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,
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.
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.
Museum Artifact: Rival Dog Food Coin Banks, 1950s
Made By: Rival Packing Co., 4500 S. Tripp Ave., Chicago, IL
Gimme Ri-val Dog Food, Arf Arf, Arf Arf!
Gimme Ri-val Dog Food, Woof Woof, Woof Woof!
Your Dog’s Eyes Will Shine—Coat Look Fine
On Nourishing Ri-val Dog Food,
Museum Artifact: Denoyer-Geppert Cartocraft Globe, 1938
Made By: Denoyer-Geppert Company, 5235 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL
“You now have one of the best globes made,” L.P. Denoyer wrote in the preface to his 1931 guide book, A Teacher’s Manual for Cartocraft Globes, “but we are not satisfied with simply having made the sale, for we want you to get the greatest possible value from your purchase.”
Well,
Museum Artifact: Swift’s Soybean Oil Meal, 100LB Burlap Sack, c. 1940s
Made By: Swift & Company, 4179 Packers Avenue, Union Stockyards., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Atlas Shoe Polish – Tan, c. 1930s
Made By: Morrison-Atlas Products, Inc., 10160 Franklin Ave., Franklin Park, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Twinplex Stropper / Razor Blade Sharpener, c. 1940s
Made By: Twinplex Manufacturing Company, 1800 W. Roscoe St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Knight Radio Tube, c. 1940s
Made By: Allied Radio Corporation / Allied Electronics, 833 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Box of Blue Steel United Blades, c. 1937
Made By: United Razor Blade Corporation / United Blade Co., 222 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL
Like the warm analog tone of a vinyl record, sometimes a bit of obsolete technology comes back around again and proves its worth to the modern age. The good old double-edge safety razor blade might be another such example,
Museum Artifact: “Dairy Treat” Paper Cups, 1967
Made by: Solo Cup Company, 1501 E. 96th Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Andes Candies Tin, c. 1960s
Made By: Andes Candies, Inc., 4430 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Industrial Drop Light Cage, 1920s
Made By: Pyle-National Co., 1334 N. Kostner Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Reliable Cold Water Wall Size Paste, c. 1950s
Made By: Reliable Paste Company, 3560 S. Shields Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Comptometer Calculating Machine, Model H, 1920s
Made by: Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company, 1733 N. Paulina St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: OVB No. 2 Kerosene Lantern, c. 1920s
Made By: Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co., 211 E. North Water Street
“Hardware seems to those who sell it to be more human than any other kind of business.” That’s how journalist Fred C. Kelly sized up the stock and trade of Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett in 1930, on the occasion of the wholesale company’s 75th anniversary.
Museum Artifact: Mechanical Pencil, 1947
Made By: The Autopoint Company, 1801 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Celluloid Pocket Mirrors, c. 1920s
Made By: Parisian Novelty Company, 3510 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Spartus Full-Vue Camera, 1940s
Made By: Spartus Camera Corp. / Galter MFG Co. / Utility MFG Co. / Monarch MFG Co., 711 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL
In 1953, a Chicago business owner submitted an application to the U.S. Trademark Association for a new line of cigarette lighters he’d developed. All the paperwork seemed in order at first, until reviewers saw the actual name the applicant wanted to register for his product… “Kodak.”
At that point in history,
Museum Artifacts: Amber Glass Apothecary Bottles, c. 1900
Made By: Halsey Brothers Co., 645 N. St. Clair St., Chicago, IL
Chicago brothers Clinton, Tappen, and George Halsey were all accomplished chemists and pharmacists. But from the founding of the first Halsey pharmacy in 1855 (at 94 LaSalle St.) straight on into the 20th century, their success was largely rooted in a very specific belief system.
Museum Artifact: Chicago Cubs “Pennant Fever” 7-inch Record, 1969
Made By: Chess Producing Corp., 320 E. 21st Street, Chicago, IL
Long before the Chicago Bears awkwardly rapped their way to a certified gold record with “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” the precedent for a singing sports team had already been set—albeit with substantially less commercial and cultural impact—by the baby bears over at Clark and Addison.
Museum Artifact: Electric Hot Water Urn, 1920s
Made by: American Metal Ware Co., 368 W. Huron St., Chicago, IL
It’s 18 inches tall, has a 6-pint fill capacity, and looks like a leftover evil robot prop from a low budget sci-fi movie. Rest assured, though, the “American” hot water urn is not to be feared. In fact, you might consider it the patriotic,
Museum Artifact: O-Cedar Solid Center Polish Mop No. 15, 1929
Made By: O-Cedar Corp. / Channel Chemical Co., 4501 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
