Big Daddy Roth...Old Car Ads, and other Christmas Oddities! ...Christmas and/or Winter Related part 2

In line with the other magazine covers in a prior post, and keeping with the Christmas season, here are a few other oddities to enjoy....Be sure to click on the pictures for larger images...sometimes twice for extra large ones!

Here is a bit more of Pete Millar's art work on a cover way back in the 1960's. The second group of photos here is a collage of Big Daddy Roth and a little bio that you will have to click on probably twice to read, as well as a little Happy Finky Christmas....(If you don't know who Rat Fink is, you have never lived in the hot rod world). Rat Fink still exists today and in most hot rod circles is still more popular than Mickey Mouse!!

A couple of real oddities here. "Santa Clause conquers the Martians" was an actual "B" movie back in the middle of the 20th century, and was dubbed as one of the worst movies of all time.

The next piece here is a very cool (likely fictitious) lounge sign that caught my eye...I guess I just really like the Art Deco art work here!

This is a wonderful 1941 Lincoln Zephyr advertisement showing Santa, looking so proudly upon either his own Lincoln or one that he will be giving as a gift on Christmas Eve.

The next one here is a great artistic piece of Christmas gift bearing people eyeing up the brand new 1946 Nash.

Here is a nice shot of Santa and an International Panel Truck. International trucks were a very important part of the delivery scene back in 1938. Next to it is a 5-Ton 1948 Studebaker Stake-side truck delivering Christmas Trees to the neighbourhood. Both are great examples of the art work for the advertising industry at the time.

One last art piece here is tons of Christmas shoppers at the Goodyear Tire store back in 1960....do you recognize the new red 1960 Plymouth Valiant?

The final 1954 picture here is one of my favourites showing Christmas shoppers in a city that could be anywhere in the USA or Canada a week before the holidays........How many of the vehicles can you name. Compare that picture to one that might be taken today, and from the same distance you would never be able to tell what the vehicles were!! The vehicles of today are basically clones of each other.

NOTE: CHECK OUT THESE TWO LINKS TO SEE LAST YEARS CHRISTMAS POSTS....THEY ARE WORTH A SECOND LOOK.....THEN COME BACK!

http://hotrodsandjalopies.blogspot.com/2009/12/old-family-christmas-trees-and-toysin.html

AND http://hotrodsandjalopies.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmasthe-best-days-of-our-lives-in.html
Please note that the image above "Ring-A-Ding-Ding Lounge" is courtesy of and property of "The Retro Christmas Card Company"  with it's link as follows  http://www.retrochristmascardcompany.com/ring-a-ding-lounge/
Many thanks to "Retro Christmas Card Company" for its use!

Tom Nesbitt....a local living legend!

Tom's first couple of Cars

Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame ......and "Tom Nesbitt" Day

Tom signing my photo of his Model "A" Sedan.........#1 of course!!

The brain protector and the famous "blue" Studebaker!!

The Stude and The Cake...

How many of these do you have, Tom? ...and Tom with Jeff Caldwell's kids!
...............TOM NESBITT:
It is extremely difficult in a few words to describe the illustrious career of Tom Nesbitt. Tom was recently inducted into The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame here in Thunder Bay, an honour that really took way too long to come. Tom started his memorable racing career when our city was called Fort William, and during the time when the likes of Barry Kettering, Merv Dove, Louis Tocheri, and the Massaro brothers were cutting up the CLE grounds back in the late 1950's.
His famed blue Studebaker saw many checkered flags and in 1968 alone had won an incredible 19 of the 21 late model features that he entered that year at Riverview Raceways here in Fort William, now Thunder Bay, Ontario. His career took him racing to such places as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, Mississippi and who knows where else, winning numerous races and many championships along the way during his 50 plus year reign on the dirt.
Tom Nesbitt day was held last month on November 22 at the West Arthur Community Centre to a great crowd who all enjoyed congratulating Tom and talking with their old racing buddies. There were tons of photo albums full of photos for everyone to reminisce about the good ol' days.
The Stieh Family can be commended for sponsoring a great event that was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance.
If you want to read all this in more detail, Jeff Caldwell summed it up in a well written detailed story that you can find by clicking here http://www.gotomn.com/racing/history/Tom-Nesbitt/tom-nesbitt-tribute.htm
Thanks Tom "The Bomb" Nesbitt for the memories and Jeff Caldwell for the great write-up on the racing history website and for some of the photos here.
As usual, be sure to click on any of the photos to enlarge them!!

1949 Old cars and Brill Busses in Fort William

If you scroll down to "Our old cruisin' strip", you will see a coloured photo there taken in 1962 showing Victoria and Syndicate Ave.(the two main streets in Fort William). The Fort William downtown core was pretty much destroyed by the city by building Victoriaville Mall, as explained there, closing off the two busiest streets. Here are a few more photos taken in 1949 showing the brill buses when they first took over from the rail trolleys which ended the same year. The top left would be right inside the most eastern end of Victoriaville. The bottom left is the actual corner of Syndicate and Victoria Avenues near the original Chapples Ltd.(grain exchange building), where the dropped courtyard in Victoriaville is today. The top right photo is further down towards the most eastern end of Victoria Avenue. The top left and right photos show an English Thames panel truck(Beacon's Bread and Cakes), a new '49 Studebaker(the cars you couldn't tell the front from the back), and a number of Fords, Chrysler and GM vehicles. The hustle and bustle of our downtown is long gone with most buildings for rent or lease. The rare sight of any vehicles down there are the ones crossing Victoria Avenue at May Street. Again...I could say much more! Click on photos.