Ridiculous 50s adverts for mums.

Happy Mother's Day! My mum's fab. So are these awful ads.

Believe it or not; the one above is advertising a washing powder. I've never personally been bullied about the lack of blinding whiteness in my shirt, or known anyone who has, but the 1950s think otherwise.

And this. Oh my god.

That's a pretty amazing transformation.

Middle-class voting in the 1950s.

Oh joy, more Picture Post scans. This makes me laugh but I'm not sure why; I think it's the "characters".

I'd say Independent Spinster was having the most fun, what is Nonconformist Minister's problem do you think? Doctor looks like he's about to diagnose something embarrassing and fatal.

Two photos of tragic children.

“In a British war cemetery, a child stands by the grave of her father, who was killed in action before she was born.”

Photographed by John Chillingworth. 

“Rachamin Hadini, aged three and a half, has been a polio victim since his first birthday. Helped by arm supports, he has slowly learned to feed himself - and is proud of his new skill.”

Photograph supplied by the World Health Organisation.

Beans win races, ice cream is rectangular.

Some more scans from my beloved 1950s Picture Post, this time advertising foooood.

Farting his way across the finish line, well done Tim!

That’s nice to know!

These are the happiest and most obnoxiously bright of the Picture Post adverts I’ve scanned, it’s all graves and crying children (I’m serious!) from here on. This one does kind of make me fancy an ice cream though. Just not a weird rectangular one.

Picture Post front cover, May 1955.

What a gem, I'll be posting more scans from this!