Cutting - Earl's Heir Killed (1926)

August 1926

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By dying in this car crash Major the Hon. Harold FitzClarence only missed being the 5th Earl by 2 years, his brother the 4th Earl died in 1928. 

Advert - Vidor Portable radio (1950's)

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The Lady Margaret portable radio manufactured by Vidor Ltd of Erith, Kent circa 1953/4. I hope that she won't be driving while it is playing on her knee. They also produced Lady Anne and Lady Elizabeth models - some sort of specifically targeted marketing strategy?

Cutting - Marlene Dietrich (1949?)

Probably 1949

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Marlene Dietrich became an international film star during the Silent era when language was no barrier to success. As to how old she was - this cutting dates from either 1949 or 1950 and Dietrich was born in 1901, making her 48 or even 49, but then a lady has the right to lie about her age. 'No Highway' was released in 1951. Dietrich spent the last decade of her life mostly bedridden and died in 1992.

Advert - Barratt Shoes (1926)

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Founded in Northampton in 1903 Barratt Shoes were a successful country wide chain by the 1920's. Who needs x-ray machines or special gauges to get the right size shoe when you have a pencil and a bit of paper handy?

Cutting - Atlantic Rower (1969)

20th July 1969

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John Fairfax was the first person to row the Atlantic solo. He set off on January 20th 1969 and arrived in Florida 180 days later on July 19th. In 1971/2 he rowed, along with Sylvia Cook, the Pacific taking 361 days. He died in Nevada in 2012 at the age of 74.

Advert - Woolworths (1986)

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The first UK Woolworths was opened in 1909 and by the 1950's when I was a kid every High Street had one, but the last  Woolworths store closed down in 2009.

Cutting - Blonde Spy in Flat (1938)

4th February 1938

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The trial of the Woolwich Arsenal spies and a tale worthy of John Le Carre complete with the mysterious Miss X. The whole story is very nicely written up at this website.  

Advert - Craven A cigarettes (1930's)

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Craven A cigarettes don't stain your lips or fingers with nicotine. What about your lungs? 20 coffin nails for 1/- (5p or allowing for inflation £3.12)

Cutting - Flying Baroness Killed (1919)

July 1919

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Elise Raymonde Deroche, known as Baroness De Laroche, was a pioneering French aviatrix and the first woman in the world to receive a pilot's licence. Unable to join the air force during WWI she became an Army driver for the duration. She returned to flying in 1919 but as shown here was killed on July 18th while a passenger in an experimental plane

Advert - Bourneville Cocoa (approx 1910)

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Lovely little sketch of kids running in for a cup of Bourneville Cocoa. I wonder when 'Mummie' became 'Mummy'?

Cutting - Ronald Shiner Tops Film Poll (1952)

27th December 1952

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Published in December 1952 this poll of Britain's leading box-office attractions is headed by Ronald Shiner. I imagine anyone under 50 will ask, "Who?” Shiner made 86 films between 1934 and 1961. Surprisingly he is above such greats as Alastair Sim, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Trevor Howerd. This was when Britain had a film industry and 8 of the top 12 moneymaking films were British!

Advert - Prison Service jobs (1970's)

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If you fancied yourself as Mr Mackay or Mr Barrowclough from Porridge then the Prison Service was the job for you, if the postal strike ever ended and you could send off your application. No e-mail or online contact in those dark days.

Cutting - Obituary for Joseph Conrad (1924)

23rd August 1924

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Joseph Conrad was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in 1857 in the Ukraine, and was raised and educated in Poland before a sea-faring career in the French and British merchant navies. He settled in England and wrote short stories and novels like Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent, which combined his experiences all over the World with an interest in moral conflict and the dark side of human nature. In his time he was regarded as one of England great writers but is now best remembered as the author of the novella (Heart of Darkness) on which the film 'Apocalypse Now' was based. He died in Canterbury on 3rd August 1924.

Advert - British Rail excursion (1940's)

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King's Cross to Doncaster for the St Leger for only £1 11s 9d (£1.58 or allowing for inflation £59.75) or if you were posh 1st class for £2 13s (£2.65 or £99 after inflation). The journey took 3hours and 30 minutes whereas now it would be about 1hour 45 minutes (unless there were leaves on the line) and the first class return would set you back £285

Cutting - I'm Not Bank Raid Mr Big (1977)

June 1977

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The Bank of America in Mayfair, London was robbed of £8million in 1976. After the inside man turned informant 7 of the gang were jailed but the mastermind Frank Maple fled abroad. He was later sentenced to 9 years in Austria for a hotel robbery. 

Random Ad - Norman Vaughan (1960's)

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Norman Vaughan replaced Bruce Forsyth (whatever happened to him) as host of  the TV show 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' in 1962. He also devised the TV gameshow 'Bullseye' and appeared in a series of adverts for Roses Chocolates with the catchphrase "Roses grow on you". He died in 2002 following a road accident.

