Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
General Discussion => Campfire Talk => Topic started by: jdrouin on August 14, 2009, 10:50:33 pm
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In working on an academic project I came across some gorgeous advertisements that provide a fascinating window into American culture, automobiles, and technologies of daily life right after the Armistice. There are car manufacturers in here that I've never even heard of before. It's a rare glimpse into the early days of the auto industry, when variety was more prevalent, and manufacturers claimed seniority for having been in operation 19 years! I thought these might interest some of you, so I'm posting them here.
The images below come from the April and May 1919 numbers of Scribner's Magazine, an American literary periodical. My colleagues have asked that I credit the Modernist Journals Project -- http://modjourn.org (http://modjourn.org) -- but the images are in the public domain. The project digitizes avant-garde and mainstream literary magazines from the early 20th Century and makes them freely available to the public.
I've included a select few below, but you can see a larger set in my Flickr profile:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27646912@N00/sets/72157622040043754/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27646912@N00/sets/72157622040043754/)
Jeff
Sexy Science
I've noticed that "scientific" is a selling point for many automobiles and other household technologies. Who knew that science could be so sexy?
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3820857433_987b160d7e.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3820857433_e088ecb00d_o.png)
Going Green
The Franklin automobile and Stromberg carburator for performance and economy.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3820857129_78891edde2.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3820857129_5f0b4c9742_o.png)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2359/3820933895_9df87e16d5_m.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2359/3820933895_4bb4e41366_o.png)
Beauty & Goodness: National
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3821664496_24a6665e29.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3821664496_6e9331ebf4_o.png)
Heavy Trucking
Double reduction gear drive for the leverage of chain and sprocket:
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3820853289_d974d74d72.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3820853289_d0b6ed9be0_o.png)
Automotive Supplies
Pantasote car tops: check out the number of brands they can be found in. Heard of all these?
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3820858993_9762992f50.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3820858993_4756e0174e_o.png)
Raybestos: quality brake lining.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/3821666366_63be15c94d.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/3821666366_da1f2db81d_o.png)
Prest-O-Lite: the best-engineered battery.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3821657740_dda11f0660.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3821657740_66b3293373_o.png)
Domesticity & Technology
The Arco vacuum system, apparently a set of pipes installed throughout the house, powered by a central motor, and you plug in the wand where you want to clean.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3821658246_9be375c98c.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3821658246_ab1b5ab662_o.png)
Roof shingles spelled Olde-Timey but without British "Colour," and made of the deadly substance we now pay people extraordinary amounts of money to remove.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3821661598_1fdc6dc813.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3821661598_f6c74d323c_o.png)
This ad for curled-hair mattresses creeps me the heck out.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3449/3820855913_5b8bc89954.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3449/3820855913_114cf2663e_o.png)
Beech-Nut, for the distinguished palates of jelly connoisseurs (isn't it baby food now?).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/3821661074_c63f31884e.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/3821661074_569c7e123c_o.png)
And my personal favorite: Grape Nuts, for keeping little girls round and rosy.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3821660238_6dc58904a1.jpg)
Click Here for Full Size (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3821660238_fe6460d5fc_o.png)
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Cool,
Thanks for sharing...
Asbestos is great on crackers with jelly... Of course everything tastes better on a ritz...
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Cool ads..but does make you realize how far we've come. From asbestos shingles and brake friction material to Kevlar. But I suppose someday things we think are safe will be found to be absolutely the worst things we could have used. Will.
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Bad news guys, Asbestos can still be found in replacement brakes and clutches.
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I try to get the ones with metallic/kevlar compounds but unfortunately they all still have some degree of asbestos. Thats why I wear a mask when working on brakes/clutches. Hopefully everyone does for personal safety. Will.
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Nope never worn a mask and in the days when I was an apprentice I didnt then iether ,---never even thought about it.
Blowing dust of from Silver cloud brakes was a terrible job ,--I can smell it now, brakes brakes and more brakes that all RR ever needed.
I spayed engines with paraffin if I wasnt blowing out brakes,-- or sweeping the massive workshop floor. 5 apprentices in a line with 1 meter wide brushes, didnt even put water down.
And theres nowt wrong with me!!!
But then I never had a cigarette hanging from my mouth. Ever.