Coming Next Week: What's Bertie Watching?

Bertie has had a chance to watch a lot of television lately...for the last thirteen years or so.  He and Oscar enjoy watching their favorite shows together.  Much like me, Bertie enjoys the fantastic classic television shows, and, one of his favorites is the beloved comedy Bewitched starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, the plucky "witch with a twitch."  Agnes Moorehead, the enchanting character actress, played her mother "Endora."  Quite famously, Dick York played Sam's mortal husband Darrin Stephens from 1964 to 1969 while Dick Sargent filled Darrin's wingtips from 1969 to 1972.  

Next week, Bertie will be offering up his thoughts on Bewitched and the important part that the show played in shaping not only the television landscape of the 1960s and early 1970s, but, how it continues to influence programming today.

To tide you over until next week, here are some of my...I mean Bertie's...favorite images from the show.

Though it's colorized (which I loathe), here's one of my favorite episodes from the show's first season (the first two were filmed in black and white).  This is Episode 4, "Mother Meets 'What's His Name'."

Ephemeral Beauty: Pruyne's Oil Paste

In the Nineteenth Century, it seems, more so than today, items in the home needed to be protected from drying out and cracking.  Now we spend more time worrying about keeping our skin from drying out and cracking than we do in concern for protecting the tops of our cars.

Click to enlarge.

Products such as Pruyne's Oil Paste were marketed to keep leather items, in particular, supple and useful.

I like this little trade card which has been sitting with its dozens of ephemera brethren in my collection, waiting to see the light of day again.

Really, it's a stock card which a merchant or manufacturer would have ordered to be printed with information pertaining to their wares.

An attractive celadon green makes a suitable background for a spray of morning glories and wheat.  I've always had a fondness for morning glories.  Perhaps it's because the flower reminds me of 1164 Morning Glory Circle, the fictional home in Westport of Darrin and Samantha Stephens and their children, Tabitha and Adam.  Of course, I'm referring to Bewitched.  In reality 1164 Morning Glory Circle is a set on the former Columbia Ranch (now the Warner Ranch) and has about as much substance as this card.

Flitting amongst the arrangement of grain and glories is a rather plump bee who looks quite content.

The white rectangle on this stock card was printed:

USE

Pruyne's Chamion Oil Paste

For Harness, Carriage Tops, Boots

and Shoes.

Norwich Oil Paste Co., Prop'rs

NORWICH, NEW YORK

Perhaps at some point in the late 1880s, Endora used Pruyne's Oil Paste to keep her saddle supple.  Oh my stars!

Nonetheless, it's a pretty little card in those stunning late Victorian colors--green, bright salmon, rose and purple--which I love so much.