We hear a lot about how American life changed from the atomic 50s to the rebellious 60s, but let’s take a look-see at some of the changes in material culture via The Saturday Evening Post (scans of issues from 1959 & 1960).

Television sets were BIG.

(I think I made one of those wooden birds on a stick in wood shop class… Now I have to look for that.)

Big ol’ console sets continue in the bottom part of the GE ad.

Not only were the sets big, but the screens were getting bigger too: “Owens-Illinois put more picture into your television picture tube.”

Cars, however, were getting smaller, as this 1959 feature “The Big Three Join The Revolution” shows us.

Above, Robert S. McNamara, Ford vice president, shows off his new “baby,” the Ford Falcon; small side photo shows “another proud parent,” Edward N. Cole, General Motors vice president, with the rear-end aluminum engine of Chevrolet’s Corvair. Below, the Corvair compared with a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Below, the Falcon at a picnic.

A quote from the article gives us some haunting insight:

Detroit has not now and never had any intention of producing a so-called austerity car in which style, comfort and performance are too greatly sacrificed for low first cost and high gas mileage. What the auto makers have produced are cars which are nimble, cost a little less, use less gas, but are still six-passenger automobiles. In doing so, however, the producers have made a tacit admission — that their conventional smallest, lowest-priced three are no longer small enough and low-priced enough for an increasing number of customers who want something somewhat less splendid.

Above: “Sneak view of the Valiant, Chrysler’s economy candidate. A little more exotic than the other two, the Valiant will be introduced soon.” Which is odd they’d show such a blurry sneak-peek when they also include another photo of the Valiant (below), saying, “This picture, published prematurely by a newsmagazine, nearly destroyed Chrysler’s plans for secrecy prior to October introduction of the car.”

Mom’s life also got easier as GE offered mom a first: The General Electric Filter-Flo Washer with Automatic Bleach Dispenser.

Hey, it not only stored (& dispensed) a months’ supply of bleach, it was in that cool pink.

And, last (for today), but certainly not least… Little Friskies introduces boxed cat food.  Such a new idea, it took an entire page of explanation including approval from a crazy old cat lady and proof that cats would eat it.

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Article Tags: advertising, automobile history, collecting, collecting magazines, Old Cars, retro tv, technology, The Saturday Evening Post, us cars, vintage ads

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