In his desire to clean our locker, Earl is going through a box of his parents’ memorabilia and deciding what to toss and what to keep. Most of the newspaper articles are not making the cut, but they provide a glimpse of life half a century ago before they land in the wastebasket.
Case in point: An ad for Hillman’s Market in the May 1, 1961 Chicago Sun-Times offers pork chops at fifty-nine cents a pound and strawberries for twenty-nine cents a pint. A one-pound can of coffee is also fifty-nine cents. There is no mention of bottled water for sale or Kalamata olives in bulk or a sushi bar.
Another, undated, article gives a recipe for rhubarb sherbet that serves eight. Whoever submitted it to the Chicago Tribune received five dollars for doing so, but the person’s name is not listed. Anonymity was more popular back then.
And finally, there is a clipping from the society page featuring four photos from various events such as the Henry Horner Chicago Boys Club party and the Lying-In Hospital benefit. Every single woman except one wears a hat. Nowadays hats have gone the way of Hillman’s and the fifty-nine cent pork chop.
There is, however, one constant from that era. Jewel Foods is still around, although its slogan — “Happy Families Shop at Jewel” — has disappeared. Maybe people aren’t so happy any more.
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