Sunday, August 15, 2010

Flash Back- 1955 Card Party

This is a republish of a post I did long ago. Hope you enjoy it!!

I grew up around women playing Pinochle once a month.



Of course, my older brothers remember the 1950's card game parties...I didn't come along until much later. But the Pinochle card game gatherings continued on for 40+ years:


beyond the life span of my Mom.


The "gang" that were dear to me growing up were my mom, my future mother-in-law, and my future aunt-in-law.

Back in the 1950-1960's, you would require a necklace to match your dress or skirt and sweater, in order to attend the card party. This necklace is actually my mom's that I put on the scanner to show you. I'm sure she had the matching clip on earrings too. They are gone- who knows where.
Now every good mid-century hostess would wear a pretty apron like one of these to serve the refreshments at the card party. My brothers and I always wondered why Mom bought goodies for the night she was hosting the party that WE NEVER had. We would pray and wish that the ladies would be on a diet and be unable to eat all that Mom had purchased- and thus, leave some for us...the starving, neglected kids. Haha!!



There were some traveling sets of favorite pinochle cards that went from house to house. I found this image that would be typical of the kind they would use in that era. My mom had special bathroom towels that only came out of the linen closet for card club night!!


I always remember not being able to go to sleep on card party nights. My bedroom was the connecting wall to the living room where the ladies would all be "cackling" (as my brothers called it) until late hours. Plus, how can one possibly go to sleep when worrying if there would be pound cake with syrupy strawberries and Dream Whip, or lemon squares or Sarah Lee triple layer cake left over??!!!! Or how about the soda pop? WE never got pop!! Mom never bought it until card club night!!!


B also has the same kind of memories of card club night at his house. His mom (my late mother-in-law) would take the sheets off the sofa and the wing back chair and put out the special reserve card club night throw pillows and have special desserts. He remembers sitting on the stairs peeking through the little window opening into the living room at his house along with his siblings. They would spy to see if their mom had served all the dessert they had seen in the kitchen which was NOT TO TOUCH!! Oh the suffering of little children!


Aren't you glad you didn't have to be the one wearing something like this under


your card club night outfit??????



How about these contraptions of torture?! Comfort...my ---... (rhymes with lass)!!!!!!!



These are actual tally cards from the 1950s. Notice above it says "boobie-me". Did that lady get the "boobie prize" because she wore one of those 1950's bullet bras?????????









The 3 photos above show some more tallies from the 1950's.

6 comments:

Blondie ~ Vintage Primitives said...

Good Morning, Amy!
My folks also were big pinochle players on Friday nights. It was a couples things with one of my aunt's and favorite uncle. My cousins and I would sit up playing monopoly or parcheesi in the bedroom, listening to the folks laugh, laugh, laugh. I can still smell the cigarettes, hear my Dad pop the cap off a brew. Thanks for the trip.
Blondie

Lori said...

what a fun post Amy!!!

love your etsy goodies:)

Lori said...

Amy, Oh such a great post! Mom never played cards but I remember the aprons, beads, tallies and all! Loved seeing and hearing what it was like! So very fun!!! Lori

The Urban Chic said...

Amy, I remember the bras my mom use to wear and the girdles for keep "things" in place. What torture. She also belonged to a Pokeno club and every 6 weeks it was held at our house and we were not allowed to touch the goodies she made for the other women. If I were to do something like that, I would at least fix a special little plate for my children.
I also went back and looked at all your fabulous milk glass. Wish my collection was that big, but if I put my daughters out with mine, then it would be close. I even buy some that are genuine because I like that milky look of dishes. Have a great day, hugs, Pat

Lois said...

Hi Amy!
Mr parents were into bowling. They had team shirts that they wore and mom wore black stretch pants that had the elastic attached to the bottom of the pants that she slid her foot before she put on her shoes. Dad had a pair of brown trousers, very slim with a sharp crease down the front. Of course they had bowling shoes in brown/tan. Now it would be very hokey...then it was very chic.
As for Pinochle, my hubby's aunt taught the game to us when we were first married back in 1972. We played for years but then got involved in other things (kids judo) and haven't played for years.
Thanks Amy for bringing back good memories for me.
Have a great week!
Lois S.

gabrielle said...

Oh, I love the old undergarment ads! They are wonderful! Look at those prices!