Category Archives: Food and Drink

Sept. 9, 1947: Model Destroys Fake Painting Showing Her Semi-Nude

Posted on September 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

September 9, 1947: Model Carol Janis destroys a painting in which her head was placed on a semi-nude figure. Men: It’s the end of straw hat season and felt hat season begins. Morning tip: Try a little salt in your coffee! Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Art & Artists, Fashion, Food and Drink | Tagged #Holocaust, 1947, art and artists, fashion, food and drink, Israel, Palestine, slashing paintings | Leave a comment

August 31, 1907: The Year in Liquor — 20 Gallons of Beer for Every Man, Woman and Child in U.S.

Posted on August 31, 2026 by lmharnisch

August 31, 1907: Distillers produced 20 gallons of beer and 1.4 gallons of whiskey for every man, woman and child in America, the U.S. says. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink | Tagged #prohibition, 1907, alcohol, temperance, tobacco, WCTU | Leave a comment

August 12-13, 1907: Bucket of Blood Is a Den of Drunken Debauchery

Posted on August 12, 2026 by lmharnisch

August 12, 1907: The L.A. Times describes the Bismark Cafe, known to police as the Bucket of Blood, as “drunken debauchery among girls of tender ages, painted women and men.” It is an “immoral pesthole” where “young girls are enticed nightly do drink and listen to a band concert.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, LAPD, Main Street, Music, Streetcars | Tagged #Main Street, 1907, crime and courts, drunken debauchery, food and drink, labor, lapd | Comments Off

Aug. 3, 1907: Gasoline Stove Explodes, Destroys House

Posted on August 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

August 3, 1907: Gasoline from a stove explodes, destroying a house. Mrs. William Morley was found dazed and stumbling around the smoking ruin of what had been her home. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Fires, Food and Drink | Tagged 1907, explosions, Fires, gasoline stoves | Comments Off

July 5, 1907: Beer Is the Health Drink, Like ‘Liquid Bread’

Posted on July 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 5, 1907: See here, you pesky temperance workers, beer is “liquid bread!” It’s good for you! Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Food and Drink, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged 1907, beer, food and drink, health food, liquid bread | Comments Off

June 16, 1947: LAPD Officers Hidden in Bar Kill Watchman Stealing Liquor

Posted on June 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 16, 1947: Two LAPD officers staked out at a bar kill night watchman Wanzy Patterson, who crawled through a transom to steal liquor. Officers said they shot Patterson 11 times after he made a move toward his pistol. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, LAPD | Tagged 1947, crime and courts, lapd, Negro Alley, Wanzy Patterson | Comments Off

April 23, 1908: Whiskey Is a Health Tonic

Posted on April 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

April 23, 1908: Whiskey is a health tonic! Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, Food and Drink | Tagged #prohibition, 1908, alcohol, liquor | Comments Off

March 25, 1907: Young Bike Messengers a Key Part of L.A. Drug, Sex Trade

Posted on March 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 25, 1907: Young bike messengers perform an essential service in Los Angeles’ vice trade, providing information on where to buy drugs and where to find women of easy—if any—virtue. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 2006, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged biking, crime and courts, cycling, drugs, prostitution, vice | Comments Off

January 1, 1907: Alive!

Posted on January 31, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1907: Lindsay Hicks goes on the stage to discuss his rescue after being trapped for 15 days by a cave-in. The Kentuckian doesn’t care much for show business and says he wants $3 a day, a pick and a shovel — heading back to Bakersfield. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, LAPD, Pasadena, Streetcars, Theaters | Comments Off

January 23, 1907: Felix Chavarino — Lemon Fiend

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1907: Felix Chavarino is addicted to lemons. He was arrested after begging for food in a small restaurant. All he wanted was a lemon. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, LAPD, Streetcars | Comments Off

January 16, 1947: Teachers Call ‘Song of the South’ Racist Propaganda

Posted on January 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 16, 1947: Local 27 of the American Federation of Teachers, meeting in Washington, called the Disney feature film “Song of the South” “insidious and subtle propaganda against the Negro.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Film, Food and Drink, Hollywood | Tagged #disney, 1947, African Americans, child care, food and drink, Los Angeles Sentinel, Song of the South | Comments Off

January 8, 1907: A Cold Dose of Reality

Posted on January 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 8, 1907: Los Angeles is dealing with a severe coal shortage. Coal was rationed to five sacks per customer and the buyers had pick them up at the coal yard. “The only place that hasn’t complained for the lack of coal is hell.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, LAPD, Pasadena, Photography, Streetcars | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — Pisco Punch

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

For New Year’s Eve, the last of our retro drinking guides: Pisco Punch. Continue reading →

Posted in 1915, 1934, 1939, Food and Drink, San Francisco | Tagged food and drink, Pisco Punch, San Francisco | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide – The Queens Cocktail

Posted on December 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

In today’s edition of the Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide, we have the Queens cocktail, not as in royalty but as in the borough of Queens, New York. Continue reading →

Posted in 1935, 1937, Food and Drink | Tagged 1935, 1937, food and drink, Queens Cocktail | Comments Off

December 30, 1907: Old Soldiers of the Civil War, Held as Drunks, Get Free Run of Jail

Posted on December 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 30, 1907: Six Civil War veterans are jailed on charges of being drunk and rowdy in Sawtelle, the settlement outside the gates of the veterans home. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Civil War, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Food and Drink, LAPD, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged #Civil War, 1907, alcohol, crime and courts, food and drink, jails, Sawtelle, veterans | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — The Bronx Cocktail

Posted on December 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

In our year-end look at retro drinking, The Bronx Cocktail! Continue reading →

Posted in 1934, Food and Drink, Suicide | Tagged 1934, food and drink | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — The Brooklyn Cocktail

Posted on December 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

In looking at retro drinks, today’s subject is the Brooklyn Cocktail. No, really. Continue reading →

Posted in 1937, Food and Drink | Tagged 1937, food and drink | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide: The Harvey Wallbanger

Posted on December 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Young persons: This is what grandma and grandpa used to drink (along with the Tequila Sunrise) when they went out in the 1970s. Continue reading →

Posted in 1971, Food and Drink, Music | Tagged 1971, food and drink | Comments Off

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide: A Brief History of the Tom and Jerry

Posted on December 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

Retro Drinking Guide: A brief history of the Tom and Jerry, and no, the drink came before the cartoon characters. Continue reading →

Posted in 1862, Books and Authors, Food and Drink | Tagged 1862, Books and Authors, food and drink | Comments Off

December 26, 1947: No Sympathy for Alcoholics!