Re: [FWDLK] 1957 Fury and Rock and Roll on Ebay
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Re: [FWDLK] 1957 Fury and Rock and Roll on Ebay



   We aren't talking about memories here, we are talking about tacky "art".  There IS a reason you do not see this stuff sold in art galleries, but you will find it at Wal-Mart.  It has nothing to do with cars or even reality.  It has to do with psychological manipulation, iconic "buttons", and consumerism.  "Buy this .... it has a familiar image on it !"
 
   I am old enough to remember drive-ins and Googie.  I remember my best friend's sister getting a job at the nearby Dairy Queen, raking in a whopping 50 cents an hour !  I think that was 1964 ?  I remember going with Grandma and Grandpa in their lilac and white 59 Electra with the top town to have a burger and fries at Casper's or the cool recesses of the Penguin, while the glint of chrome and glass pierced the shadows beyond  the floor-to-ceiling windows and palm gardens around the booths.  Was it special ?  Hell yeah !  Was it poodle skirts and hot pink neon flamingos ?  Not a chance.  Poodle skirts were long out of fashion by the time fins were in vogue.  Hot pink was the 1980's contrived vision of the subtle pastels that were the 50's.  I do not doubt how life was in the 50's, I am just kinda picky about the mix-n-match presentation of early 50's, late 50's, a! nd what never was 50's !  And for goodness' sake, do we HAVE TO do it in cartoon form ?
 
  I also remember walking down our street and marveling at the cars.  MacKintoshs had a 58 Lincoln convertible and a 57 Ranchero, Mr. Anderson drove a Ferrari of all things, while his wife had a 59 Olds wagon in beige metallic, the Webbs had a black 57 Ford el cheapo sedan, and next to them the Bjorklunds had a brand new Falcon.  Gustafsons had a 59 Merc wagon with wood sides, and my own parents had a pair of 57 Chevs, one a FI coupe and the other a copper and cream Bel Air wagon.  Mr. Crawford had a new 60 Pontiac Ventura, and the Davisons had an all-white 56 Cadillac and an ancient Packard hiding in the garage that never moved.  Mr. Blood had a striking baby blue 60 Polara with those wild chrome "gills" on the rear quarters. and across the street, the only "older" kids (late teens, early 20's) in the neighborhood had a slew of hotrods, and a 58 Corvette, all painted shiney black.&nb! sp; Now here in the lot were there hot pink paint jobs, no neon flamingos, no toothpaste lettering, no cardboard cutouts of James Dean or Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis was still a viable "hit machine", along with Perry Como and Lawrence Welk.   
 
   I remember the baby moons, the louvred hoods, the side pipes too.  But what does any of this have to do with trite and contrived cartoons that make a mockery of these cars we love ?  There is good art, and there is plenty of other stuff.  Commercial art, cartoons, downright bad art.  If having one's warm-n-fuzzy memories stimulated is the ONLY objective, perhaps cartoons are good enough to get the job done for some.  All I am saying is that there is so much better stuff out there than to just settle for some lame cartoons.
 
   Every day is a good day.
 
   Enjoy !  ;-D
 
-------------- Original message --------------
From: John Bartell <59fins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hi all,       
    I grew up in the Metropolitan and suburban Milwaukee WI area in the 50s and 60s.  Living in a large city ( yea, well, Milwaukee was big to me)environment with lots of people and traffic, left me with lots of memories of hot cars, loud side pipes, windhield visors, fins, spinners, baby moons, custom rods, hide-away antennae, chopped tops and louvered hoods, car clubs, club jackets, Betty Boop, poodle skirts, bobby socks, Wow...the list can go on and on.  
     I like the posters and pics, real photos or an artists version of those days long gone.   Just because some guy puts neon stars and a 57 Fury on a poster, isn't a reason to doubt how life was in the fifties...nor was Leave it to Beaver the way it was across America!  I can't remember my mother cooking dinner for our family in a cocktail dress and a full line of jewelry tying her down.  Believe it or not,  not everyone in mid-America got a new car with each new TV season!
    Here in our little burg in central WI we call home, there is an A&W that I can remember from my childhood days when we vacationed in this neck of the woods.  On the walls they have old photos of the original little A&W and some 50s cars being served by the car hops.  I can remember the 50's, and some from the 60's and on through to todays larger more modern facilities.  I like these the best out of all memorabilia from the past, because it shows a true picture of what I can remember of the past.  (of course there were days I don't want to recall...I didn't just get the leave it to Beaver...go to your room discipline, the stuff I got stung a bit)
    Anyhow, those of us from the past and still of sound mind (personal opinion) to remember how it really was..."when and where we grew up"... can enjoy a newer version of 57 Heaven posters, old car pics, memories of past girl friends...(maybe,) our old cars, local police, and even presidential races...it doesn't make anyones preference right or wrong.
    One picture I wish I had, was the one of a 58 4 dr.Chevy after it fell sideways off the car hauler when the ramps tipped over in front of Cosgrove Chevrolet in West Allis WI.  I used to watch them unload the new cars there as a kid and I saw that happen!   I always wonder if that guy lost his job!
John in WI

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