Monthly Archives: January 2015

I love Lucy Props, Vintage Hair Care

Ricky’s Hair Loss Treatments: Vibrating Hair Brush

rickys-hair-loss-treatments
Lucy uses a state of the art vibrating hair brush to make Rickys scalp tingle in the season one episode Ricky Thinks He’s Going Bald . This looks very like the Vitabrush vibrating hairbrush pictured below.

Look for the Vitabrush on eBay

rickys-hair-loss-treatments
Image Credit: http://www.k-bid.com/auction/161/item/88

rickys-hair-loss-treatments

BE FAIR TO YOU HAIR Want better looking hair? Embarassed by falling dandruff, itching scalp? Get the new VITABRUSH, the electic-automatic brush with build-in brush head motor… gives scalp and hair an invigorating “workout” in just 3 minutes. Cleans scalp, stimulates blood supply, distributes the natural oils. Fun to use – relaxing. Write for satisfaction-guaranteed offer – today.
Hersey Mfg. Co., 3714 Field Bldg., Chicago 3 (Popular Mechanics, Mar 1949)

rickys-hair-loss-treatments
The is an earlier version of the one Lucy used. Popular Science – Sep 1940 – Page 85 Vibrating Brush Provides Efficient Scalp Massage DESIGNED to … The brushes are driven by means of a flexible shaft connecting the brush head with an electric motor
rickys-hair-loss-treatments
Another View of the Vitabrush. Image Credit: http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/vitabrush/
I love Lucy Props, Vintage Hair Care

Ricky’s Hair Loss Treatments: Scalp Exerciser

rickys-hair-loss-treatmentsThanks to another Ricky for today’s post.
Rick writes: “This was an hysterical scene to say the least and Lucy & Desi played it to the hilt. If you recall, Lucy tortured Ricky with several things; one in particular was an Electric Scalp Massage Vibrator. In the scene, she even mistakenly goes too low on his face and starts massaging his eyes.
I cannot locate a similar 1950’s version that was used on the show, but it really did exist in the 1920’s and 1940’s.

Here are a few articles on these torturous devices and a few screen grabs.”
1929_scalp-exerciserNEW SCALP EXERCISER IS DRIVEN BY ELECTRICITY
BALDNESS seems to be the fear of all men. Here is the newest remedy for that fear. The new motor-driven scalp exerciser is guaranteed to give the scalp all the exercise that it needs. Scientifically the principle that this machine exemplifies is correct. Since blood is the food on which all the tissues of the body feed, the supply must be kept fresh and plentiful. Exercise will draw the blood to that portion of the body that is being so developed. The scalp does not receive sufficient exercise to warrant the growth of hair and as a result baldness ensues. To overcome this condition, the use of hair tonics became common. The chief value of any tonic is the process of application. The rubbing that is always prescribed makes the blood circulate and thus helps the hair gain new life. It was found that the hand could not deliver as much exercise as was really necessary, so the inventor of the scalp exerciser got busy. His machine possesses four rubber pads that are comparable to the human fingers. The motor is at the top and by means of vibrating rods causes the pads to move, which action exercises the scalp. (Popular Mechanics Feb 1929)
1940_scalp-exerciser
Multiple Electric Vibrator Massages the Scalp
FOUR hundred and eighty artificial fingers give the scalp a gentle and beneficial massage, in a multiple electric vibrator just introduced. Light in weight, the appliance may easily be self-manipulated as at left, with the aid of two convenient hand grips, while four vibrating disks do their work in unison. The machine is said to stimulate the circulation of blood to scalp and brain cells and to remove all dandruff and loose hair. Source Popular Science – Oct 1940 – Page 126

50s Retro, I love Lucy Props, Vintage Hair Care

Ricky’s Scalp Massager

rickys scalp massager
Lucy gived Ricky a Scalp Massage in the episode “Ricky Thinks He’s Going Bald”

In the episode Ricky Thinks He’s Going Bald Lucy goes to work on Ricky’s scalp with a variety of scalp treatments including this barbers scalp massager which looks very like the Stim-U-Lax Scalp Massager by Oster.

Ricky Thinks He's Going Bald
Vintage Stim-U-Lax Scalp Massager -click picture to see the listing on eBay

The Stim-U-Lax Scalp Massager pictured above is one of several vintage models available on eBay at present

1950 Ad for Stim-u-lax scalp massager
1950 Ad for Stim-u-lax scalp massager
I love Lucy Props, Kitchen, Salt & Pepper Shakers

Lucy’s Cardinal China Salt & Pepper Shakers

salt-pepper-shakers
Peter is back again ( thanks Pete!) with a great ID for the Asian boy and girl salt and pepper shakers seen in the Ricardo’s Kitchen:  “Here is some information about the oriental style salt & pepper shakers. cardinal-line-salt-pepper-shakersThey were distributed by the Cardinal China Company which began in 1946 as the Carteret China Company, at Carteret, New Jersey, where they remained in operation until the 1960s.  Cardinal China were distributors who added their own mark to  products  made by manufacturers such as American Bisque  Co and possibly Shawnee Pottery. They were known as the first US company to produce a spoon rest.

