Tag Archives: vintage

Holy harmonicas, Batman!

1966 magazine ad for the Hohner Marine Band harmonica.

1966 magazine ad for the Hohner Marine Band harmonica.

The first episode of the Batman TV series with Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin) aired on January 12, 1966. 

Did you know the harmonica got its start in China? Or perhaps Germany?

Not quite a harmonica.

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Sing us a song, you’re the honky tonk harpsichord man.

1974 magazine ad for Cordovox Electronic Pianos

1974 magazine ad for Cordovox Electronic Pianos

“Suspiciously similar to the Selmer-Armon in having sliders for the 3 equally dismal sounds.”

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From back when copy, cut and paste weren’t keyboard shortcuts.

The cover of Print (America’s Graphic Design Magazine) July/August 1974

Well, it took 38 years for me to find out about it, then over a decade for me to track down a copy for myself, but now I have it! — Print (America’s Graphic Design Magazine), July/August 1974 — It has a feature story on art directing National Lampoon, and then they let National Lampoon take over a section of their publication for extra mayhem.

Wild.

(BONK) I coulda had a V-8!

1960 magazine ad for V-8 Cocktail Vegetable Juices

1960 magazine ad for V-8 Cocktail Vegetable Juices

The eight vegetables in V-8 are beets, celery, carrots, lettuce, parsley, watercress, spinach and tomato. And yes, I know tomatoes are botanically fruit.

Here. Have a history timeline of V-8!

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“It’s just the flu.”

1905 ad for Horsford's Acid Phosphate
1905 ad for Horsford’s Acid Phosphate

Let’s go back to calling influenza “the grippe”.

Did you know acid phosphate was one of the original ingredients in Coca-Cola and essential at soda fountains?

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Nice cans.

A magazine ad for… cans… from 1985 — Canned Food Information Council

A magazine ad for… cans… from 1985 — Canned Food Information Council

Somebody in the 1980s really wanted to put a sexy robot in an ad.

Why the Can Opener Wasn’t Invented Until Almost 50 Years After the Can

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Alas, I was born too late.

1967 magazine ad for General Mills Bugles, Daisy•s and Whistles... and Canada Dry Ginger Ale sorta.
1967 magazine ad for General Mills Bugles, Daisy•s and Whistles… and Canada Dry Ginger Ale sorta.

Bugles are still around, but I totally missed out their snack siblings — “Whistles – a cheddar-flavored corn product in the shape of a whistle and taste like grilled cheese on toast, only crunchy; and Daisy*s – a flower-shaped snack that had the flavor of puffed popovers.”

Dang it

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Death of a traveling salesman

Magazine ad for Hertz found in the October 9, 1967, issue of Newsweek
Magazine ad for Hertz found in the October 9, 1967, issue of Newsweek

Avis might’ve reached advertising legend status with its “When you’re only No.2, you try harder. Or else.” ad and eventual “We try harder.” tagline, but I gotta tell ya, this 1967 Hertz ad is its own kind of awesome. I never knew it existed before picking up a short stack of old Newsweek magazines at a local flea market this weekend. And the word count in this single print ad? 385.

Avis v. Hertz – a history. 

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It’s not a party until you blow a few fuses.

Guide to Gracious Entertaining (General Electric) 1963

Cover of General Electric’s Guide to Gracious Entertaining, 1963

Beep beep! It’s a ‘Jeep’.

Print ad for the WIllys-Overland 'Jeep' Station Wagon found in the January, 1947 issue of Holiday magazine.
Print ad for the WIllys-Overland ‘Jeep’ Station Wagon found in the January, 1947 issue of Holiday magazine.

The 1946 Willys Jeep station wagon was the first 2-door station wagon.

This was just seven years after the first Jeep prototype (“Quad”) was delivered to the US Army. It was designed in just 75 days.

The History of the Station Wagon

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