beslim8-9-15

Diet fads have been with us since at least the 1800s. In the 1950s, miracle pills and powders abounded, as they do today. Many included amphetamines as an active ingredient, now frowned upon as a slimming solution. The display in this photograph from 1958 featured the “Be-Slim” product, and shows “Miss Be Slim” visiting a supermarket in Olympia. Photograph selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum. For more information, visit us at olympiahistory.org. 1958, Merle Junk Photograph, Susan Parish Collection, Southwest Regional Archives