Friday, October 30, 2009

Blogtober 30 - Hep Cats & Super Hep Cats

Today is my last 'official' Blogtoberfest post, so I will wish everyone a Happy Halloween, or, as we say in Nevada, Happy Nevada Day! Officially, Nevada Day is the last Friday in October, but Nevada Day Parade Day is the Saturday following. Are you following? No? Well then, lets move on...

The Mister and I will be traveling to tiny Beatty, NV for the Beatty Nevada Day celebration, which does include a Halloween element, in that there will be re-enactments of gun fights and old west carryings on (dressing up!).

We have entered the Isetta in the parade, so I hope it will start and that I am not too nervous to drive it in front of a bunch of strangers! There will also be a car show (we are entered in that, as well) and the children of the town have been encouraged to come to the car show and 'trunk or treat' (candy!) I hope I have only good things to report about it, next week, and no driving mis-haps or embarrassments!

But back to today...

I thought I should post something Halloween related, or October related, but I couldn't think of anything.

So, I bring you the Hep Cat Collection from Aunt Martha!


Group A - Hep Cat Designs
I found these at an estate sale some years ago. The owner of the estate had collected many, many transfers and many were unused, but the sale manager had priced them at $3 each, so I had to be a little choosy.


Group B - Hep Cat Designs
Most times, when I come across vintage transfers, I usually have either seen the transfer, before, or, see something embellished with the motif.


Super Hep Cat Designs!
But I had never seen these designs before, and I haven't since. The transfers in the packages are unused, so maybe it wasn't very 'hep' even when they were issued! Some of the slogans seem pretty ... well, awful! I can't imagine anyone wearing a jacket that says "Short, fat and funny", or "Worm lets squirm".

Groups A & B are older, they are marked "The Colonial Company" on the back. The 'Super' designs are marked "Aunt Martha". I think the red, white and blue packaging was used during WWII, (the V for Victory Kitties usually are in the those colors)

And, I guess, in 70 years, some of the designs that seem very 'fun' today might seem pretty lame!

Dearest Sister will be wrapping up our tag-team Blogtoberfest tomorrow, but check back on Sunday to see if you are a winner in the giveaway!

And More!

6 comments:

Paula, the quilter said...

For some reason, this post brought back a memory of a jacket my mother had in the late 50s. Maybe it is the photos on the patterns. Anyway. The jacket, IIR, was a boxy thing made of wool and was embroidered with southwest scenes (think boy in sombrero napping under a palm tree) in wool. The back had a huge embroidery and the fronts and sleeves were only on the bottom edges. Thanks for the memory!

Allie said...

Your parade sounds so fun - take lots of pics! Too cold for anything like that around here, lol. I love those patterns - but I think they might be more appropriate for children! Too, too cute. Well, except for the slogans, lol!~

Iron Needles said...

'Worm let's Squirm'? That's not lame...that's creepy! Hope you have a great Nevada Day!

And the Isetta starts.

And runs without a hitch.

And the driver does well, too!

Wish I was there for moral support.

Gaynell said...

I am guessing from the hair styles that the patterns are from the late 1930's or early 1940's...I think that is when the "hep cat" thing was big.

See, something even older than I am!!

Happy Nevada Day!

Martha said...

The Nevada Day parade sounds like fun -- does the Isetta even have a trunk?

I can't believe you found some Aunt Martha transfers I have never seen. They remind me of that old Peter Lawford, June Allyson college campus musical "Good News."

Happy Nevada Day!

Lynne said...

Have a great little getaway!