Blonde or Brunette Circa 1942
August 28, 2008
My newest assignment at the Archives is to catalog bound annual editions of The Fog Horn, the newspaper that was published by the now extinct Letterman General Hospital during its lifetime. So far I’m only up to 1944, and its going far slower than anticipated because I’m so intrigued by every minute detail in the damn things that i bury my nose in them and am lost for hours in the remotest part of our building. Regardless of those insufferable professional complaints, I found a real gem of historical fodder and proof that women haven’t come very far in the minds of men, in the grand scheme of things. I pulled this out of the Editorial section of the Saturday, May 30, 1942 edition of The Fog Horn:
Blonde Or Brunette
Some psychologists say blondes have a tendency to night-blindness and also that despite their carefree exteriors their suicide rate is higher than amongst brunettes. But don’t let her hair ever worry you. Look at her soul. That’s the source of real joy. Don’t be misled by a grinning super-charged Hollywood exterior. If her soul is at real peace and she is sure of herself–and of you, she won’t commit suicide.
Brunettes have to powder their nose more, ’tis said, and have by actual count 1/3 fewer hairs than blondes although their hair is stronger, hence will stand much more hair-pulling than blonde or red heads, without coming out in a hair-pulling out bout. The blonde has a harder time choosing clothes that won’t clash, hence the brunette may become more careless.
But finally they say blondes and brunettes are on a a par as far as temperament, and moods, character, and fidelity are concerned so you’re right back where you started. Hence, pick your wife for the color of her soul. That determines her actions and reactions; good and bad actions.
Shall I translate? Blondes aren’t necessarily more fun and you can yank on the brunette’s hair as hard as you want so go for the safe choice and pass up the starlet for the little philly you can lead around in the bedroom. Oh..but we must stress that it’s VERY important to pick a wife for other reasons such as the beautiful color of her personage; it’s what’s on the inside that’s important. I know, it’s laughable to throw that in as a caveat after all that’s been said (truly a nice cover). And let’s not forget this is psychologically determined–it’s science. One cannot argue with science.
Honestly: humans have evolved little since the 1940s.
My Father was the Staff Photographer at Letterman General Hospital 1960-1965 era. Was wondering what you have Archived and what years. How Can we see these?
David! I’m so glad you left a comment. I work for the Park Archives and Records Center (PARC) located at 667 McDowell in the Presidio of San Francisco; you can’t miss us (actually, we’re fairly easy to miss): we’re in a converted Cavalry stable just under Doyle Drive and up from Crissy Field, past the now-shuttered Pet Cemetery.
We archive all materials that relate to lands within the Golden Gate Recreational Area (GGNRA). These include all Bay Area Forts: Barry, Baker, Cronkhite, Funston, Mason, Winfield Scott, and Point; Lands End; Sutro Heights and Baths; the Marin Headlands; and, of course, the Presidio of San Francisco. That said, we have all sorts of images, documents and objects relating to Letterman General Hospital–all of which are free for you to peruse!
Additionally, we’re always collecting new materials and if you have any items that belonged to your father we would love to see them. Of course, we completely understand if you’re unwilling to part with treasured items, but we also have a policy of making copies of items that aren’t accepted into the permanent museum and archive collection. And, at the very least, we would love to hear stories about your Dad! So stop on by if you have a chance, we’re open Monday through Friday, 9–5.
Thank you again for you comment and I hope to hear from you again.