Foiled by Foil

Alcoa’s Book of Decorations : A Year-round Treasury of Easy-to-do Decorations for Holidays and Special Occasions
von Hagen
1959

Submitter: I can’t decide what I love most about this book — there is just too much awesome awfulness to choose from! From “Conny of Alcoa” (is that like Saul of Tarsus?) perched on the edge of the table in her smart 50’s shirt dress to the scarlet-haired beauty dipping her foiled toes in the water on page 90, this book is a gem. Glue together foil boots to hold lingerie at Christmas! (And don’t forget to invite your guests to “snip nuts to learn their fortunes.”) Hang foil donuts on your front door to impress the neighbors! Mound crushed foil up and stack fruit on it! Dress your son up as a mind control-foiling (yuk-yuk) Pippi Longstocking for Halloween! (Although the aliens may have already gotten him — notice the childish attempt at a Vulcan salute)

Holly: Wow. These are really…something. What possible excuse could a library make for keeping this in their collection? 1959??