Ambridge Memories: clothes

Showing posts with label clothes. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Golden Jubilee: Brothers of the Brush, Sisters of the Swish

Brothers of the Brush pin
Ambridge Golden Jubilee
courtesy of Bob Mikush

All men who lived or worked in Ambridge were required to become "Brothers of the Brush" and grow beards for the Golden Jubilee celebration, June 26 through July 4, 1955. "Shaving permits" were available to men who wouldn't, or couldn't, grow a beard. I didn't find (yet) a mention of how much those permits cost. Woe to the men who were caught without a beard or shaving permit. The scofflaws faced an assortment of penalties, including arrest by the Keystone Kops and trial in Kangaroo Kourt. Punishment was usually swift and silly.

Shaving permit pin
Ambridge Golden Jubilee
courtesy of Ron Strauss

Some of the Brothers of the Brush chapters included: Pastafazola, UWA Pyrohy's, and the Knight of the Hot Salami. The Brother with the longest beard won a silver loving cup at the American Slovak Association Picnic at Firemen's Park on June 26, one of the Golden Jubilee's first scheduled events. A beard judging contest also was held during the Jubilee celebration.

Women had their own Jubilee group and became "Sisters of the Swish" by wearing old-fashioned dresses. I don't know if women had anything similar to the men's "shaving permit." The women's costumes also were judged during the celebration.

Hijinks ensued even before the Jubilee celebration officially began on June 26.

Pirate Coach John Fitzpatrick was made an honorary member of the Patafazola Chapter at a Pirate's game.

Pastafazola Chapter with Pirate Coach John Fitzpatrick
Daily Citizen
June 14, 1955

Original text:

HONORARY MEMBER -- Pirate Coach John Fitzpatrick, center, was made honorary member of the Pastafazola Chapter of the Brothers of the Brush in between the Bucs-Braves doubleheader at Forbes Field Sunday afternoon. The other players in the photo are Dick Groat and George Freeze while the Keystone Kops in the front row are: Steve Powell and Al Russo.

Looks like the Kops made a raid at Wyckoff Steel and Kourt was held.

Painted worker at Wyckoff
Daily Citizen
June 22, 1955

Original text:

KANGAROO KOURT was held by the Woolly Whoopers of Wyckoff Chapter late yesterday afternoon following the day shift. Regis Roll, left, was made honorary member after being painted by the president of the chapter.

Man in a barrel
Daily Citizen
June 22, 1955

Original text:

SEVERE PUNISHMENT--Another Wyckoff employe gets his punishment following a Kangaroo Kourt late Tuesday afternoon.

John J. Kotarski in dress and bonnet
Daily Citizen
June 22, 1955

Original text:

ANOTHER FORM OF PUNISHMENT was meted a worker at Wyckoff Steel plant late Tuesday afternoon. The unidentified worker is being held by two Kops as sentence is pronounced.

There was the cooking of the "Human Pirohy."

Cooking of the human pirohy,
Daily Citizen,
June 24, 1955

Original text:

COOK HUMAN PIROHY--A "human pirohy" was "cooked" last evening at the Ukrainian Workingmen's Association Branch 5 lodge, Melrose Ave., following sentencing at Kangaroo Kourt by the Brothers of the Brush. Held inside a six foot replica of a rolling pin, and a four by six flour sack was used in making the human pirohy. The victim is pictured in the center, shortly before the "cooking" job.

Being a news photographer has its dangers.

Daily Citizen Photographer in stocks
Daily Citizen
June 27?, 1955

Original text:

PHOTOGRAPHER PUNISHED -- Norm Hanevich, a Daily Citizen Photographer, failed to have a "Brother of the Brush" pin Friday evening when he was given an assignment to cover the Kangaroo Kourt at Eighth St. Cafe. As a result, his punishment was a "paint" job.

According to the June 24 Daily Citizen, the Sisters of the Swish Pirohettes and Piroghy Brothers of the Brush made a woman who wasn't wearing a costume wash down a parking meter. The Sisters supervised the job by holding a rolling pin over the offender's head.

And on June 27, the Daily Citizen reported that an unlucky visitor from Ohio ended up with a pie in his face. So apparently, even men who didn't live or work in Ambridge might be penalized for being beardless in Ambridge.

Joseph Bartolo, who was six at the time of the Jubilee, remembers beardless men being thrown in clawfooted bathtubs full of water which had been placed around town.

I love seeing and reading about our parents, grandparents, and other Ambridge adults acting so silly and having such a good time. And being good sports.

More blog posts on the Golden Jubilee celebration coming soon.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Wrapping Christmas gifts at Sears, Northern Lights

Finding a Christmas season job wasn't easy during my college years at the end of the 1960s, not because jobs were scarce, but because I wasn't able to come home to Ambridge until shortly before Christmas Day. Most businesses that hired for the season tended to want employees who could work from before Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve.