Random Cutting - Death of Harold Lloyd (1971)

10th March 1971

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I think I became aware of the silent film comedian Harold Lloyd when I saw the compilation film 'Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy' in 1962. Originally a 'poor man's Charlie Chaplin', Lloyd soon found his own character, bespectacled accident-prone optimist, and made a fortune. His films often featured seemingly dangerous stunts which Lloyd participated in with the help of stuntman Harvey Parry. He died on the 8th March 1971.

Random Cutting - Soho Midnight (1958)

June 22nd 1958

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Rock'n'Roll has become associated with Teddy Boys but the characters in these pictures are, to use the word coined only a couple of months earlier, beatniks, who tended to go in for cool jazz and reading Kerouac.

Random Ad - Cocaine. A story for Today (1921)

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The novel Cocaine was published by George Newnes in 1921 and I think the 'recent case' referred to was that of the death of actress Billie Carleton who died of an overdose after attending a Victory party at the Royal Albert Hall in 1918.

Random Cutting - The Klu Klux Klan (1924)

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This is a cutting from the Children's Newspaper dated 13th September 1924. 

The original Klu Klux Klan was organized by ex-Confederates after the American Civil War but had died out by the mid-1870's. In 1915 D W Griffith's epic silent film 'Birth of a Nation' seemed to create a revival of the Klan, who now adopted the costume and regalia shown in the film, white cloaks and pointed hoods. The original Klan looked more as they were depicted in Quentin Tarrantino's film 'Django Unchained'. By 1924 they were claiming 4 to 5 million members but by 1930 this had dropped to 30,000.

The Democrat candidate for the 1924 Presidential Election, John W Davis lost the race to the White House to Republican Calvin Coolidge.

Random Cutting - Hermoine Baddely Death Threat (1926)

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Click to Read

Born in 1906, Hermoine Baddely began her stage career at 8, playing a page in The Marriage of Figaro. She went on to appear in plays, musicals and revues in London's West End. She also appeared in over 90 film and TV productions, including a memorable performance as the kindly barfly Ida in the 1947 'Brighton Rock', which starred Richard Attenborough. In 1960 she was nominated for a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for her part in 'Room at the Top' 

Random Ad - CB Radio Rig (1982)

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Originating in the USA Citizen band Radio was popularised in the UK by films like 'Convoy' and 'Smokey and the Bandit'. "What's your handle, good Buddy? I'm knocking on your back door and I've got the pedal to the metal. Ten Four."

Random Cuttings - Kenya Crime, Witches and Gold (1998)

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Click to Read

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This was Kenya on 10th October 1998. Kenya had, and still has, the death penalty for murder, treason and armed robbery but no-one has actually been hanged since 1987.  In East Africa the traditional belief in the powers of witchcraft is widespread and witch hunts continue to result in police action or, more frequently, the murder of suspects by the accusers. A Kilo of pure 24 carat gold - free!. For the life of me I can't see the catch, but there must be one. Mustn't there?

Random Cuttings - Motoring (1938)

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Click to Read

These cutting are from February 9th 1938. As the number of vehicles on our roads increased during the 1930's so did the need for legistration and control. Since 1925 it had been an offence to be found drunk in charge of any mechanically propelled vehicle on any highway, but no legal drink driving limit was set until 1967. The annual MOT test, which includes specific brake efficiency measurement, was introduced in 1960.

Random Ad - 3D Film (1973)

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If you thought 3D films were something new then you obviously hadn't seen 'Supersonic Super Girls' back in New York in 1973. Google this title and you find a story in the Austin (Texas) Chronicle that it was amongst a pile of 'lost' trash films found in a warehouse in 2001, so you may get to see it yet. 

Random Cutting - Pro-Soviet letter by Sean O'Casey (1939)

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This letter by Irish dramatist Sean O'Casey was published in the Reynold's News dated the 1st October 1939. In August 1939 Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Germany had signed a non-aggression pact and had divided Poland into Soviet and German regions. The USSR would finally join the Allies against Germany in 1941. Sean O'Casey a life long Socialist seems, with hindsight, to have had a terribly naive view of life under Stalin, although it must be admitted that even those who knew what was going on in Russia turned a blind eye after 1941.

Random Cutting - Kennedy on crutches (1961)

June 9th 1961

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It is now common knowledge that John F Kennedy had suffered from back pain since 1938 and normally wore a corset or back brace, but this and other information about his health issues had been kept secret throughout his campaign and election to the White House. JFK also had Addison's disease and hypothyroidism.

Random Ad - Pyrex cookware (1930's)

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Pyrex kitchenware originated in the USA in 1915 and was introduced to the UK under license in the early 1920's. I'm not sure that the Trading Standars mob would be happy with the '3 for the price of 1' claim - 1: the dish with the lid, 2: the dish without the lid and 3: the lid turned upside down.

