The most difficult and uncomfortable tasks of this renovation have occurred in the crawl space. Cara and I have spent a good amount of time on our bellies and backs, crawling the length and breadth of our house in Tyvec suits and breathing through respirators. We have become intimately acquainted with the dirt and cobwebs (and skeletons of large mammals) that have been collecting for the past 90 or so years.
We have also found some fascinating objects that have been remarkably preserved by the dry and dusty climate under there. One of the most amazing is this flier for RCA Victor. It is dated September 29, 1963; just over 44 years from today. The colors are amazing despite the fact that it was used as a shim between the floor joists and a jack for decades.
The most amazing thing about this flier is the date. It represents an America in the midst of a defining moment. The Vietnam war was on the cusp of escalation and, in six weeks, the President would be assassinated. But the person who folded this thing up and stuck it under the house had no idea what was coming...and the flier itself is all optimism.
Especially awesome is this graphic on page 3. "Space age Sealed Circuitry" I'm not clear on the timeline, but this was shortly after Kennedy's speech launching the space program. That illustration of the pretty girl in B&W, nestled in the oak tv console, floating in space kind of blew my mind.
Scrooge McDuck as a "Built in Baby Sitter"? I can't wait for this to show up on Mad Men.
And Disney placemats were and continue to be a free gift coveted by all! This was printed 3 years before I was born, but I remember people having those all in one consoles for years! And the console at the top for $449 which is low now, but a fortune then! Cool find!
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