JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

A quick note: I'm going to test moving this revived blog over to Substack - you can find today's official post at this link . If all works well, this site may move into retirement after a two-decade run. 

 Harper's, July 1954. If you believe this fun 1950s ad, the story of the wiener fits the classic tale of the immigrant who made good in America. From the arrival of the first two wieners at Ellis Island, this story demonstrates how combining the right cuts of meat and spices into a pleasing taste combination hooked generations of Americans. It is a lesson that is sadly lost on many people today.  Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the wiener industry stressed the easy digestibility of its products, as it does in section 6 of this ad. One of the funniest examples of this I've encountered is an ad for Kahn's Wieners ("The Wiener the World Awaited") presented on Cruisin' 1964 , one in a series of albums recreating the golden age of AM rock radio. Here's a link to the Kahn's ad whose tagline is...well...a tagline (you'll want to start at the 14:07 mark).  Founded in 1906 as the meat industry's lobby group as the American Meat Packers Association, the...

  Esquire, June 1966. Given the current climate where knock-down culture runs rampant, it was interesting to  stumble upon  this 1966 Esquire cover featuring famous people who few publicly hated on.  As for the "unknockables" on this cover, clockwise from the top are Kate Smith (singer whose rendition of "God Bless America" spurred on the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1970s), John Cameron Swayze (early 1950s NBC nightly news anchor and Timex watch spokesperson), Helen Hayes (legendary actress), Norman Thomas (Socialist presidential candidate), Marianne Moore (see below), Jimmy Durante ("good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are..."), and Eddie Bracken (comedic actor, best known to my generation as Roy Walley in National Lampoon's Vacation ), with Joe Louis (legendary boxer) in the middle. Let's explore who else was considered universally beloved... The portraits were illustrated by Jack Davis , who career was in high gear during the 1960s as he ...

  Look, January 8, 1957 . Since 1942, the Ad Council has presented Americans with public service announcements ranging from Smokey the Bear's suggestion that only you can prevent forest fires to McGruff the Crime Dog's vow to take a bite out of crime .  This two-page spread highlights some of the Ad Council's late 1950s campaigns, which reflect a mixture of optimism, community building, and Cold War initiatives. It is refreshing to note that the Ad Council's website does apologize for some of its too-jingoistic campaigns during the Second World War directed against certain "foreigners."  Perhaps a new campaign resurrecting the hand gesture depicted in question #3 could be modernized and used extensively for the upcoming U.S. midterms. 

  Windsor Record, October 5, 1899. Yes, it is ok to have happy thoughts. Especially when you have a functioning late 19th century beast of a stove that might not be the best on the market but will do you what you need it to do.  The model that was just ok may have been manufactured by Brantford-based William Buck Stove Company, who appear to have published several pamphlets about their "Happy Thought" line. This note to housewives appeared in an 1899 guide that is currently available on the Internet Archive .  This pamphlet provided some historical context, with its writer (credited as "the 'Happy Thought' Range Man") declared that "no better stove man ever lived" than William Buck, whose experience "taught him that there was a class of people in this country - a class by the way largely increased since his day - that wanted something better than the ordinary cooking apparatus, no matter how well made, that was at that time in vogue." In ...

 Port Huron Times Herald. December 31, 1925. It's been a long time, hasn't it?  In its last incarnation, this site was primarily used for bonus features related to articles I've written, or as a workaround for Facebook's continuing ban on Canadian news websites. Since the last time I wrote on here, I haven't been in the mood to round up the extra stuff and I've abandoned FB for 12 million reasons.  This site has evolved over its two decades, from an online diary to testing writing ideas to placating tech overlords. Having been dormant for over a year, I feel it's time to properly resurrect it with yet another new direction. That new direction? Going back to the "curio emporium" aspect of the title by digging into the thousands of files on my computer and posting material I've collected for reasons ranging from cool artwork to potential use for future professional assignments.  As social media decays into forms I'm not in love with, maybe it...

  Ottawa Citizen, June 6, 1944. To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, my latest piece for TVO looks at how Ontarians reacted to the invasion my latest piece for TVO looks at how Ontarians reacted to the invasion , including plenty of noise, plenty of prayer, and plenty of contemplation. 