Random Cutting - Mick Jagger (1979)

4th May 1979

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The Rolling Stones' singer, Mick Jagger had married Nicaraguan born Bianca Pérez-Mora Macias in 1971, but she filed for divorce in 1978 when she accused him of adultery with model Jerry Hall whom he married in 1990. The $1 million settlement was peanuts compared to the one when he split from Jerry Hall in 1999. 

Random Cutting - Escaped Gunman (1958)

July 15th 1958

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James McKensie who was serving a 3 year sentence for armed robbery escaped from Wormwood Scrubs on July 13th 1958 along with 2 other men. I can't find out if he was caught.

Random Ad - Kalms (1980's)

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What better was to survive living in the 1980's and having to listen to The Smiths, U2, Pet Shops Boys, Prefab Sprout and Phil Collins, than to take Kalms containing a sedative made from the root of the Valerian plant?

Random Cutting - Richard Loeb Murdered in Prison (1936)

29th January 1936

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Back in 1924 the two rich friends Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped and murdered 14 year old Booby Franks, caught and put on trial. They both received life plus 99 years. It was probably the efforts of their famous defence lawyer, Clarence Darrow, that saved them from being executed. James Day was never convicted of killing Loeb and served the rest of his original sentence, being released in 1942.

Random Cutting - Dick Tracy Strip (1949)

January 10th 1949

Daily Express

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Chester Gould created the cartoon strip 'Dick Tracy' in 1931 for the Detroit Mirror, writing and drawing it up until his death in 1985, although other artists contributed when Gould's ill-health prevented him working. This episode features the blind inventor of such gadgets as the 2-Way Wrist Radio and the TV burglar alarm, Brilliant. Gould and his strip have been criticised for being too Right-wing.

Random Ad - The Singing Fool (1929)

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'The Singing Fool' was Al Jolson's follow up to the film generally regarded as the first feature length Talkie, 'The Jazz Singer' (1927). Not everyone was in favour of the Talkies and having seen several Silents from the late 1920's as well as several early Talkies, I think I would probably have been amongst the nay-sayers.

Random Cutting - Slave to Drugs (1919)

12th March 1919

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Doctor prescribes heroin injections, patient gets hooked on 'repeat' heroin prescriptions, patient gets ill, patient dies. Verdict - death by natural causes. The Billie Carleton case referred to in the cutting, happened the previous November when the young actress died of a heroin overdose after a Victory party at the Royal Albert Hall.

Random Cutting - Margaret Rutherford dies (1972)

May 22nd 1972

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Margaret Rutherford had a stage acting career starting in 1925 at the Old Vic Theatre and ending in 1966 when she played Mrs Malaprop in The Rivals at the Haymarket Theatre, alongside Sir Ralph Richardson, and a film career spanning 1936 to 1967. She is probably best remembered on film as Agatha Christie's amateur sleuth Miss Marple. 

Random Ad - Palmolive (1940's)

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Palmolive Soap for that Schoolgirl Complexion. She should use some on those hands - they look like they belong in a Hammer horror film. 

Random Cutting - Death of Ernie Kovaks (1962)

14th January 1962

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I'm not sure today's newspapers would print such a graphic picture of a dead celebrity. Ernie Kovaks an American radio and TV star, comic, scriptwriter, film actor, novelist and during the early 1950's the first TV innovator who, by stretching the existing video technology to its limits, won a posthumous  Emmy in 1962. As shown above he died in car accident in Los Angeles on the 13rh January 1962. 

Random Cutting - The Princesses see Shakespeare (1938)

February 4th 1938

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The Queen, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret having just seen the Old Vic production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on February 3rd 1938. It starred Robert Helpmann as Oberon, Vivien Leigh as Titania and the cast included Ralph Richardson and Anthony Quayle.

Random Ad - Wimpey Homes (1960's)

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George Wimpey built their first residential estate in 1928 and by the 1960's and 70s were a household name. They merged with another well known brand, Taylor Woodrow, to become Taylor Wimpey in 2007.

Random Cutting - Consumer Goods (1958)

26th July 1958

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I was not quite a teenager in 1958 and my parents had a car and a washing machine with a ringer on top, but we didn't have a television, telephone or a fridge. There might have been a lawnmower somewhere in the old Anderson shelter we used as a shed. We rented a 2 channel black and white TV from 1960 onwards.

Random Cutting - Future of aviation (1919)

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Published in March 1919 this article in support of aviation as the future in both war and peace is suprisingly perseptive. Boer War and world War I veteran and politician General John Seely had recently been made Under-Secretary of State for Air but he resigned at the end of 1919 after the Government refused to create a Secretary of State for Air.

Random Ads - Royal Wedding stuff (1981)

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Prince Charles and Diana Spenser's wedding in July 1981 spawned a good many pieces of memorobilia. Here we have three examples - stamps, a medallion and coins. All guaranteed to last longer than the marriage?