There's No Party Like an Amtex Party

In 1921, Amtex ran a series of full-page ads, that, in my opinion, really take the cake for bizarre 1920s underwear advertising. Each ad features a photograph, that by itself, borders on the inexplicable. However, when all the ads are viewed together, I begin to get the strong impression that they could be a record of one very wild and memorable slumber party, thrown by a very eccentric assortment of freinds and relations. 

Here is a tour of the slumber party: 

In the living room, Joe finds himself playing, what he fears are the dual roles of peace-maker and babysitter. No one batted an eye, when, after dinner, Sal produced his new fishing tackle and began to cast wildly about the room. However, when one wayward cast hooked Phil's slipper, and Sal, refusing to give up his prize, danced off merrily with it, Joe was recruited to get it back again. Caught between Sal's laughing taunts, and Phil's smug assertions that Joe would "show him!," Joe begins to wish that he had joined cousin Oswald, and his less vivacious freinds, in the library. 

Everyone is suddenly startled by a hoarse shriek and a crash coming from uncle Howard's room. Billy and AJ, who just completed a course in first aid, rush heroically to the rescue! They find uncle Howard standing on a chair, mopping his brow with a handkerchief, and pointing in mute horror at a small bureau. 

"What's the matter?" ask his would be rescuers. 

"It's behind the dresser!" comes the throbbing reply.

"What's behind the dresser?"

Uncle Howard mops his face again, and whispers "A spider!"

Billy and AJ compose their features, out of respect for uncle Howard, and set to work coaxing him down from his chair. He reluctantly descends, but will not be easy until the offending spider is extracted from behind the bureau, and removed from the premises! 

Cousin Oswald, and his bookish compatriots are quietly ignoring the wild shouts and sounds of scraping furniture that emanate from uncle Howard's quarters. They are comfortably settled in the library, with cigars and chocolates, for a dramatic reading of the newspaper. 

Meanwhile, at the other end of the house, Ted, Pete, and Wilbur (who everyone calls Stretch) have gotten into uncle Fred's weapon collection, and are up to no good, kicking up the carpet and stepping all over the sofa cushions. Pete tries to look stern, and warns Stretch not to horse around with sharp objects. It's mighty hard to take him seriously, though, when he can't stop giggling.   

Poor uncle Fred, oblivious to the chaos reigning in his study, has just convinced his brother-in-law to try out a new, invigorating, fitness routine that he learned about in a promotional pamphlet for a correspondence course. Like any dignified gentleman in possession of a rec room, he had originally wished to hold his impromptu mini course there. However after peering into that useful apartment, he suddenly changed his mind and relocated to the dining room. If we take a look in the rec room, the reason for his quick departure becomes apparent.

You see, Felix, Carol, and Thaddeus, have gathered there to learn one of Felix's picturesque baton dances that he, and several of his artistic freinds, have been hoping to perform, one day, when they feel that their choreography has reached perfection. Both Thaddeus and Carol are somewhat in awe of Felix, who knows several real photographers, and has had, what he claims is his likeness, in several art galleries. 

They don't tell Felix that they can't make sense of half of what he says. Felix doesn't tell them that he's been leading all of his artistic acquaintances to believe that he's from Sicily. There is an electric light in the room, but Felix says he dances better when he "can see the moonbeams," and Thaddeus and Carol have yet to achieve anything by arguing with Felix.