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1970. "Lenore Romney, wife of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, campaigning for U.S. Senate in Michigan, and meeting with son Mitt in her hotel room in Marquette." Note the "Magic Fingers" coin box. Photo by Douglas R. Gilbert for the Look magazine article "Lenore Fights Alone." View full size.
As one of the commenters said, the U.P. has close ties to Wisconsin and it wasn't surprising to see Milwaukee papers.
I grew up in Marquette in the 70s and can remember a friend having a birthday party at the Holiday Inn... to use the swimming pool. Her parents rented a room. One of the things we enjoyed was trying out the "magic fingers..." so exotic!
I once worked at an old vending supply place and bought a few of them as gag gifts for friends. (They make great wedding gifts!) The motor can be screwed to any bed, chair or baby crib (as the booklet suggested!) and it really is a strange experience. The vibrations feel nice, but I like it when it suddenly stops and in the still of the moment you feel like you're floating. Best investment ever. You can still find them on eBay at times.
My wife and I often stop on our way east at a roadside motel in Irwin, Pennsylvania. the small, but comfortable rooms are right out of the 1940s (knotty pine walls and period furniture). The Magic Fingers at the bedside work for two bits.
I *finally* convinced my dad to let me try Magic Fingers. He was reluctant to give me a quarter but my begging wore him down.
What a disappointing experience!
I know that if I tried to sit like that, my mom would yell at me to get my shoes off the bed.
I don't know if it was intentional, but I'm SO glad you didn't post this until AFTER the last election. I could just see the headlines: "ROMNEY PHOTOGRAPHED IN BED WITH MOTHER"
Marquette is in the UP, and is closer to Milwaukee than Detroit. Yoopers often seem to associate more with Wisconsin than Michigan (e.g., cheering for the Packers rather than the Lions, etc.). So it's not surprising to find the Romneys reading a copy of the Milwaukee Journal rather than the Detroit Free Press.
They may be in Marquette but that looks like the front page of the Milwaukee Journal on the bed. Used to work for them in house-to-house distribution once a long time ago so it caught my eye.
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