Back in the
1930s, getting dressed up always involved black patent leather shoes, in a
style nowadays called Mary Janes or Baby Dolls.
They were worn with white anklets, not yet known as bobby socks – and come to think of it, no
longer known that way either.
Buying the shoes involved an exciting family excursion, and while my sister was being fitted, I was sent over to entertain myself by wiggling my toes under the fascinating x-ray shoe fitting machine, which was a fluorescent affair. The three eyepieces allowed mother, salesman and child to view at the same time, but I just ran it solo, at the child-height side, to keep myself occupied.
Note the illustration of right and wrong way your bones were supposed to show up, down there above the sign that boasts
"we feature X-RAY"
Can you believe? I’ve never had cancer, but of course the
returns aren’t all in yet.
My husband (70) has talked about those machines being in Brooklyn where he grew up. He ran over to play with the machine every time he got new shoes. He managed to sire two healthy sons so perhaps the Xray dose was small?
ReplyDeleteMeg