So, when Sears at Northern Lights called in December while I was still at school and asked my mom to check with me to see if I'd be interested in working between the day I got home from school through Christmas Eve as a gift-wrapper, I said, "Sure!" Sounded like something I might even enjoy doing. And if I didn't, at least I'd be making a little money.

Wrapping Christmas gifts at Sears, which I did two Decembers in a row, turned out to be one of my favorite jobs ever.

At the time, Northern Lights, which had opened in 1956, was a busy, thriving place, crowded with shoppers, and despite its huge parking lot, finding an empty space often wasn't easy. Sears, a newly built addition to the center at its far northwest corner, where Giant Eagle is now, was only a few years old, having opened in October 1963.

Sears, Northern Lights,
Beaver County Times,
October 22, 1963

This Sears was much bigger and, not surprisingly, more modern than the old Ambridge store at 653-655 Merchant Street which had closed the week before the Northern Lights store opened.

The Ambridge store had carried appliances, sporting goods, tires and car accessories, paints and building materials, and tools--oh, and toys in Toy Town at Christmastime. Everything else had to be ordered from the Sears catalog, then picked up at the store when delivered. But the Northern Lights store was a complete department store, carrying everything the Ambridge store had, plus clothing including furs*, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and perfume, candy, white goods (linens, towels, drapes), housewares, and furniture. And there was a snack bar.

Christmas ad, kids' winter outerwear
Sears Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 16, 1969

During my wrapping stints, the Northern Lights Sears still had a new store feel, all bright and shiny, but even more so decorated for the holiday season. Lights twinkled, ornaments sparkled, tinsel glittered. The store was bustling with shoppers eager to buy and staffed with employees eager to help them do that.

Christmas ad: electric organs, record players, and radios
Sears, Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 2, 1969

The small gift wrapping counter was set off from the shopping areas, near the customer service and credit departments if I'm remembering correctly. Even so, the store's cheery Christmas spirit flowed into our little out-of-the-way nook.

Depending on how busy the store was expected to be, I usually worked with one or two affable and energetic young women. We got along great and laughed a lot together. At one point, a manager came to the wrapping counter to try to recruit one of us to demonstrate a new waist-slimming product--a platform that rotated back and forth as you did the twist on it. The not-perfect gift for someone you loved, but maybe a buyer would think ahead to her New Years resolution to get in shape. One of my colleagues was delighted to be asked to perform for customers for a bit, and quickly volunteered.

Christmas ad, TVs
Sears Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 9, 1969

Sears offered customers free gift boxes and wrapping. The wrapping wasn't anything fancy. Customers got a box lined with tissue paper, a choice of papers, some ribbon, and a bow. Even with my minimal gift wrapping experience I could handle that without training, which hadn't been offered anyway. Really, the hardest part often was nicely folding the clothes and Christmas towels and cloth napkins before arranging them in the box. Or removing stubborn price tags.

We wrapped bracelets, blankets, blenders, babies' toys, and bubble bath. We wrapped record players, eight-track players, hair dyers, and electric shavers. Luckily, the bulkier items already came in a box, and no one asked us to wrap a car battery or a bike.

Christmas ad, automotive center
Sears Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 9, 1969

The customers were uniformly pleasant, chatting about their Christmas plans and the people the gifts were for, while patiently waiting for us to finish the wrapping. Who knew that gift wrapping could be such a social activity?

Most shoppers just wanted boxes, said thanks, and hurried on their way. But some, mostly men, were grateful to avail themselves of the wrapping, especially as Christmas got nearer. I believe many men would have happily paid to have their gifts wrapped. Free wrapping made them even jollier. And their apparently having stopped at a bar on their way to the store made them jollier still.

Christmas ad, women's clothing
Sears Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 2, 1969

Often the men would ask our opinion about what they'd bought. Was the robe appropriate for a woman in her 60s? Was the scarf trendy enough to satisfy a teen? Their sister was about our size, did we think a "medium" sweater would fit? Did we like the smell of Yardley's English Lavender?

Christmas ad: women's robes and hose
Sears Northern Lights
Beaver County Times
December 16, 1969

Some of the men would look mildly embarassed, others unabashedly naughty, when we opened their bags to find sheer black negligees and lacy lingerie. Others, I think, just wanted to see how we'd react, if we'd say anything about the sexy gifts. But we were gift wrapping professionals, and we didn't bat an eye.

Our late Christmas Eve customers were mostly men, relieved to have found something acceptable to give their kids, wife, parent, or girlfriend. And, yes, even the remaining wrapping paper we had would be fine.

