Change is all around us, as Amy points out in her choice of subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week, and the trees are once again taking on their autumn colors while there’s a chilly nip in the air first thing in the morning, but it’s not only the seasons that are undergoing their annual transformation from summer to fall. As Bob Dylan once pointed out, “The Times They Are A Changing.”
On a recent visit to Volo Auto Museum we were rather amused and, admittedly, somewhat shocked by the sentiments expressed in this collection of vintage advertisements displayed alongside the cars. It’s good to know that some things have changed for the better.
I can relate to these ads. For many years, I lived in a house with three smokers and there were times when you could hardly see the other side of the room for smoke. My parents were able, with a tremendous amount of willpower, to eventually change the habit of a lifetime, and quit cold turkey.
However, despite the change in certain attitudes, it’s sad to see that there are many that remain, to a certain extent, the same.
My husband was clearly influenced by ads such as the next. For our first wedding anniversary he bought me a fancy electric mixer. I was upset! I had hoped for something a little more romantic and made him take it back. Subsequently he allowed me to choose, within reason, my own anniversary, birthday and Christmas presents. For our 25th anniversary I asked for a paper guillotine to trim photos. He was upset! He thought my choice was somehow symbolic.
My grandfather might have agreed with the next ad. For most of his life he spurned lean meat for pure fat until, with advancing years, he developed high blood pressure and heart problems. I think that even then he was unwilling to concede that his poor health was linked to a bad diet, but eventually wiser heads prevailed and he was forced to change his daily menu. Unfortunately the change came a little too late to do much good.
For more on this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to #15: Changing and/or Changeable.
Getting the Picture 
How clever to use these Ads to tell the changes we have gone through. Change for the better! Thank you so much for the stories 🙂
Thanks, Amy! When we are constantly bombarded by ads it’s easy to see how people can be influenced by them so it’s good to know that the content is a little more responsible these days.
I like the change of being be responsible. 🙂
I will certainly share this with my squash playing friends. In squash you want to be on the T as that is where you can control the game the best from. This Camel T-zone is going to make you suffer at the T. Thanks for the gift suggestions 🙂 except for the guillotine that is!! I am sure the Bard ate lard…
Thanks for visiting! I enjoyed your latest ‘Lens Artists’ post. The pictures were stunning.
Thank you very much Sue
I once gave Mrs T a load of manure for her Christmas present. It was dumped outside our kitchen window. She was very grateful and said that every time she looked at it , it reminded her of me.
Haha! Nice one, Tom!
Great add and laughing at the smoke inner direction and she will follow you anywhere –
Lol
And then also the over-smoked – hmmmm
Never heard that term
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The art and messages of the ads do show such great change and you grabbed a culture vein!
Well done m(even though I disagree with the animal fat as leading to the heart disease – took me a long time to get to this view –
But there are other variables that occurred which had way more impact leading to poor inside health!
1) use of chemicals and corrupted food
2) sugar! It was being used more and more and everyone is blind to this immune stopping pathogen feeding item that is in most standard American diets
And then came sugar substutues that cause tumors and kill mice and we say it is okay to add to chemicals called natural flavors exposed to dyes and heavy metals (it is good animal fat that can chelate heavy metals from the body)
3) the use of corn as food for animals and humans – then they changed that corn and modified it and the intestines hate it
4) stress – industry and the go go go view – stress causes heart problems and keeps the parasympathetic Nercous system engaged and leads to many heart problems
5) antibiotics that woo our all the good flora and enzymes and bacteria – the insides are waiting targets for pathogens and the heart suffers too
And 6)overlooked intestinal parasites – we all have some parasites inside – the earliest caveman had trace lines from intestinal stuff – but the parasite load becomes too heavy when we get sugared up and it leads to candidiasis –
Well then parasites pull from health (I know first hand with all of the items here because I healed from the inside out)
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In closing – thanks for letting me share that and these ads are a really interesting culture-rich share !
Thank you for visiting and for your comment.
🙂
A step back in time. The messages in these ads are hilarious.
Yes, it’s hard to believe that anyone ever took them seriously. Thanks for visiting.
Sue, these are amazing – I’m so happy you posted them. My how times have changed!
Thanks, Tina! I remember seeing ads like this when I was young and didn’t really think anything of it but now I would be outraged at some of these sentiments. It makes me wonder if there are any ads today that I would find so outrageous. Something to ponder.
How life has changed. You are so right. I can’t believe the lard ad. I bet most millennials have never heard of lard. 🙂
I remember both Mum and I cooking with lard and, up until a few years ago I would search high and low for a nice piece of beef suet for the Christmas pudding, something I wouldn’t dream of doing these days. Thanks for visiting, Marie!
This is a great response to the challenge. So interesting, how things have and haven’t changed.
Thank you! Initially, it was funny seeing these ads, but then I started thinking about our own misconceptions back in the day and how dangerous misinformed or downright irresponsible advertising can be.
Yup, some things don’t change!
Oh wow, that’s quite a historic overview you’re offering here. It’s plain to see how the ads have influenced people since the early days. As for lard, I really don’t think it’s such a killer, especially if you compare it to the stuff people eat nowadays. My grandfather cooked on lard all his life too. But he smoked all this life too… Hard to say which got him in the end.
Yes, I guess in retrospect, lard wasn’t so bad. My mother lived to 96 years of age even with a somewhat unhealthy diet and many years of smoking.
Ha! Enjoyed this one immensely!
Thanks, Steve!
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Ha ha ha … recently I came across with tips to look after your husband and there is this one how to get a husband https://ciarameehan.com/2014/09/20/how-to-attract-a-husband-and-be-a-good-wife-1960s-style/
Thanks for the link, Perpetua!
Great post!
I’d love to see a similar set of 2018 ads in the context of 2068! Makes one wonder… .
Thank you! Yes, I was thinking the same thing.
Your approach is very interesting. Lots to think about. Strong images.
Thanks for visiting! These old ads certainly gave us food for thought. Did we ever take them seriously at the time, find them funny, or did we just ignore them? I can’t remember now.