it's slightly hard to read design takes the cake. Often viewers have had to have the design pointed out to them before they can 'read' it. I really like the logo of the designer; Damon as well. I
don't recall seeing any other Damon ties with this logo and wonder if it is the same company as the 1960s-70s men's wear maker. I actually doubt it is. The tie is listed among our current vintage tie offerings.

A brilliant Idea From The Past

2011-05-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

1931 gave us the perfect solution for sagging stockings! "The Bonton Rayon Air Cushion Garter". A rubber tube surrounded by a rayon covering. Brilliant. I sure hope the tubing was more flexible when new. What's that you say? Your legs have fallen asleep? Numb? According to the unintentionally hilarious patent application these are ideal when you roll the top of the stocking down around them. I bet! The young lady who seems to have lost her balance on the card is a nice touch.

Late 19th C Fabrics

2011-04-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

About 15 years ago while driving through what at the time was a notoriously violent inner city neighborhood in Philadelphia on my way to a beloved thrift store, I came across some guys cleaning out
an old building under the El. Just as we drove by we saw them toss an armload of vintage dresses from a second floor window into the dumpster. 30's dresses by the look of them as the floated down. We whipped into a nearby parking spot and convinced the guys to take a breather while we grabbed the rest of the clothing. The store front had been a florists from about 1900. It looked like it probably had not been open since the early 1960s. There were only a couple closets of women's things from the 30s and 40s, But in one very small room was a very large armoire stacked with bolts of cloth. All of the fabric inside the armoire was covered with old newspapers with headlines announcing the latest news of the first world war! It seems the entire second floor of the building had basically been untouched as business on the first floor continued all those years. The fabrics from the look of them were already old by the time they were covered. Miraculously they were in fantastic condition. Here are a few samples of the indigo dyed shirting and various calico patterns as well as some flannels that are reversible. I've folded the flannels so you can see both sides.

1939 Lockfast Zipper

2011-04-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

While digging through some old notions for a button I found this little gem. It looks like a Hookless/ Talon zip but is a maker named "Lockfast" Note the holes ready for rivets to secure the bottom stops. There is no mention of Lockfast in "Zipper, An Exploration in Novelty" by Robert Friedel. The Patent drawings are pretty neat for this zipper.

Earlier, Max Keissler designed this picture hanger:

I've photographed this vintage zipper on a yard of late 19th C indigo dyed cotton shirting with an oversize 'herringbone' print. Here's some pics of the fabric with label:

Rainy Day

2011-03-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

Another late Winter day of rain and mud. A diecut cardboard counter sign

for rubber overshoes " Litentufs" .

Sweet-Orr

2011-03-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

A very early Sweet-orr sign made of composite material- like pressed wood. Check out the mutton chop whiskers. Sweet-orr signs went through a lot of variations in the way the tug of war was depicted. This one is quite complex and detailed. Most likely to be from the late 20s.

Wahini Hawaiian Shirt

2011-03-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

One from our collection: 1950s cotton hawaiian souvenir shirt, Very unusual silk screen printed fabric. Not the typical high quality printing you usually find on Hawaiian shirts of this period.

Jane Russell 1921-2011

2011-03-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

By now you've probably heard of her passing. Read all the obits and stories. Here's a small ode created years ago by a GI in postwar Japan to honor one of the great pinups of the war years. 1946 was the year Outlaw was finally in general release so loads of magazines had centerfold spreads of this image to advertise the movie.

Early Athletic Shoes

2011-01-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

Very cool lace to toe athletic shoes. I think these are for working out in the gym, tossin' the medicine ball etc. Probably 1930s maybe earlier.

Duxbak December 1955

2011-01-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

1952 Wissahickon Park

2011-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Stanley Roberts Swings in 1952

Picking Asparagus

2010-12-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

South Jersey Circa 1915-20

The First Traveling Salesman to use an Airplane

2010-12-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

Sweet-orr Overalls had a bunch of 'firsts' including 1st to have a Union Made label,

First to size with inches around waist etc...prior to their change, sizes were in small medium etc..

They had a large very active salesforce that travelled extensively. I learned this from interviewing

the son of one of their main salesmen from the turn of the century period. He also was a salesman for them as a young man and was very proud of what his father had done.

Farmer Brown

2010-12-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

Has that sort of 1930s Idylic view of the Farmer you'd see in a kid's book or a Thomas Hart Benton Painting. From a denim chore jacket.

