Museum Artifact: “Skill-Flight” Electronic Board Game, c. 1960s
Made By: Sidney A. Tarrson Compant, aka Tarco Toys, 518 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Metal Specialties MFG Co., est. 1905
Museum Artifact: Presto DeLuxe Stapler and No. 165 Presto Staples, c. 1940
Made By: Metal Specialties Manufacturing Company / Loren Speciality MFG Co., 3200 W. Carroll Ave,, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Chicago Pennant Company, est. 1910
Museum Artifact: Wooster College Felt Pennant, c. 1940s
Made By: Chicago Pennant Co., aka ChiPenCo, 6542 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
L. Wolff MFG Co., est. 1855
Museum Artifact: Metal Sink Drain Cover, c. 1910s
Made By: L. Wolff Manufacturing Company, 325 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Merrill Publishing Co., est. 1936
Museum Artifact: Sonja Henie Paper Dolls Cut-Out Book, 1939
Made By: Merrill Publishing Company, 14 N. Peoria St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
John O. Butler Co., est. 1923
Museum Artifact: Butler Gum Stimulator, c. 1960s
Made By: The John O. Butler Company / GUM, 540 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Lady Esther, Ltd., est. 1913
Museum Artifact: Lady Esther Face Powder Boxes, c. 1950s
Made By: Lady Esther, Ltd., 7171 W. 65th St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Schoenhofen Brewing Co., est. 1861
Museum Artifact: Edelweiss Maltine Bottle, c. 1900s
Made By: The Peter Schoenhofen Brewing Company, Canalport Avenue & West 18th Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Armstrong Brothers Tool Company, est. 1890
Museum Artifact: 8″ Steel Pipe Monkey Wrench, c. 1920s
Made By: Armstrong Bros. Tool Co., 317-357 N. Francisco Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Bowman Dairy Company, est. 1874
Museum Artifact: Bowman Cottage Cheese container, c. 1950s
Made By: Bowman Dairy Company, 140 W. Ontario Street, Chicago, IL + Numerous plant locations
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
The Standard Brewery, est. 1892
Museum Artifact: Standard Brewery “OaKay” Export Beer Bottle, c. 1910
Made By: The Standard Brewery, W . Roosevelt Rd. and S. Campbell Ave., Chicago, IL
It might seem like we’re currently living in the golden era of the regional micro-brewery, what with upwards of 3,000 “craft beer” producers now in operation in the U.S., and about 70 inside the Chicago city limits alone. The “brew-pub” phenomenon,
Essanay Film MFG Co., est. 1907
Museum Artifact: Charlie Chaplin Collectible Postcard, Essanay No. 1 , 1915
Made By: Essanay Film MFG Co. / Essanay Studios, 1333 W. Argyle St., Chicago, IL
On a quiet, tree-lined street in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, just north of the old St. Boniface Cemetery and around the corner from the Green Mill jazz club and the long-shuttered Uptown Theatre (once one of the world’s great movie palaces),
M. J. Holloway & Co., est. 1920
Museum Artifact: Holloway’s Milk Duds, 5-cent box, c. 1940s
Made By: M. J. Holloway & Co., 308 W. Ontario St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Thor Power Tool Co. & Speedway MFG Co., est. 1886
Museum Artifact: Thor Speed Drill, type 201, c. 1956
Made By: Speedway Manufacturing Co. (division of Thor Power Tool Co.), 1834-1875 S. 52nd Ave. (Laramie Ave.)., Cicero, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Arrco Playing Card Co., est. 1927
Museum Artifact: Century of Progress Playing Cards, 1933
Made By: Arrco / Arrow Playing Card Co., 734-54 Mather Street (W Lexington St.), Chicago, IL
A promotional tie-in with Chicago’s “Century of Progress” World’s Fair in 1933-34 also marked a major point of progress for the city’s Arrow Playing Card Co., as it introduced its new identity as ARRCO—a name that would soon be familiar to amateur magicians,
Orange Crush Co., est. 1911
Museum Artifact: 8-Pack of Orange Crush (with 6 Glass Bottles), c. 1965
Made By: Crush International, Inc. / Orange Crush Company, 2201 Main Street, Evanston, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Mall Tool Company, est. 1921
Museum Artifact: Mall Electric Drill model no. 380, 1940s
Made By: Mall Tool Company, 7740 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Annell Typewriter Co., est. 1922
Museum Artifact: Annell’ Typewriter, Model No. 3A, 1922-23
Made By: Annell Typewriter Company, 230 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL
Donated By: Chris Patterson
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Marrow’s Inc., est. 1919
Museum Artifact: Marrow’s Mar-O-Oil Shampoo, 1928
Made By: Marrow’s, Inc. / Marrow MFG Co., 3037 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Gunk Laboratories, Inc., est. 1959
Museum Artifact: Gunk S-C Degreaser Can, c. 1960s
Made By: Gunk Laboratories, Inc. / Gunk Chicago Co., 5829 W. 66th Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Thos. E. Wilson & Co. / Wilson Sporting Goods, est. 1913
Museum Artifact: Wilson Success Mid-Iron Golf Club, c. 1920s
Made By: Thos. E. Wilson & Co. / Wilson Sporting Goods, 2037 N. Campbell Ave., Chicago, IL
Today, a typical set of Wilson golf clubs includes “woods” made of titanium and “irons” machined from flexible steel alloys. But once upon a time, these crooked fairway sticks were exactly what they purported to be—utilizing hickory for the shafts,
Unity MFG Co., est. 1918
Museum Artifact: Unity Model S-3 Safety Light, c. 1940
Made By: Unity Manufacturing Company, 2909 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Weber-Stephen Products Co., est. 1893
Museum Artifact: Weber Barbecue Accessories Starter Set 8801, 1970s
Made By: Weber-Stephen Products Co., 100 N. Hickory St., Arlington Heights, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.