"Old Maid" Insurance
In 1903, insurance companies in Denmark offered policies to "women who have a fear of becoming old maids." If they married before age 40, their money went to "the less fortunate." If they did not marry, "they receive pensions for life." Source: Los Angeles Herald 30 May 1903
California Wine Industry
This article heralds the growth of grape cultivation in California and the rising wine industry. In 1903, the year of this article, production approached 25 million gallons.
City Devil Cars
A "noted Paris psychologist" (perhaps Edgar Berillon?) identified "a new disease, which is more or less of a mental disorder" that he called "speed mania." According to the psychologist, the disorder was caused when a person "under the influence of rapid locomotion goes scooting along on his devil-w
Hazards of Travel
During a steamer trip from Panama to San Francisco in 1903, there was a "duel with razors" between two sailors that left them so badly cut they needed to be hospitalized.
Cheap Plates for the Hard Up
"If you are hard up, or for any other reason you must economise," says this advertisement, "we can make you a cheap plate." And the dentist offers not only a guaranteed fit but also that there would be "no boys or students to experiment"on the dental patient. Source: Los Angeles Herald 30 May 1903.
Woman Wakes Then Dies
Marguerite Boyenval, a California woman was in a "cataleptic state" for twenty years. Her deep sleep was "caused by fright." Her child died shortly after birth, apparently prompting an investigation.
Mother's Day in WWI
An image from the First World War. The poignancy of the soldiers thinking about Mother's Day makes me wonder about the role of the war in consolidating this day.
"...Your First Sweetheart"
During the First World War, mother's day took on "new significance ...
Brain Surgery
Cataldo de Benedicto was wounded at the tender age of 17 while he served in the Italian Army. During a battle with the Turks, de Benedicto was shot twice in the head. One bullet was successfully removed, while the other remained lodged in his brain.
Puppy Purses
In 1922, the fashion trend of "rolled hose and short skirts" left women with no place to carry their cash. So women adopted "puppy purses" which were tied to a dog's collar for the convenience of the woman (but perhaps not the dog).