THB's "Persephone" from 1938, Oil and egg tempura on canvas covered panel.

Internet Shopping Circa 1915

2010-12-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

I can imagine quite a few things I'd like to order with this where it able to cross the decades and arrive on my doorstep. Check out the sizing info on the reverse. Cleverly printed with a tape on the edge. This is from my Uncle's old farm on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Vintage World War II Navy Denim Fatigues

2010-10-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a group of WWII military denim all from the same sailor who served in the Pacific. We also received his duffle bag. Here are a bunch of pictures of this cool group. I particularly like the second pair of pants with the bleached name and the low pocket placement.

redline selvedge in the crotch gussets.

Vintage 1920s Blue Jeans Find!

2010-07-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

After about 20 years of looking I've found a pair of never worn 1920s blue jeans. They came out of an old eastern Pennsylvania estate. At least ten years older than a pair of Levi's I'd found with a Best and Co, NY label in the waistband- Levi's at the time were not widely available on the East coast, just specialty shops catering to the dude ranch craze and equestrian aficionados.

This is a pair of "Reputation Brand" waist overalls made by Horn & Co of Allentown Pennsylvania in approximately 1919-1925. The denim is nice and heavy. While both leg seams are triple stitched flat-felled seams, a small bit of selvedge can be seen in a waistband seam that was poorly sewn. The waist band is cut so that the back is higher than the front. Both belt loops and suspender buttons are present. As is a cinch back strap. However most of the suspender buttons have been pulled off. It appears the buyer of these preferred a belt to suspenders and found the chunky metal buttons to be an annoyance. Interestingly, the fly buttons are missing as well. Though there is no damage it may have been that they were sewn on and removed carefully or the pants are irregulars that never had them sewn on or riveted to begin with? There are two button holes in the fly. The top button is there btw. I think the reason these were never worn is that the original owner noticed the missing fly buttons as he was pulling off the suspender buttons and not being able to return them to the store as he'd damaged the pants, simply tossed them in a drawer where they remained for almost a hundred years. The paper label looks like it is letterpress printed and includes the wording " Overalls, Play suits, Coveralls, Brownies". Brownies were originally boy's brown duck overalls with blue denim details that also came to be available in all denim and also railroad stripes. The term 'Brownies' is commonly used in newspaper advertising from the late 1800s through 1919 and the latest usage i can find is a single ad in 1921 by Stifel in an Ohio Newspaper. The stress points are bar tacked instead of riveted. The bar tacks are machine made. I am still trying to nail down the earliest usage of the bar tack machine. Currently I am told the machine came in to usage in the early 1920s with possible usage in 1919.

I love the look of these pants, a nice wide leg, huge back pockets and a rugged fit. How these didn't get worn through all the intervening years is amazing.

Greg West

BallyhooVintage.com

Inquiries: Sales@ballyhoovintage.com

Thanks to John Gluckow at Strongarm C&S Co. NYC and

Lynn Downey at Levi's

The Circus Life

2010-06-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

High Diver Capt. Earl MacDonald

On reverse:

"Taken on Valley Park Baseball Field-Cheltenham & Erdrick Sts.

Oct 12, 1947

Drops from 80 feet high tower backwards turning over once

into a tank of water 6 feet deep & 9 feet wide. Tank rolled up can

be seen on trailer. Gas or oil is thrown on water & set on fire

right before jump."

original period print

Dennis Hopper is Gone

2010-05-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

About ten years ago I traded a pair of '31 Levi's Buckle back waist overalls for this self portrait of Dennis Hopper. He's reflected in a polished tray on a low table. The guy was an American original.

Here's a remembrance in photos The Guardian.

Duke Kahanamoku

2010-04-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

A tribute song from Sol Bright for the guy who made Surfing an international sport among many other achievements.

A fantastic border print Hawaiian shirt bearing Duke Kahanamoku's label for Cisco Sportswear.

1969 "Hair" Broadway Program -The second year on Broadway

2010-04-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Front Cover

Back Cover

Inside Front

Credits

Souvenir book written by Ed Grifford and designed by Willson-Frissora

July 1930 Stetson "Hatbox"

2010-04-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

William Steig Collins Glass

2010-04-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I think we all can agree. From a set of 6 we found at a terrific garage sale last Summer.

Acme Cowboy Boot Ad Campaign

2010-04-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is a series of die-cut cardboard signs which slipped into the top of a pair of boots. This one is my favorite. The drawing of the guy is stylized in an interesting way. Check out his pleat front denim jacket. I've also always loved old surplus Willys Jeeps like this one.

