Found in Mom's Basement

Vintage sign in William's Bay, Wisconsin

Chippewa Resort

 

Curious India tourism ad from 1960

The white people in this ad are openly staring at the Indian couple, as though the couple were a tourist attraction.

In the headline, I refer to this ad as "curious" but "racist" would be a more appropriate description.

Vintage Ad: Tracy stainless steel sinks

Found at Community Livejournal.

The reason I tagged this as a 'racist ad' is because in the time in which it ran, African American women were nearly always portrayed in advertising as maids -- never as dignified homemakers, teachers, nurses or any of the other female roles that were unofficially reserved for white women.

Life magazine cover: April 12, 1968

Found at Life.

Life magazine covers from March, 1965, reporting on the historic Selma-to-Montgomery March for voting rights

Found at Life.

Vintage ads featuring black manservants

From 1924:

From 1926:

From 1938:

From 1960:

CLICK HERE to see a black manservant ad illustrated by Norman Rockwell.

Vintage ad for toilet paper so cheap even a Scotswoman will spring for it

Originally posted 11 February 2009

Addendum posted 10 May 2009

This ad, taken in the context of its day -- which I would guess is the 1940s or early 1950s -- is unmistakably portraying a Scotswoman. Although the stereotype of the cheap Scotsman isn't as widely known in the US today, going back a few decades it was an ethnic stereotype that was used freely, often making the Scots the butt of jokes.

There are other examples in advertising that capitalized on supposed Scottish frugality. The Studebaker Scotsman automobile, for example, was so named because it was a low-priced model (read more HERE). And Scotch tape got its name -- and its distinctive plaid packaging -- from the same stereotype (read more HERE).

Found at Lulu's Vintage.

1953 Chun King ad, racial stereotype included at no extra charge

Originally posted on this blog 3 June 2007

Addendum posted 10 May 2009

Judging from the comment below (click COMMENTS to read it), I have to stop assuming people can read my mind and instead offer more explanation for some of my posts.

Here's why this ad would be considered racist by many people:

If you were of Chinese descent and living in 1950s America, the rare times you would see a Chinese person portrayed in the media the portrayal would mostly likely be of a Coolie-like character. In mainstream advertising, people of Asian descent were never portrayed as average Americans.

THAT is why this Chung King character would be considered racist. In the context of the 1950s, that little cartoon character is representative of the one-dimensional portrayal of an entire ethnic group.

Questionable Depression-era billboard

Photo taken in Louisville, Kentucky, 1937, by Margaret Bourke-White.

Found at Ffffound!

Vintage ad for Aunt Jemina pancake mix

Found at Community Livejournal.

Find more vintage ads for Aunt Jemima products HERE and HERE.