Cardinal China Kitchen Companions

These  salt & pepper shakers were part of their Kitchen Companion line that also included a laundry sprinkler named “Sprinkle Plenty”, a measuring holder  called “#1 Measure Boy” as well as a potted plant that held measuring spoons and a spoon rest shaped like a flower. Only the salt & pepper set were used on I Love Lucy and are often found on the side wall kitchen shelving. The other pieces to the set can easily be found however the salt & pepper are hard to come by”

Lucy
Here the wall mounted shelf for the salad set is turned upside down and the shaker set is placed on it.

Find Cardinal China on eBay

Find Cardinal China on Etsy

Reference:
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Price-Guide-Pottery-Porcelain/dp/0876378939

I love Lucy Props, Peerage Brass Co

Lucy’s Fireplace Bellows

bellows
Lucy’s Fireplace bellows in use in “The Gossip”
Similar design on a vintage brass clad fireplace bellows
Similar design on a vintage brass clad fireplace bellows. Photo source: eBay

brassbellows2 Lucy uses a brass clad fireplace bellows in a scene from “The Gossip”. I don’t have a maker name for this yet but I found one with the same brass relief design on eBay UK this week – unfortunately the leather bellows on this one is damaged . Click Here for the listing

Art, Utrillo

A Visit to Montmartre

Photo: Deirdre Hayes

I have just returned from a trip to Paris with my daughter Deirdre who is a photographer. We spent some time in Montmartre which is the setting for many of Utrillo‘s paintings including “The Restaurant on Mont Cenis” a print of which is seen on the I Love Lucy living room set. I will follow up with some pictures I took of the location.   (Le Consulat bistro seen in the picture above was the subject of another of Utrillos’s paintings).

Meanwhile here is link to some of Deirdre’s photos from the trip :
http://prints.deirdrehayesphotography.com/Paris

I love Lucy Props, Peerage Brass Co

Lucy’s Peerage Brass Plates

2 Comments
Brass plate on the mantel piece on the set of the Ricardo's Newport home
Brass plate on the mantel piece on the set of the Ricardo’s Newport home in a scene from “Building a BBQ”

Peter shares another great find with us (Thanks Pete!), this time it’s the matching brass plate that goes with the brass pitchers we looked at previously:

Peerage Brass Plate similar to one on I Love Lucy
Peerage Brass Plate similar to one on I Love Lucy

Peter writes: “The Peerage company also made the brass plates that can be seen in the Ricardo’s home when they move to the country. Two smaller ones (probably around 10″-12”) are found behind the door to the den, as seen in episode “Lucy Raises Chickens” when she and Ethel put the 500 chicks in there to keep warm. But most noticeable is the larger one that sits on top of the fireplace mantel. Close ups can be grabbed when she’s cleaning in thr early part of “Building A BBQ”. I was able to find the exact pattern and like the pitchers (which they placed on the mantel as well) are pretty inexpensive. Here’s a link to one currently for sale: Vintage Brass Wall Hanging Plate – Pub Scene – Made in England. They mounted it to a wood circle. I can’t seem to find any that include the wood plaque so I think the prop masters made them specifically for the plates. I might try and do it myself if I can find a wood circle that measures around 18″

As Peter mentions above the brass plates were mounted on a wood backing for use on set – this may have been a practical solution to prevent noise from the brass rattling on set as the actors moved about  – so if you want a similar look you may have to DIY or get a carpenter to make the backing boards.

Art, Framed Prints, I love Lucy Props

Lucy’s French Fashion Prints

mode illustree prints

Peter is back  with another great find to share with us. ( See also his previous contribution on the mantel lusters )

Peter writes  “The pair of french fashion prints can be found to the right of the kitchen door in the first couple of seasons. They first appear in “The Marriage License” episode then last until she gets new furniture and replaces them with the Trend banjo clock. You can then spot them in the Mertz’s apartment until they move to the country.

French Fashion Prints from La Mode Ilustree
French Fashion Prints from La Mode Ilustree

They were prints from La Mode Illustree and can easily be found on eBay but the trick is to find the illustrations that were used on the show. Here’s a link to a set that sold recently:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Oval-Framed-Fashion-Prints-La-Mode-Illustree-set-of-2-/261700000496”

See More like this on eBay