1940s Fads & Fun

---------	1940s Fads & Fun
	Fads & Recreation Fun Places Social Life Toys

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Fads & Recreation fads & hobbies Bobby-soxers screaming and swooning over Frank Sinatra or some other handsome young singer. Asking your friends to sign your autograph shirt. Collecting baseball cards. fun & games Playing card games like bridge and pinochle. Punchboards were the ancestors of today's scratch-off lottery tickets. They were at the peak of their popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, and could be found in stores, taverns and bowling alleys. On a punchboard, customers paid for the chance to punch a hole with a stylus and possibly win a prize. A small ticket inside the hole listed the prize, which could be anything from cigarettes, beer and candy to cash or an automobile. Unfortunately, the punchboard's days were numbered in the 1940s. Cheating was rampant, and many states were cracking down on unlicensed forms of gambling such as slot machines and punchboards. By the 1950s, they had fallen out of favor. active fun roller skating bowling tennis baseball golf		Punchboard

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Fun Places fairs & carnivals The fair meant different things to different people. For farmers, it was a chance to see the latest innovations in tractors, incubators and seed varieties. For his wife, it was a chance to enter her pickles, preserves or pies in a contest and maybe win a prize. For kids, it was cotton candy, ice cream, soda pop and rides! For teenagers, it meant entering your calf in the 4-H show. And for young people, it was an opportunity for romance. For everyone, it meant entertainment and a chance to try something new. Shows and auto races captivated the grandstand crowd, while sideshow curiosities and games of chance attracted visitors to the midway. In the early 1940s, the Texas State Fair helped to popularize a tasty new treat known as the corn dog. pool & billiards Men gathered at the local pool hall to drink beer, discuss sports, make business deals and engage in a little friendly wagering. The term billiards refers to any game played on a billiard table. A variation of billiards known as pocket billiards earned the nickname pool in the 1800s when pocket billiard tables were first installed in betting parlors. arcades Amusements of every kind could be found at the penny arcade. recording booths jukeboxes pinball machines coin-operated novelties: ----• animatronic fortune tellers ----• love meters ----• test-your-strength machines ----• horoscope & palm-reading machines shooting galleries skee-ball refreshment stands vending machines selling arcade cards photo booths peep show cabinets tattoo artists digger & crane games		Digger games allowed players to manipulate a crane to grab a cheap trinket or maybe even some cash! Arcade cards featured photos of pin-up girls, movie stars, baseball players, singers, airplanes and fancy cars

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Social Life gatherings dinner parties: The perfect hostess serving the perfect meal. holiday parties: All you needed were streamers, folding chairs, refreshments and a record player to transform your basement into a swell party venue. couples only: It was fun to invite another couple over to play bridge or listen to records. "come as you are" parties: You could be wearing pajamas, old work clothes, curlers or an evening gown....it didn't matter. If you were wearing it when they came to get you, then you had to wear it to the party! clubs ladies' aid societies: Women gathered socially to perform charitable acts and raise funds by holding ice cream socials and bazaars. country clubs: Golf, tennis, luncheons, fashion shows and fine dining. card clubs: Ladies enjoyed getting together for bridge, pinochole, prizes, refreshments and gossip. fraternal organizations: Both men and women joined groups designed to provide fellowship, charity, medical benefits and life insurance. Popular groups in the 1940s included the Elks, Moose, Modern Woodmen Of America, Shriners, Royal Neighbors Of America, Knights Of Columbus, Odd Fellows, Rebekah Lodge and Masons. garden clubs: Show off your prize roses at the annual Garden Show. organizations for kids: The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls and 4-H Club focused on citizenship, resourcefulness, learning new skills and making new friends.

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Toys Dean's Toy Museum World War II Toys dolls Betsy Wetsy Dy-Dee Mae Starr Raggedy Ann & Andy paper dolls playsets Tinkertoys Erector Sets cardboard punch-out buildings Lincoln Logs die-cast army men Erector Set role-playing kitchen sets cowboy & cowgirl outfits space toys		vehicles Lionel trains die-cast vehicles: ----• Tootsietoy ----• Midgetoy small plastic cars & trucks balsa wood model airplane kits Train Collectors action toys Flexible Flyer sleds marbles Radio Flyer scooters bicycles pedal cars Radio Flyer wagons Daisy Red Ryder Air Rifle In 1946, Bozo The Clown made his debut in Bozo At The Circus, the first read-along book & record set for kids. Bozo was created by Alan W. Livingston and was voiced by Pinto Colvig. other toys View-Master Slinky Tonette flutes Disney toys crayons & coloring books read-along book & record sets metal tops

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