  Chatelaine, May 1951. A busy month of posts for TVO winds down with a look at some initatives, primarily in the educational sector some initatives, primarily in the educational sector , in Ontario around the time of Canada's first Mental Health Week in 1951.

  Windsor Star, November 12, 1983. With Red Lobster in the news due to its bankruptcy filing, it seemed like a good idea to revisit the chain's entry into Canada , starting in Windsor in 1983. I ate at the original location a lot when I was a kid, discovering a love for garlic shrimp, seafood gumbo, and escargot (though I missed the hush puppies served up in their American restaurants). And yes, I did rummage through the treasure chest.

  Sault Star, March 2, 1976. For TVO, I mark the passing of Canadian literary legend Alice Munro with a look at some censorship battles she was involved with , affecting her work and other authors (mostly Margaret Laurence) in the late 1970s in Peterborough and Huron County. Also: why people at public meetings can be really annoying.

  Windsor Star, October 29, 1966. Protesting/boycotting Loblaws for high prices is nothing new. Back in 1966, housewives targeted the chain, and other major grocers, during an inflationary period, admit the backdrop of government hearings into pricing. My latest piece for TVO looks at how these protests unfolded, and how a veil of secrecy surrounding the Weston family's business holdings was drawn back. Let's just say your jaw might drop at the flow chart...

  Editorial cartoon by Rusins Kaufmanis, Ottawa Citizen, March 24, 1964.  For TVO, I look at the furor surrounding Bill 99 , legislation that the Ontario government introduced in 1964 to increase police powers that was so bad, even the minister responsible was concerned about it.

  The Telegram, March 15, 1949. I've been on a hot streak of stories for TVO over the past two weeks, which is winding down with a look at the 75th anniversary of residents moving into the first phase of Regent Park . 

  St. James' Cathedral after the Great Fire of 1849. Wikimedia Commons/Toronto Public Library. This time out, a look at the Great Fire of 1849 , which struck Toronto 175 years ago this month. What really struck me while researching this story was the depictions of public apathy toward helping out during unfolding disasters, with at least one description reminding me of modern armchair quarterbacking (people who will have an opinion about everything, but do absolutely nothing to solve problems). 

  Two TTC guides standing next to a scale-model cake of a subway train. Royal York Hotel, March 30, 1954. (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1128, Series 381, File 298, Item 11847-5). Two stories this time out. First up: a look at the 70th anniversary of the opening of Toronto's first subway line , complete with celebratory cake. Front page of Windsor Star, April 4, 1974. Second, a look at the 50th anniversary of a deadly tornado that struck Windsor , one of 148 that struck eastern North America that day. 

  San Francisco Examiner, January 10, 1976. Why are these men smiling? Because, for a brief moment, they had settled a deal to buy the San Francisco Giants and were going to move the team to Toronto . But, as we know, that didn't quite pan out. It's the back door secret origin of the Blue Jays, with guest appearances by Harold Ballard and Danny Kaye!

  The Telegram, August 21, 1958. This month's Spacing repost takes a look at the debates surrounding approval of the Bloor-Danforth subway line (today's Line 2), which faced opposition from suburban politicians convinced it would be too much of a tax burden for their constituents, a burden that they would never use. You'll also discover some politicians who may have had consultations with Lyle Lanley (had to drop a classic Simpsons reference in there...). 

  Publicity photo of Kit Coleman, c. 1894. Library and Archives Canada. This time around, for International Women's Day, I look at Kit Coleman, Canada's first officially-accredited war correspondent, and her coverage of the Spanish-American War in Cuba for the Mail and Empire in 1898 . 

  Kitchener-Waterloo Record, January 2, 1991. To mark the passing of Brian Mulroney, my latest piece for TVO looks at one of his administration's legacies, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) . With only just over two weeks between its final passage and public implementation, there was plenty of scrambling - let's just say it was a golden age to be a technician specializing in either cash registers or taxi meters. And there's an amusing headline about a revision to the tax that will make every inner 12-year-old smile. 

  Winding down my Black History Month coverage for TVO for this year with the tale of one of the most controversial exhibits the Royal Ontario Museum ever mounted ...and how it became a textbook example of how not to mount such an exhibit.