Museum Artifact: Wood Wall Telephone, c. 1905
Made By: Chicago Telephone Supply Co., 28 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL. Relocated to Elkhart, IN, in 1902
In the August 1900 issue of everybody’s favorite McKinley-era trade publication, Telephone Magazine, the Chicago Telephone Supply Company is referred to as “one of the oldest of independent factories, manufacturing everything that enters into the production of Chicago telephones,
Museum Artifact: Detect-O-Ray Photo-Electric Switch, 1940s
Made By: Detect-O-Ray Company, 2622 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
Its name sounds like a comic-book doomsday device and it looks more than a little like an evil robot owl, but sadly, the Detect-O-Ray is neither one of those things. In fact, this intimidating technological marvel of the World War II era was briefly marketed—of all places—in the pages of the F.A.O.
Motorola Inc. / Galvin MFG Corp., 4545 W. Augusta Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Archived Reader Comments:
“This radio is a Motorola Roto-tenna portable radio, Corsair model 5P31A, circa 1957. The case is metal, covered in Grey Tweed Miracle Fabric; with maroon plastic trim. The rotating handle, an exclusive Motorola design,
Museum Artifact: Kitchen Klenzer Scouring Cleanser, c. 1940s
Made By: Fitzpatrick Bros., 1300 W. 32nd Place, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Arnold, Schwinn & Co. / Schwinn Bicycle Company, 1718 N. Kildare & 1856 N. Kostner Ave., Chicago, IL
These days, a head badge on the front of a bicycle is basically just an identification tag—a flat plastic hood ornament for lazy brand recognition. As you can tell by this flashy metal Schwinn “Majestic” badge from the deco era, however, even a small, functionally irrelevant bike part used to get the full VIP treatment down at the Arnold,
Museum Artifact: Ferndell Brand Crystallized Ginger Tin, c. 1920s
Made By: Sprague, Warner & Company, 600 W. Erie Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Wrigley Spearmint Gum Pack, 1932
Made By: William Wrigley Jr. Company, 3535 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL
The most remarkable thing about this nearly 90 year-old pack of chewing gum cannot be gleaned from any photograph—it’s the scent! And no, it’s not the musty smell of old packaging. It’s the shockingly vibrant fragrance of the mint in these unopened sticks of Depression era Wrigley Spearmint,
Museum Artifact: Universal Special Cream & Wormwood Oil (Piolunkowi Olejek), c. 1920s
Made By: Universal Medicine Co. / Universal Laboratories, 1857 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: S-K Tools Socket Set, c. 1940s
Made By: S-K Hand Tools / Sherman-Klove Company, 3535 W. 47th St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Pulvex Products – Flea & Lice Powder, Analgesic Tablets, and Kitty & Cat Flea Powder, 1930-1960
Made By: William Cooper & Nephews Inc., 1909 N. Clifton Ave., Chicago, IL
You might not guess it by looking at the cutesy packaging, but the 1961 bottle of Pulvex “Kitty & Cat Flea Powder” pictured above represents an important crossroads in the history of pet-care pesticides.
Museum Artifacts: Chelsea Hotel “Fire Escape” Lighted Sign and Lighted “Exit” Sign, c. 1950s
Made By: Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Lighthouse Cleanser, c. 1930s
Made by: Armour and Company, 1355 W. 31st St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Northwestern Beverage Co. Shipping Crate, c. 1960s
Made By: Northwestern Beverage Co., 3691 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Archived Reader Comments:
“Northwestern Beverage Company was in business from approximately 1930 through 1985. It was a family-owned soft drink bottling company featuring 30 different varieties of soda pop.
Museum Artifact: Victor Interval Timer, 1920s
Made By: Victor X-Ray Corporation, 2012 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
As company names go, the word “Victor” is so ubiquitous—particularly in early 20th century circles—that it basically cancels out the concept of brand recognition. The most famous Victor of the era, the Victor Talking Machine Company of New Jersey (est. 1901), was at least smart enough to distinguish itself with an iconic logo—“His Master’s Voice”
Museum Artifact: California Club Seltzer Water Bottle, c. 1930s
Made By: California Ale & Beverage Company, 3006-3030 West Fillmore Street, Chicago, IL
The vintage seltzer bottle above was personally donated to the collection by Marc Schulman, a man known to many Chicagoans as the president of Eli’s Cheesecake and the son of one of the city’s great restaurateurs, the late Eli Schulman.
Museum Artifact: IL Cosmet Talcum Powder, c. 1920s
Made By: Illinois Cosmetics Co., 2108 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL
“This is the day of the Flapper. With the Armistice she came, and today she is firmly established in the hearts of all America.”
Those words appeared in a 1927 advertisement for the Illinois Cosmetics Company—aka Il Cosmet—and for all intents and purposes,
Museum Artifact: Dainty Luxury Bread Sign, c. 1916
Made By: Schulze Baking Co. / Schulze Advertising Service, 40 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifacts: Luminous “Big Ben” & “Baby Ben” Clock Dials (1940s) and Style 1A “Big Ben” Alarm Clock (1920s)
Made By: Western Clock MFG Company, aka Westclox, 350 5th St., Peru, Illinois
A clock without hands might seem indifferent to the passage of time, but these old “Big Ben” and “Baby Ben” dials have some serious stories to tell.
Purchased from a man who claimed to have salvaged them from the backroom of an unnamed Chicago watch repair shop,
Museum Artifact: Simoniz Car Wax Tin, 1940s
Made By: Simoniz Company, 2100 S. Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Ritz Stick Foot Measure, c. 1920s
Made by: American Automatic Devices Co. / King Bee MFG Co, 500-530 S. Throop St., Chicago, IL
When a stick of any kind becomes culturally relevant enough to have its own name, we tend to ascribe it a simple, self-descriptive one: match stick, hockey stick, joy stick. A rare exception is the Ritz Stick,
Indestro MFG Co., 2649 N. Kildare Ave., Chicago, IL
This vintage hammer was kindly donated to the museum by Carol Wagner, from her late grandfather’s collection.
Research is underway and a write-up on this specific item will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, you can still check out the full history of Indestro Manufacturing and its sister company Duro Metal Products on our Indestro Bottle Capper page.
Museum Artifact: Peter Pan Peanut Butter Tin, 1920s
Made By: E.K. Pond Company / Derby Foods, Inc., 517 W. 24th Street, Chicago, IL
In 1929, the Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie made a charitable contribution the likes of which we may never see again in the modern age of intellectual property. And it didn’t have anything to do with peanut butter.
Having already enjoyed international acclaim for his various tales of Peter Pan,