This last one is the largest and unfortunately was trimmed by the store owner i got it from. He wanted to use it in a display of boots from another maker.

Lee Colorform Ad

2010-04-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

This is a thin sheet of soft clear vinyl printed with the ad which was applied to a wet window with a squeegee. Like a Colorform toy. Probably 1950s and about a foot tall.

Boots

2010-04-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

1955 Short Boot with Paratrooper ? Zipper endorsed by a Ballplayer. I've seen a few variations of this

style of boot from the mid fifties, often with the strap, in roughout suede or even a diamond quilted leather.

One even had a built in sheath for a knife.

1955 Paratrooper's Jump Boots.

An Ad from a favorite boot maker of the mid Fifties, Chippewa.

Workwear Ads and Tags #1

2010-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

1930s Anvil Overalls embossed card counter sign

"Farmer Brown" button tag

Dubbleware double knee denim work pants pocket flash

Stetson Hat Box

2010-03-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

April 1930 edition of "The Hat Box", Company newsletter of Stetson Hats.

My Dad's Bike Jacket

2010-03-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

I found my Dad's old Bike Jacket in the front closet when i was 14 and wore it till it was too small.

My dad had a Czech bike. He can't remember what the make was and I never thought to ask him in the past. All he remembers is that it was very fast.

Knitting on the Home Front Circa World War I

2010-03-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Found in the second floor studio of a dressmaker under the El in Kensington Philadelphia.

Bundles of homefront Knitwear Destined for the War in Europe.

A letter of Appreciation from a soldier for a knit helmet like the one in the guide above.

Wilmette Public Library collection

Olympics Clothing

2010-02-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

In 1956 The official US Outfitter for Sweaters was Mont Blanc. This is one of their designs for the team that year.

The Winter games that year were in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

This is a team jacket from the Squaw Valley Games of 1960

It reversed to red wool from blue satin. The name in the pocket was Barbara Hentel.

Jitterbug Jeans

2010-02-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Kids Printed Jeans from the late 40s

Women's Vintage Jeans with Big Band Graffiti on the front, circa late 40s

Vintage Juke Jacket

Jitterbug, Jalopy, Jukebox, Jive. I've always thought the late forties youth culture to be very interesting. The old worn out car with the roof jettisoned and slogans painted in white house paint. A friends mother told me once of her wild trip through post war France with a gang of friends in her grandfather's old beat up Rolls. Fancy for a Jalopy but part of a world wide fashion. Original Rat Rods but less contrived.

Vintage Overalls

2009-12-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

Uncle Jim in a new pair of Overalls

It is always a special experience finding a pair of old vintage overalls with lots of wear and old vernacular repairs, the sort of repairs done by hand with rolled edges and heavy cotton thread top stitching.

Among my oldest memories are visiting my great uncle Jim Martyn down at Middle Bayou on the Texas Gulf Coast. Jimmy Martyn was a unique and wonderful man . He worked the farm alone on Middle Bayou his entire life. Rejecting most modern conveniences he drove a model T truck from 1926 till his death in 1964. A crystal radio was his link to the outside world along with numerous books, periodicals and correspondences. Uncle Jim wore overalls everyday. His life was deceptive in it's simple outward appearance. He thought of himself as a progressive farmer and sought out information on current best farming practices and such unusual crops as ginseng as early as 1930.

A tiny one and half inch tall and as thick worn copy of Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was in his pocket.

Jim Martyn saw himself as a part of the nature around him. He also saw himself as a protector. For a time he served as the local game warden and poachers or hunters that dared hunt nearby illegally often had to make a trip to the local courthouse in his custody.

A couple of times he made the trip down to the fledgling Houston Zoo with injured animals or those he felt could not make it in the wild. A large female alligator which had lost her hind legs to a prop was tied up and loaded into the T and made the trek to Houston. On another occasion when beaching his skiff in the bayou the bank collapsed to reveal a large den of hibernating rattlesnakes. The snakes were gathered up in gunny sacks and driven to town on the seat next to him in the truck.

I remember lunch one day when we had driven down for a visit. Pork and beans eaten out of the can which had been heated on top of the wood stove and biscuits made from scratch. My uncle in his beat up old overalls, My brothers and me with our dad -who had spent a good part of his childhood on the farm, all getting a glimpse of a way of life that would soon pass.

Overalls are simple humble wear. Functional and practical they evoke for me hardwork and honesty.