Category:
Marriage

Look for the Sanforized label!

From Life magazine - Sep 15, 1941:


JULIA: Gk-gk-stop choking me, you brute!
GEORGE: I've been choking all day in a shrunk-up shirt because you forgot to look for the right label.
JULIA: What label?
GEORGE: The 'Sanforized' label, dumb-puss. The one that says the fabric won't shrink more than a little 1% by standard tests.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 23, 2014 - Comments (7)
Category: Advertising, Marriage, 1940s

Conjugal Duels

From Charles Harper, Revolted Woman: Past, Present, and to Come (1894):

In Germany, during mediaeval times, domestic differences were settled by judicial duels between man and wife, and a regular code for their proper conduct was observed. 'The woman must be so prepared,' so the instructions run, 'that a sleeve of her chemise extend a small ell beyond her hand like a little sack: there indeed is put a stone weighing iii pounds; and she has nothing else but her chemise, and that is bound together between the legs with a lace. Then the man makes himself ready in the pit over against his wife. He is buried therein up to the girdle, and one hand is bound at the elbow to the side.'


The images of the conjugal duelists come from Hans Talhoffer's Fechtbuch, 1467 (plates 242-250). [Via Wondermark]

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 04, 2013 - Comments (7)
Category: History, Husbands, Wives, Marriage

Bob’s Birthday

Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 24, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Domestic, Marriage, Humor, Cartoons, 1990s

It Takes All Kinds

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 30, 2010 - Comments (2)
Category: Marriage, 1950s

The Strange World of Divorce

While it might be fairly common for couples to get a divorce in the United States these days, it's certainly not easy. There are questions of support, custody issues if there are children involved, and bitter arguments over who gets to keep what; all of which can drag a divorce into months of stress. But what is it like in other cultures and in other times? In centuries past, in China, a divorce could be granted for any number of reasons, so long as the bride's family agreed to take her back. Aborigine women in Australia can convince their husbands to grant a divorce but if that's not working, then all they need to do is elope with someone else. The ancient Athenians and modern-day Eskimos share an extremely simple divorce process - live separately as though they were never married. In the UK, a man tired of his wife could slip a halter around her neck, lead her into town to the cattle market, and sell her to the highest bidder. Japan had a much more advanced view, however. Marriage was not sacred and divorce was not immoral - it was merely a mismatch between families. Women's dowrys were returned in the hopes of encouraging re-marriage. You can read more on Purple Slinky, and on Hope's Blog, and in this review.

Posted By: Nethie - Sat Jul 31, 2010 - Comments (4)
Category: Anniversary, Centuries, Ceremonies, Weddings, Customs, Foreign Customs, Marriage

Read This Before You Get Married

I might have mentioned it before, but I'm planning on getting married this summer. To that end, I've been browsing the web, looking for stories about wedding related disasters, hoping to learn from the mistakes of others. Just this evening I found a bit of advice that had not occurred to me - think about what your new name will be, especially if you are considering whether or not to hyphenate. And here's why.

Posted By: Nethie - Wed May 12, 2010 - Comments (14)
Category: Family, Odd Names, Weird Names, Marriage, Weddings

Follies of the Mad Men #78



Now that the coffee tastes better and hubby will drink it, wifey can add the poison this idiot so richly deserves.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 09, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Crime, Domestic, Marriage, Food, 1960s

Turkey Feather Wedding Dress

image
In 1947, a gal named Barbara Ehrhart chose to create her wedding dress out of turkey feathers.















image
The guests tossed more feathers instead of rice.

More pix here, courtesy of LIFE.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 03, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, Fashion, Marriage, 1940s

Follies of the Mad Men #74


[From Good Housekeeping for December 1949.]

"Subliminal" is not the precise word I want here. Not when the coded message is in big red letters.

"Subtextual?" "Off-topic?" "Suggestive?"

In any case, promoting the maxim "husbands beat wives" in a women's magazine was one way of keeping the girls in line, I guess.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 25, 2009 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Marriage, Food, Violence, Husbands, Wives, 1940s

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Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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