Out in San Francisco

So here I am, reading my April 1932 edition of National Geographic, just like any other typical Sunday afternoon, when I come by this article. It's titled, 'Out in San Francisco: Fed on Gold Dust and Flattened by Sea Trade, a Pioneer Village Becomes a Busy World Port.' Naturally, this catches my eye. First of all, apparently grammar was different back then, 'today' was not one word yet, it was spelled 'to-day'. Little things like that make me happy, like I'm getting a backwards glance at our society. Anywho, this article goes on about San Francisco, of course, but I came across this section labeled 'Masterpieces of the Tattooman's Art.' It's slightly laughable:

To-day, new structures rise where old ramshackle frame hotels housed the visiting sailors. The tattoo artist still survives; for this is a seaport-and seamen like it. (what?!?!)

Odd are the tales the needlemen can tell-of women patrons asking to be decorated with patterns of scorpions, spiders, and other creepy things; of a wealthy woman who had her will tattooed on her back, and an English sailor with a portrait of King George on his bald head; a zealous missionary with a picture of the Last Supper on his chest, and another who was tattooed with the Ten Commandments.

"Dragons, lodge emblems, anchors, cupids, fat women in tights and out-all these are favorite designs," said the tattooman. "But the most interesting case I ever heard of was that of a sentimental sailor, whose favorite song was 'Where Is My Wandering Boy To-night?' He worried because so few people knew the words and music. Finally he had them tattooed on his chest; then, when he was lonely, in some far port like Capetown or Sydney, he could stand by a music-hall piano, take off his shirt, and have the 'Professor' play and sing to him."

The advertisements in the back are pretty amazing as well. Here's one:

DAME FASHION can't lead American men around by the nose!
'The Big Chain is Back'
Why are more and more of our best dressed men turning to substantial, man-size watch chains-the kind their dads and granddads wore when they were 'young men about town'? Why are the up-and-coming fellows who set the pace in social and business circles giving any chain that might be called 'dainty' or 'delicate' the go-by?
It's because 'the big chain' is smarter and more sensible. It looks as if it were made for MEN! It's strong, sturdy, masculine. It has character and bulk enough to 'set off' a man's clothes to better advantage.
The smart new designs in the 'big chain' are put out by Simmons. And, incidentally, this famous old house was making fine watch chains back in the days when the 'old timer' in the photograph above was shopping for his.
The better jewelers in all cities handle Simmons Chains. Why not have a look at these smart new, big calibre chains for yourself!

These people must have loved their watch chains...right, cause that's important. The bigger the watch chain, the bigger the...well you get it.

Nothing's changed really in the past 70 years...well, I guess I can't say nothing, we spell 'today' differently, but that's pretty much it...haha, yeah right.