Museum Artifact: “Little Playmates” Musical Postcard / Christmas Card and “Chicago” Musical Postcard, c. 1960
Made By: Musical Postcard Company, 415 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL
Donated By: Nyla Panzilius
It’s no news to anyone that you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole. But what about playing a rectangular paper record on a round turntable? If you’re simultaneously intrigued and skeptical,
Museum Artifact: Duro “Sign Maker” Letter and Number Decals + Display Box, c. 1960s
Made By: Duro Decal Co., Inc. / Duro Art Supply, Inc. / Duro Art Industries, 1832 W. Juneway Terrace, Chicago, IL
Donated By: Jeff Levine
“Duro Letters and Numbers speed up work and are easy to transfer, making every sign a perfect job. Each character is precision made of Best Grade Black Lacquer and Gold Bronze to insure uniformity and quality.
Museum Artifacts: Motor Trend magazines (1961-1964), Report of the Warren Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy – Paperback Book (1964), “House Dope” employee magazines (1942-1945)
Made By: W. F. Hall Printing Company, 4600 W. Diversey Ave., Chicago, IL
“A deluge of paper stock, ink, glue, and all other printing supplies and equipment enters the plant of W. F.
Museum Artifact: Playskool Crib Rail Boat Toy, c. 1960
Made By: Playskool Manufacturing Company, 1750 N. Lawndale Ave.
“Next to baby-sitting grandmothers, the stylized wooden toys made by a Chicago firm called Playskool Manufacturing Co. may well be the greatest parent-savers of the age. Two-year olds have been known to play with a Playskool gadget for up to fifteen minutes without once bothering mommy or daddy—and that is about as long as any toy,
Museum Artifact: Ace Pilot Stapler 404, c. 1960s
Made by: Ace Fastener Corp., 3415 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL
Adapted from a patent application first filed back in 1930, the Ace Pilot stapler is a fine example of a simple, utilitarian design that’s gradually earned itself more of a retro, decorative appeal.
The early models were so pitch perfect in function, in fact,
Museum Artifact: Paymaster Series X-550 Check Writer Machine, 1960s
Made By: The Paymaster Corp., 1811 W. Winnemac Ave., Chicago, IL
“The only way to have the Paymaster system when you NEED it is to have one all the time—NOW!”—tagline from 1951 Paymaster sales manual
Often kept well out of sight in the backrooms of banks and the HR departments of small businesses,
Museum Artifact: Promotional Gift Box with Playing Cards, c. 1960s
Made By: Bankers Box Co. / Fellowes, 2607 N. 25th Ave., Franklin Park, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifacts: Cast Iron Fry Cutter (1930s) & Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop, (1960s)
Made By: Bloomfield MFG Co. / Bloomfield Industries, 3333 S. Wells St. and 4546 W. 47th St.
Some men have lived and learned through living
Some men have learned by seein’ true
You cannot judge from what they’re sayin’
It’s real clear from what they do
—lyrics by Michael Bloomfield from the song “Good Old Guy,”
Museum Artifact: Elgo American Plastic Bricks set No. 705 (1950s) and Halsam Double Twelve Club Dominoes (1960s)
Made By: Halsam Products Co., 4114 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL
Upon encountering an old cylindrical cardboard container of “American Plastic Bricks by Elgo,” nine out of ten people are likely to make the same spontaneous assumption—that they’re looking at a cheap knockoff of LEGO.
Museum Artifact: Johnsons Ice Skates, c. 1960s
Made By: Nestor Johnson MFG Co., 1900 N. Springfield Ave., Chicago, IL
“The first pair of tubular skates made in the United States or Canada were made in Chicago by Nestor Johnson. . . . He made the only really important change in centuries of skate making. From the old flat steel or solid type skate to the All Steel,
Museum Artifact: Handy Andy Tool Set with Blue Diamond Tools, c. 1960s
Made By: Skil Craft Corporation, 325 W. Huron St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Chicago Miniature Lamp Bulbs – No. 94 – Dispenser Pak (10), c. 1960s
Made By: Chicago Miniature Lamp Works, 1500 N. Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifacts: EKCO Miracle Can Opener 885 (c. 1960s) and EKCO Helmet Bottle Stopper (c. 1940s)
Made by: Ekco Products Co., 1949 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL
“We taught your mother a new way to open chicken soup,” read the presumptuous tagline of a 1965 advertisement for the Miracle Can Opener—arguably the most recognizable of the thousands of utensils produced by the EKCO Housewares Company.
Museum Artifact: Magic Sam Blues Band – West Side Soul LP, 2nd Pressing, 1969
Made By: Delmark Records, 7 West Grand Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
In the meantime, here is a related memory from museum patron W R Turck, formerly of Chicago and now of Albuquerque,
Museum Artifact: 4 Educational Filmstrips + Audio Records – Aesop’s Fables, 1968
Made By: Coronet Films / Coronet Instructional Media Inc., 65 East South Water Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Kay Ukulele, c. 1960
Made By: Kay Musical Instrument Company, 1640 W. Walnut St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: SM-4 Power Fuse Refill Unit, 1960s
Made By: S&C Electric Co., 6601 N. Ridge Blvd., Chicago, IL
In 2012, shortly after Chicago’s S&C Electric Company marked its 100th anniversary, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) awarded the business special recognition for one of the “milestone” achievements in electrical engineering history—the 1909 invention of the liquid power fuse. During a special dedication ceremony at S&C’s Rogers Park headquarters,
Museum Artifact: Stunt Man 23 Model Airplane Kit, c. 1970
Made By: Carl Goldberg Models, Inc., 4734 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL
Unless you’ve been a model airplane enthusiast at some point in your life, the name Carl Goldberg might not mean much to you. For several generations of young, aspiring aeronautical engineers, however, his work probably mattered more than anything Charles Lindbergh ever did.
Museum Artifact: Ultra Sheen Conditioner & Hair Dress – 8oz Jar, c. 1970s
Made By: Johnson Products Company, Inc., 8522 S. Lafayette Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Sun Volts-Ignition Tester + Sun 504 Distributor Tester Sign, c. 1960s
Made By: Sun Electric Corporation, 6323 N. Avondale Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Jensen Alnico Tweeters / Treble Speakers, 1962
Made By: Jensen Manufacturing Company, 6601 S. Laramie Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Werco Tambourine, c. 1960s
Made By: WERCO, aka White Eagle Rawhide MFG Co., 1652 N. Throop St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Unopened Dad’s Root Beer “Mama” Bottle, 1960s
Made By: Dad’s Root Beer Co., 2800 N. Talman Avenue, Chicago, IL
“It’s a completely new idea! Genuine draft root beer in bottles!”
When Dad’s Root Beer creators Ely Klapman and Barney Berns rolled out their first big national ad campaign in 1941, they did so with an immediate contradiction in terms—a “completely new” thing was also promoted as the “old fashioned” root beer.
