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December 19, 2005
LBJMDB/RR: Tanned and hippy-haired
In the last couple of weeks, thanks to mentions on the Consumerist and Gawker, Minor Tweaks has seen a substantial uptick in readership. So, for many of you, this post will serve as an introduction to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Downstairs Bathroom/Reading Room (to read more about the LBJMDB/RR, click here). And what an introduction it is! Today we have not one, not two, but TWO new additions, both of which were donated by kind friends of the LBJMDB/RR, also known as KFOLBJMDB/RR.
The first is a 1972 newspaper clipping from the voluminous personal files of Mitch G. It features, according to the cutline, a "tanned, hippy-haired" LBJ chatting amiably with presidential nominee George McGovern. LBJ is giving McGovern "good homey down-to-earth advice" on how to lose a presidential election and fade away into a trivia question.
This photo is from the May 21, 1971, issue of Life magazine, donated by David G., a new member of the KFOLBJMDB/RR. Here LBJ and Lady Bird are, according to the cutline, joking about a bag of cookies. Sadly, the joke is not recorded. But it must have been a pretty good one because Lady Bird "dissolved in laughter" and LBJ then "reached down to gently squeeze her booted calf."
The cutline also notes that LBJ's hair has grown "considerably longer" since leaving office, but was apparently still shy of hippiness.
Posted by teb at December 19, 2005 10:02 AM