Neiman-Marcus, 1960
Style Starts Early
Neiman’s reels them in at a young age, with the kind of outfits you might see on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s children. Continue reading Style Starts Early
Neiman-Marcus, 1960
Garlinghouse, 1930
In a little Spanish Home…
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Spanish Mission-style architecture became super-trendy. Garlinghouse would sell you a complete set of blueprints with which to build your dream house….assuming your dreams could fit into less than 2000 square feet. Continue reading In a little Spanish Home…
Sears Roebuck, 1918
Sturdy Shoes, Sensible Savings
In the Wizard of Oz movie, even before Elvira Gulch morphed into the Wicked Witch of the West she scared me, pedaling away furiously on her bicycle wearing tortuous-looking high-laced shoes…like these. Continue reading Sturdy Shoes, Sensible Savings
Palley Supply Company, 1959
Cold War, Hot Bargains
All the essentials you need for your family fallout shelter… Continue reading Cold War, Hot Bargains
Burke & James Cameras, 1937
Liking Leica
Leica is to cameras as Rolex is to watches: on balance, just about the most pricey, collectible camera line in the world. Expensive when new, still expensive decades later. Continue reading Liking Leica
Avalon Hill Games, 1982
Making Fun of War
Games, if you look at them closely enough, are often anything BUT fun and games. Wargames, for instance, have existed in a professional sense essentially since war itself. Continue reading Making Fun of War
Sears Roebuck, 1923
Three great things that don’t go great together
When you sell as many things as Sears used to, you end up with pages like this: Vibrators, Medical Batteries, and Butcher Supplies. Yuck. Continue reading Three great things that don’t go great together
Top Value Stamps, 1973
Toy Stories
Do you think just maybe the “Toy Story” movie folks may have found a little inspiration here, huh? There’s some nightmare fodder in that pair. Continue reading Toy Stories
Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company, 1912
Reaping what you sow
Look at that monstrous factory. It’s a classic example of successful American industry – thousands of men in buildings hundreds of feet long churning out tens of thousands of prize-winning farming machines yearly. Continue reading Reaping what you sow
Buick, 1966
When giant cars ruled the earth
Buick Automobiles for 1966 We’re talking back in the days when men were men, cars were cars, and women were models. In 1966, size was important. The catalog was oversized (10″ x 13″) because the cars were oversized, and how else would you convey the impact? Look at the dashboard on the Buick Riviera. I … Continue reading When giant cars ruled the earth