The Big Book Catalog Series - Part 1 1970

We're going to start a new category where we take a look at the Big Book catalogs from each year of the 70s.  It is part of my continuing mission as a Historical Blogger to properly document this fascinating and pivotal era of modern history.

And first up is the 1970 (1).  This was a very interesting year for a number of reasons: the hippie era of the 60s had pretty well run it's course but the disco era was still several years away.  So, you see in the fashions of the early 70s a transitory mixture that is searching for the next big thing.  Also, 1970 was when Kathy first made her appearance in the Big Book catalogs, but it was still hit or miss as we shall see...

First up is a snapshot of some of the covers of the Big Book catalogs of 1970....

Yeah, it's far from complete.  The reason is that I got burned on several of them (no Kathy pics), oh well, there are still some groovy fashions to behold within.......

Yep 1970 was the start of something big alright.  However, these outfits still have that 60s era groove to them, far out man! (and remember when flying was classy and fun, not anymore!)

Like I said, I got burned on several of these catalogs.  Here in the Aldens 1970 Spring/Summer is the ONLY pic of any of the four K Clubbers.  Colleen was a catalog fixture in the 60s and continued to appear frequently in the Big Books all through the 70s.

Even the Sears SS 1970 catalog was bereft of Kathy pics.   Still we have Kathy Jackson (2), Cay Sanderson and Colleen to cheer us up with "3 Groovy Looks"..  This is a classic example of the fashion transition of the early 70s: The hem lengths still say 60s, but the brown earth tones say that the 60s are over!  (And Cay must have had some very strong quads to hold that pose!)

So when does our Kathy make her entrance into the Big Books? Perhaps in one of the summer catalogs? (3)

Well yes she does, but it's only one small pic that I'm saving for another topic.

The 1970 Sears and Aldens catalogs were pretty much busts on Kathy Loghry pics.  What about Penneys?

Yay!  Finally we have Kathy Loghry appear in one of the Big Books (Penneys SS 1970)!!  Certainly this was a great moment in catalog history!!  And with her trademark smile, she really lit those catalogs up!!

Not sure what "vervy designs" means.  It must be a 60s flashback sort of thing.  Like I said, the groovy-baby fashions of the 60s weren't quite dead yet!!  Like Colleen,  Kay Campbell also appeared in the Big Books of the 60s and was a regular well into the late 70s. (Nice purse that Kay is holding by the way, or is that a beer koozie?)

Penneys must have been where Kathy and Karen had their big break through in the Big Books.  The Fall / Winter 1970 edition was chock full of great pics of both.  You've gotta love those little smirks they've got on their faces here.  It's like "Yep, we're here and you're going to be seeing a lot of us in the next few years!"

1970 was indeed the "Start of Something Big".  Here Kathy has got her eyes set straight ahead on the future as her modeling career certainly was bright for many years to come!! (3)


footnotes: (Yeah, it's been a while since we had any, but any article of such detailed historical research is going to have some!)

(1) Yeah, okay, 1970 is technically the last year of the 60s, not the first year of the 70s (because there was no year zero, that's why the movie was titled "2001 A Space Odyssey", not 2000), but only about 1 in 50 people know that and only about 1 in 500 care.

(2) Kathy Jackson was a VERY popular model in this time frame.  However, I admit her career peaked when I was still somewhat young.  I do plan on a special post featuring her (and some of the other models).

(3) Is that a purse or a lunch box in the lower right corner???