The Secret Lives of Pennies

I have to admit, I love the "filler" stories from LIFE magazine. There's dramatic, insightful, though-provoking photo-essays... and there's tests on cooperation in cats, pet lemurs, and Parisians drinking Coca-Cola. Most of these kinds of stories would only have a few pictures in the published magazine, somewhere in the middle to back, surronded by ads-- but thanks to the online LIFE archives, we can enjoy the silliness/banality to its fullest! 

This picture story is apparently concerned with pennies, and what you can do with them.

Photographs from 1953, taken by Nina Leen. 

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A store receiving their week's worth of pennies, with police escort. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Tea bags you can buy for one cent each. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Boxes of matches 2 for a penny. Source

Growing Up

A photo series of babies at various phases of development, by Nina Leen, 1942. 

A one month baby, able to yawn as well as smile and sneeze. Source

A three-month-old baby, able to lift its head and look around. Source

A four-month-old discovering his hands. Source

Berlin, 1950

People living their lives in postwar Berlin. By Nina Leen. 

None of these photographs come with additional captions, unfortunately. From the LIFE archives. 

[note: I just (November 22 2012) discovered the online LIFE archives did something that changed and broke all the linked URLs; I will fix this at some point, but the original sources can be found by going through this set of related images in the archives ]

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Cat Testing

Ah, yes, the random things you find browsing the LIFE archives. What on earth was going on in these photo was a mystery to me until I discovered you can get the entire LIFE archive on Google Books, which is amazing. I still don't quite know what's going on, but I have a slight bit of context!

Interestingly, these are from the December 1, 1941 issue; fascinating and somewhat unnerving to read in light of what was about to happen.




Cats run into the testing room. Source

In this experiment, the cats undo their cages (with food as a motivator) and the scientists observes how the interact when they come out. Source

Sometimes they share the food; these ones aren't gonna! Source

In this one, the cats have to work together to pull the strings and get the food. Source

Source

Cat close-up. Source

Cage undoing. Source

Anything for food. Source

Then of course there's the classic, put a kitten in a maze test. Source

Source

Source

Worthwhile research indeed! Source

Teenage Girls of the 1940s

We had a glimpse of teenage boys in the 1940s; don't worry, there were girls too!

St. Louis, Missouri, 1944. By Nina Leen.

Teenage girls in blue jeans drink Coke and hang out. Source

Homework while listening to the radio. Source

The standard outfit for school, a skirt and sweater. Source

The usual after-school outfit, men's jeans and shirt (and cigarette!). Source

A girl getting these clothes from her brother. Source

Man's pajamas and hair rags. Source

Two girls have a sleepover. Source

Teenagers listen to records at the record store. Source

Socializing. Source

Homework on the bed to a stuffed animal audience. Source

A girl reading to the boys she's babysitting. Source

Bed-making. Source

Source

A girl showing off a sweater that is far too tight for polite company. Source

Using nail polish to hold up socks, apparently. Source

Talking on the phone. Source

Still talking. Source

Are you still talking?? Source

Give me the phone! Source

Aghghhh! Phone wars! Source

Cruising with the boys. Source

Of course, even back then teens had to get old, crappy cars. Source

At the movie with a boy. Source

Dogs of New York City

Artists, performers, and other personalities of New York City on the street with their dogs, 1944. From LIFE photographer Nina Leen.

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Comedian Jimmy Durante with his Irish setter in Times Square. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Ruth Gordon walks her poodle. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Gossip columnist (ha!) Ed Sullivan with his black scottie dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Conductor Arthur Rodzinski watches as his dog leaps into his wife's arms. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

William F. Schlemmer of Hammacher Schlemmer with his pair of Yorkshire terriers. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Author Fannie Hurst with her excited dog, Orphan Annie. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Fannie Hurst with her dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Joan Caulfield looks classy as she walks her Westie (named Witty). Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Of course, the dog isn't quite so into the classy thing, and jumps into the bushes. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Thanks, dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor Frederic March with his cocker spaniel in the rain. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Joan Roberts, still in costume, walks her bulldog Goggles during an intermission of "Oklahoma!". Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

When your dog decides to pee on a post while you're in costume and in front of a LIFE photographer, all you can do is laugh. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Opera tenor Lauritz Melchior, his wife, and their Great Dane. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A boy reads the comics while his dog sits by. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Cornelia Otis Skinner with her dogs. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Margaret Webster with her two Cairn terriers as they watch a cat in the window. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor John Boles tries to get his schnauzer puppy to climb over a curb. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Artist Earle Winslow, carrying a painting, tries to control his unruly Irish setter. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Still trying... Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Oh, that dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Music conductor Andre Kostelanetz with his sheepdog Puff and a young sheepdog admirer. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Sportscaster Bill Stern reads a paper as his dog sniffs the street. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Model Mimi Berry with her cocker spaniel, who very nicely carries a package for her. Source