Tag Archives: brands

Don’t hate the player piano; hate the game.

Magazine ad for The Aeolian Company’s Pianola found in the September 1904 issue of The Review of Reviews
Magazine ad for The Aeolian Company’s Pianola found in the September 1904 issue of The Review of Reviews

Alas, my summer home is also my fall, winter and spring home. 

Aeolian is defined as “relating to or arising from the action of the wind”. If only I had known this word as a child.

The Aeolian Company was once the world’s largest piano supplier, later going out of business in 1985.

A brief history of the pianola, or player piano.

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I feel the need for seed. Wait…

I thought I had a chance at this Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box at Saturday’s North Star Auction, but I’ll skip the middle part of the story and say it ended at $775 and I didn’t even get my hand up. One of the best vintage illustrations and designs I’ve seen, and also one of the best preserved. Magnificent!

Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box
Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box
Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box

Did the Swedish Nightingale sing like the Swedish Chef? We’ll never know.

Victor / Victrola magazine ad found in the February 1916 issue of Country Life in America
Victor / Victrola magazine ad found in the February 1916 issue of Country Life in America

The True Story of P.T. Barnum and Jenny Lind

The hidden history behind Nipper, one of the most famous dogs in the world

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Requiem

The soles are shot
The canvas torn
They’ve gone to pot
These shoes I’ve worn

They lasted long
And then some more
So this swan song
Has hit the floor

They paid their dues
t’s nighty-night
My Puma shoes
Head toward the light

This is why we can’t have nice things. Oh, wait…

1948 magazine ad for the Van Raalte Company
1948 magazine ad for the Van Raalte Company

I’m assuming this company wasn’t named after Dutch Reformed clergyman Albertus van Raalte, but maybe?

Nope. It’s was Emanuel van Raalte. Oh well.

I tried, but can’t quite make out the artist’s signature. Probably not Walt Disney.

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Before there was Netflix and Chill, there was Bartlett’s and Boink.

Magazine ad for Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations found in the July 7, 1972 issue of Life magazine.
Magazine ad for Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations found in the July 7, 1972 issue of Life magazine.

“Do… or do not. There is no try.” — Winston Churchill

John Bartlett’s “Familiar Quotations” was first printed in 1855. It’s still in print (many versions later), but it has also made the leap into the app world.

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Fee-fi-fo-fum bear meat’s always yummy-yum!

1953 ad for Sugar Crisp cereal found in a Dell Roy Rogers comic book
1953 ad for Sugar Crisp cereal found in a Dell Roy Rogers comic book

Dandy, Handy and Candy were later replaced by Sugar Bear.

Sugar Crisp is now known as Golden Crisp, because that’s much healthier.

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You can really taste the mole asses.

Instant Postum magazine ad found on the back cover of the October 1920 issue of Delineator.
Instant Postum magazine ad found on the back cover of the October 1920 issue of Delineator.

Three ingredients: roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses.

Postum was developed by C. W. Post, the Grape-Nuts guy. 

It’s baaaack! 

Owl fun facts!

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Please don’t slug the excavator. 

1948 magazine ad (not full page) for Wheaties cereal
1948 magazine ad (not full page) for Wheaties cereal

How Wheaties Became the ‘Breakfast of Champions

Art by Irwin Caplan (“Cap”), illustrator/painter/designer/cartoonist. Wanna see his house?

Johnny Mize was a left-handed Hall of Famer. At last check, some of Johnny Mize’s baseball cards go for over $7,700 on eBay.

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