Perry, Dame, & Co, 1915
Just the Thing for Automobiling
1915-era Outfits suitable for women who ventured outdoors in a motorcar. Looks like they would be hot in summer… Continue reading Just the Thing for Automobiling
Perry, Dame, & Co, 1915
Albert Brothers Jewelry, 1916
A Jewel of a Watch
This Cincinnati wholesale jeweler’s catalog boasts many pages of rings and other jewelry, and a few stunning color pages like this one of Howard watches. Continue reading A Jewel of a Watch
Heathkit, 1956
Build your own “Computor”
You could build a computer way back in 1956 if you were so inclined! The EC-1 came from Heathkit, and it resembles a modern computer in name only… Continue reading Build your own “Computor”
Montgomery Ward, 1947
Electric or Spring-wound, the Life of the Party
You can be forgiven for not recognizing the main item pictured on this page of the 1947 Montgomery Ward Midsummer catalog. What looks like the spawn of a waffle maker crossed with a flying saucer is actually… Continue reading Electric or Spring-wound, the Life of the Party
Top Value Stamps, 1969
The Sky’s the Limit
Top Value Stamps, 1969: You might expect to buy a model train made of diamonds from a catalog if the company is Neiman-Marcus, but would you expect to buy a full-size plane from a Top Value trading stamps catalog? Continue reading The Sky’s the Limit
Pittsburgh Paints, 1939
Heroes of the Home
I don’t recognize the heroic young couple in this 1939 catalog as real people. But their house must have looked nice, if they bought Pittsburgh paints from the Gebhardt Paint company in Marshfield, Oregon… Continue reading Heroes of the Home
Dallas Screen, 1905
Screen Doors & Nothing More.
Some catalogs are huge productions: thousands of pages, plenty of color, tremendous variety. Some catalogs are not. They are simply serviceable, solid, and sturdy. If your product is screen doors and windows… Continue reading Screen Doors & Nothing More.
Sears, 1993
A Catalog of Catalogs
1993 Sears Roebuck Spring/Summer Catalog Last week, Sears announced another 60+ stores would soon be shuttered. But 25 years ago Sears seemed on top of the world. This 1993 catalog was ridiculously massive – over 1550 pages. By contrast, “War and Peace” was only 1225 pages! The index covered everything from abrasives to wrist weights. … Continue reading A Catalog of Catalogs
Charles Williams Stores, 1928
Caution – Boys at Play
Here’s a charming page from the late 1920s Charles Williams catalog – an era when boys could legitimately go off to play wearing a costume and not get beaten to a pulp by the other neighborhood kids. Continue reading Caution – Boys at Play
Butler Brothers Wholesale, 1935
Take me out to the Sandlot
As a sport, baseball in the 1930s was a national obsession in a way that was probably unmatched in America’s history. And everything you needed to play the Great American Pastime could be found on this oversized double-page spread. Continue reading Take me out to the Sandlot