Charles’ 
Slide of the Week: February 8th, 2008
Play-Doh Play, Somewhere, USA, 1967
A little girl’s yellow turtleneck matches those instantly recognizable Play-Doh containers as perfectly as the turquoise coat draped over the seat back matches the pie tin-plated Play-Doh front and center. I love when vintage slides are unintentionally color coordinated.
Among my favorite childhood playthings Play-Doh stands out as the one I wanted to eat the most. Since it looked good and felt good I thought it must taste good too. After several spit-out samplings, like every other Play-Doh player I’m sure, I declared it unfit for consumption but sure fun to play with!
I had no idea that I was molding, sculpting and taste-testing what was originally made and sold in the early fifties as a wallpaper cleaner by Kutol Cleaning Products of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1955, they gave mounds of their moldable medium to area school kids to play with as a clay alternative. The little kiddies loved it! In 1956 it was renamed Play-Doh (why not Play-Clay?) then made its toy department debut at Woodward & Lothrop, a major retailer in Washington, DC.
Like Coca-Cola the recipe for Play-Doh is top secret. According to the legend it’s a concoction of flour, water, deodorized kerosene, salt, borax, color and perfume. Perfume? I never thought it smelled good did you?
Here’s to Play-Doh and YOU!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
February 2008
11 Comments on “Play-Doh Play, Somewhere, USA, 1967”
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February 8th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Oh, the taste of Play-doh, salty if I remember correctly. Is that a fold-down ironing board in the wall next to sculptor? I like the way that the tins of colored Play-doh are so far apart so that they don’t get mixed together!
February 8th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
My Junior Girl Scout troop went to visit the Play-Doh factory in Cucamonga, California back in 1967. There was indeed perfume in Play-Doh. The factory reeked of it, and so did we by the time we left there with two–yes, two!–free cans of Play-Doh.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Love that wallpaper, too!
February 9th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I was a kid in the 60’s and early 70’s and I can say without reservation that the toys then were more imaginative, intricate (more batery-operated ones like my fave robots) and imaginative. Play-doh stands out as one of those simple yet fun toys I never got tired of. And, like yourself, Charles, I too did some taste tests of my own! Needless to say they wound up as spit balls!! This is a cute little pic and nicely color-coordinated like you say….ummmm those turquoise little morsels look delectable!!
February 9th, 2008 at 10:54 am
hello…just opened your slide of the week after packaging home-made play-doh as ‘go-alongs’ with my children’s valentines! we put glitter in it and used heart shaped cookie cutters to shape!
love your work…denise
February 9th, 2008 at 11:06 am
OMG, kerosene is in Play-Doh?? Couple that with the shoe store foot xrays from a couple weeks back~we may have the answer to certain health issues today! Oh well. I still love looking at the crazy wallpaper, ironing board cupboard, formica table, big old fashioned black telephone, not to mention that cute little girl, so Brady Bunch-esque! Love all your slides, Charles!
February 9th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I loved the smell of Play-Doh! I made jewerly out of it, too. By the way, I made the astro weenie christmas tree this year, and my family loved it, it was so cute! Thanks for teaching us how!
February 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I could be wrong, but I always thought the name Play-Doh was a play on words for Plato.
BTW, it’s somewhat distressing to be older than some of the people on these “vintage” slides.
;)
February 9th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Jim Stokke?! WOW, it was such a surprise to see you on TV. I went to High School with you at Chaffey in Ontario Calif. My name was Sharon Cremo. You probably don’t remember me, I was no one special. My best friend (Lisa Cutshall) contacted me and gave me your Web site information. I just thought I’d tell you how wonderful I think it is that you’ve done something SO interesting with your life! Best wishes to you
Sharon Cremo - Schmall
February 9th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Great photo, Charles! This could SO be me! Do you know that there are companies that make a perfume that smells just like Play-Doh? You can also get Jelly-Belly, Dirt, Grass, and several other interesting fragrances. So, if you want that play-doh smell, check out demeterfragrance.com! Also, looking at that wall, do you suppose that is a drop-down ironing board?
February 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Charles what a cutie, I’m always suprised as to what slide you’ll share next, of course it brings back our playtime memories. I’m guessing that little girl must have been an only child.
Lv, Darius & Rose