Sepia Saturday: Pepsi Girl Friend

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo taken in a radio station in the 1940s reminded me of a letter that my mother saved from her youth.  

It was addressed to Johnnie Blanks in her care. Who was Johnnie Blanks and why did he use her address? Hold that thought. Let’s consider the letter first.

Apparently “Johnnie” had sent a fan letter and a photo to Betty, the Pepsi-Cola Girl Friend at the local radio station, WTAR, the very first to go on the air in Virginia. Betty must have been an important figure at WTAR. Afterall, she had letterhead and matching envelopes. However, Google searches came back with nothing relevant, either Betty Draper from “Mad Men” or Hallie Eisenberg, the little girl from the Pepsi commercials in the 1990s.

Dickie Blanks in 1946

Johnnie’s description sounds much like Momma’s high school sweetheart Richard “Dickie” Blanks. The postmark on the envelope was 1942 when Momma was just 13. I doubt they were dating that early, but who knows? I have 2 theories about Johnnie’s identity:

1. Dickie wrote to Betty under an assumed name and used Momma’s address so that his parents would not know.
2. Momma wrote the letter just to see what would happen – in that silly teenage girl way – maybe hoping Dickie would be listening to the radio.

At first, I thought Betty might have been a disc jockey until I noticed that she SANG “Elmer’s Tune.” Maybe she was part of Pepsi’s sponsorship of the radio program, the voice of Pepsi, so to speak.

Would you like to hear the song? It’s not Betty – it’s Glenn Miller and the Modernaires. The vocals start after 1 minute. The title does not sound very romantic – I can’t help thinking of Elmer Fudd – but it topped the charts in December 1941, just a month before Betty dedicated it to Johnnie Blanks. 

 

Turn your dial to SS574 for the top hits in Sepia Saturday stories and old photos.

Wendy

© 2021, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: On the Steps of Chambers

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo with its arches and steps reminded me of this photo taken at Davidson College during the summer of 1946.

On the Steps of Chambers

Some of the people in Bible 11 waiting for the lunch bell to ring. The one on the far right is the ass’t football coach. He also attends school.

Dickie Blanks, my mother’s high school sweetie, had already left for college because he was on the football team.

He sent her 24 photos of the campus. Unlike my own ancestors, Dickie labeled every photo resulting in a virtual campus tour.

On the Steps of Chambers

Some of our Bible 12 class waiting for the bell to ring. (notice how everyone is studing) 

[My mother would have raised an eyebrow at THAT spelling.]

On the Steps of Chambers

“Doug” Rice, another of my friends. He has a crutch because he got his ankle twisted in practice the day before this was taken.

[I don't see any crutches. Do you?]

On the Steps of Chambers

 “Hal” Mapes lighting the cigarette is one of my best friends. He plays football and sits right behind me in both classes. I have to help him study all of the time.

Dormitory Row

Taken from the sidewalk, looking west. Their names are: left to right – Georgia, West, East, and Duke. Watts and Rumble were behind me. We live in West, the 2^nd one on the third floor.

Dickie and Momma parted ways during their college days. I suppose since she saved these pictures (none of which include a photo of Dickie himself), it must be true that you don’t forget your first love.

Follow the Sepia Saturday path to more stories of arches and steps.

Wendy

© 2017, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.