Christmas ad, last minute gifts

Sears Northern Lights

Beaver County Times

December 22, 1969

On Christmas Eve, I was wistful as I stamped my time-card and turned it in for the last time, then stepped out into the cold, crisp night air to walk to the car where my mother was waiting to pick me up. I was looking forward to joining my family for their traditional Wiligia dinner, followed by Midnight Mass at Divine Redeemer Church. But I'd miss the joyful holiday bustle and the happy people who let us wrap their gifts.
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* Sears trivia: When the Northern Lights store opened in October 1963, the manager said that Sears sold more minks than any other store in the world.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop

Everything I know about B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop, can be found on these two postcards:

Postcard front,
B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop,
November 1911

Postcard back,
B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop,
November 1911

Postcard front,
B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop
December 1911

Postcard back,
B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop
December 1911

B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop, was at 533 Merchant Street in Ambridge, at least in 1911.

The shop sold a variety of men's clothing from union suits to "Holeproof Silk Hose" and "Holeproof Soz" * to "coat sweaters." ** The shop would also tailor a suit or overcoat. At least in the last two months of 1911 it did and would.

The shop advertised on calendar postcards, at least in November and December 1911.

The shop advised "Mothers, Daughters, Sweethearts" that it was Ambridge's "X-Mas Headquarters," at least for men's presents in November and December 1911.

The printer of these B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop, postcards stacked at least one December 1911 card with ink that wasn't completely dry, on at least one other December 1911 card, the one shown above.

If you can add any information about B. Eichenser, The Men's Shop, please leave a comment.

Later, Sacks, which sold women's clothing, occupied 533 Merchant Street. The building was destroyed by fire on July 6, 2014.

533 Merchant Street,
March 30, 2014

Fire
533 Merchant Street
July 6, 2014
credit: Alan Freed Photography/
Ambridge Connection
used with permission

_____

*Holeproof Hosiery appears to have been a brand of, well, hole-proof hosiery. One of the types of Holeproof Hosiery was "soz."

Holeproof Hosiery ad,
La Follette's Weekly Magazine, Volume 1

**To the best I can determine, "coat sweaters" and "sweater coats" were cardigans.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Northern Lights: Fintex Clothes

"This is Northern Lights Shoppers City, opening tomorrow for business,"
Beaver Valley Times, October 31, 1956

This post takes care of some unfinished business from last year.

On November 1, 2013, I posted a list of the first stores to open in the new, not-yet-completed "Northern Lights Shoppers City" on November 1, 1956. Later, a reader who had lived above, and worked at, Northern Lights, said she'd never heard of two stores on that list: The Farm & Garden Patch and Fintex Clothes.

I posted a blog article about The Farm & Garden Patch on December 21 and said I'd post about Fintex "later." This is that "later," although it's being written much "later" than I originally thought "later" would be.

While "Fintex" may sound more like a brand of non-stick surfaces for frying pans, it was a chain of men's clothing stores.* The photo of Northern Lights above shows Fintex--its the store with the dark sign. It appears to me to be in the center strip of the shopping center and to the left of Penney's.

Here's another, later, photo of Fintex that gives a closer view of the store:

Fintex Men's Clothing store,
Northern Lights Shoppers City,
Beaver Valley Times, June 12, 1957

Apparently, Fintex's display windows were a big deal. The text under the photo says:

Customers actually can browse at Fintex Clothing Store in Northern Lights Shoppers City with a feeling they are inside the store. The display windows have been designed in a U-shape, giving the store plenty of room to display its popular line of men's clothing.

Here's the Fintex ad announcing the opening of "the 5th Great Fintex Store in the Pittsburgh Area" in Northern Lights:

Fintex Clothes ad,
announcing opening of Northern Lights store,
Beaver Valley Times, October 31, 1956

A coat sale ad from December 1956:

Fintex Clothes coat sale ad,
Beaver Valley Times, December 14, 1956

An ad from June 1957, when more stores opened, and Northern Lights held its big Grand Opening celebration. An article in the Northern Lights Grand Opening advertising section of the Beaver Valley Times, "Suits, Topcoats Best at Fintex," focused on how busy the store was, drawing customers from a wide area.

Fintex ad,
Beaver Valley Times, June 12, 1957

A Fintex Christmas sale ad, December 1957:

Fintex Christmas gifts ad,
Beaver Valley Times, December 13, 1957

I haven't yet found out when the Northern Lights Fintex closed, but it was still open in November 1960:

Fintex "2-pant suits" ad,
Beaver County Times, November 3, 1960

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* Fintex of London is a very old company selling fine cloth for men's suiting that eventually expanded across the globe. Fintex stood for "fine texture." I don't know for certain, but given the unusual name, the Northern Lights Fintex may have been affiliated with Fintex of London.