Saturday, September 4, 2010

Mad Men vs. Mad Women, Headbands, Awards

As I watched "Mad Men" win so many Emmys this week I was transported (again) back in time to my days in advertising in the 60's. I was talking about it with my friend, Robin, and she mentioned how much she liked the hairdos with the headbands from those days. The ladies on the "Mad Men" show often wear headbands. I hadn't noticed this til she mentioned it.

Working hard at my drawing board with my hair neatly held back with a fashionable headband. (This photo has spots and fingerprints all over it. )


The women in advertising had their own separate club and gave out awards called "Lulus".  Women, of course, could join the Art Directors Club (ADLA) but it was made up predominately of men and harder to compete in. I did manage to win an honorable mention once in the ADLA but in the Women's Ad Club it was easier to win. Not many women were Art Directors, though. Most of the women were in other parts of advertising.
The first award I got was presented by Dina Merrill (actress and daughter of E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriwether Post). It was always quite a gala event, patterned after the Oscars, complete with an orchestra. 


The next year the award was presented by Howard Duff and his wife, Ida Lupino. (where are they now?) I sent this picture to my hometown newspaper and cropped out Ida. Howard was a little more well known at the time and Ida looked awful in the photo. My note on the photo said Ida looks like a creep and the person at the newspaper wrote "so does Howard". (Note the headband)
 Here's the uncropped photo.


The next year I won two "Lulus".  I don't remember who the presenter was that year.  (I'm in the middle, 3rd from left.)

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13 comments:

  1. I felt transported. What a fun trip through time and fashion zones. Howard does look like a creep; you should have cropped him too.

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  2. Very, very cool. Thank you for posting these.

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  3. You are amazing. An actual award-winning art director! Do you still have the awards? Did you go out and drink 10 martinis to celebrate like they do on Mad Men?

    You looks so wonderfully happy in these photos. I'm glad you could save them to enjoy those moments all over again. And share them.

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  4. I absolutely love these photographs from your days in advertising. They are so evocative of the time - headbands and all.

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  5. Excellent post and, just as we get the 4th series of Mad Men airing on the BBC this week. I wouldn't miss it for anything. Glad I didn't miss this post, too.

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  6. Delightful post, and a very belated congratulations on your "Lulus." (I would've cropped out Ida, too. Looks a bit like Agnes Morehead in that photo, if you ask me.)

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  7. Oh I love the hairstyles, the John Powers beauty poses in the chairs, Howard Duff looking like it was something he ate. And you looking so happy.

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  8. Oh, I loved the little thin ribbon with a bow. That was my standard hairstyle during my junior year of college (62.) I still think it's a great look!

    Great photos! You were really in the thick of things.

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  9. So good to see the 1960s fashions again, the back combed hair and the headbands and the dress style. These are all lovely photos of yourself.

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  10. Belated congratulations on your awards. You look so happy - as you should have been! I had forgotten about headbands....

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  11. I absolutely love these old photos - the women had such pride in the way they looked - at least they looked that way -

    Anyway, congratulations on having won those Lulus!

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  12. I LOVE THESE PHOTOS! Why have you hidden them for so long??? Glad Mad Men has made you uncover them!

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  13. Headbands!
    Oh my!
    and ribbons tied in bows.....

    Well done with the awards though!

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