Museum Artifact: Kist Beverages Soda Bottle, c. 1940s
Made By: Citrus Products Co., 11 E. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL
Most Notable Factoid: In 1933, the vice president of Citrus Products fired a gun at his own wife (and missed) after he saw her kissing the president of the company at a party.
Best known for its “Kist” brand of carbonated beverages,
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 Artifact: Headlight Lantern, c. 1950s
Made By: Justrite Manufacturing Company, 2061 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Selection of “Blue Book” Mail Order Merchandise Catalogs (1939-1999)
Made By: Bennett Brothers, Inc., 30 East Adams Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Superior “CUB” Kids Rotary Printing Press No. 8401, c. 1950s
Made By: Superior Marking Equipment Co. / SMECO (aka Superior Rubber Type Co.), 1800 W. Larchmont Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Mills “Poinsettia” Slot Machine, c. 1929
Made By: Mills Novelty Company, 4100 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Zeno Chewing Gum Coin-Op Vending Machine, 1908
Made By: Zeno MFG Co., 150-160 W. Van Buren St., Chicago, IL
It’s been more than 100 years since someone first dropped a penny into this porcelain-enameled steel vending machine, jonesing for a fresh stick of “elegant” Zeno chewing gum. By no coincidence, most awareness of the Zeno Manufacturing Company itself has long since been spat from the public consciousness and trampled over by time,
Museum Artifact: Paasche Airbrush Bottle, c. 1950s
Made By: Paasche Airbrush Company, 1909 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Industrial Signal Horn Siren, 1920s
Made By: Benjamin Electric MFG Co., 120-128 S. Sangamon St., Chicago, IL and Des Plaines, IL
“The clear, powerful tones of Benjamin Signals are preventing lost calls, lost time, and costly interruptions the country over. To the farthermost corners of the greatest plants they shout the call for attention, finding the wanted man wherever he may be.
Museum Artifact: Monark Silver King “Roadster” Girls Bicycle, 1950s
Made By: Monark Silver King, Inc., 6501 W. Grand Ave.
“Now—An Aluminum Bicycle! The same metal which made possible present-day high-speed trains and airplanes, makes the frame of the new-type SILVER KING bicycle. Aluminum alloy—much lighter than steel, but with 3 times the tensile strength, weight for weight. Gives faster speed, greater strength, and snappier appearance.” —advertisement for the first Monark Silver King bicycle,
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: Hallicrafters Model 5R34A Continental Radio, 1952
Made By: Hallicrafters Company, 4401 W. Fifth Ave., Chicago, IL
“For radio equipment that won’t be satisfied with the limits of the pre-war world, for radio that will go places and do things hitherto undreamed of and uncharted—look to Hallicrafters, builders of the radio man’s radio.”—Hallicrafters magazine advertisement, 1944
William J.
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: Gateway Junior Model NP-1 Sewing Machine, c. 1950
Made By: Gateway Engineering Company / Gateway Erectors, Inc., 233 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL
“The Toy Sewing Machine that really sews!” —1948 advertisement for the Gateway Junior Model
Produced only for a short time from the late 1940s into the 1950s, the Gateway line of toy sewing machines represents a case study in a business making the most out of its extraneous materials.
Museum Artifact: “The Lakeside News” company newsletter, July 1949
Made By: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company / Lakeside Press, 350 E. Cermak Road (Calumet Plant), Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: AMPRO Precision Projector, KS model, c. 1936
Made By: The Ampro Corporation., 2839-51 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
“Everything that projection engineers could wish to achieve . . . everything that you movie-makers have felt should go into the ideal 16mm mechanism . . . everything you could possibly wish for, is combined in the AMPRO Precision Projector.” —advertisement in Movie Makers magazine,
Museum Artifact: Imperial Satellite 127 Flash Camera, c. 1950s
Made By: Herbert George Company, 311 N. Desplaines St.., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Imperial Gasweld Flux Can, c. 1928
Made By: Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company, 1200 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Glass Magic Lantern Slides, c. 1900s
Made By: Chicago Projecting Company, 225 Dearborn St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Turtle Wax “Hard Shell Finish” Auto Polish and Turtle Wax Furniture Polish Set, 1950s
Made By: Plastone Company / Turtle Wax, Inc., 4100 W. Grand Ave. and 1800 N. Clybourn Ave.
On June 4, 1956—just five years after the first bottles of Turtle Wax “Miracle Auto Polish” hit the consumer market—Chicago workmen began installing a new, ludicrously enormous advertisement for the product,
Museum Artifact: Florsheim Ladies Shoes, c. 1940s
Made By: Florsheim Shoe Company, 3963 W. Belmont Ave. and 130 S. Canal Street , Chicago, IL
“I have always attributed our success to three essentials: a good shoe, an efficient organization, and advertising—always keeping in mind that our shoe measured up to everything that we said in our advertising.” —Milton S. Florsheim,
Museum Artifact: Revere 88 Movie Camera and Revere 85 Movie Projector, 1940s
Made By: Revere Camera Company, 320 E. 21st St., Chicago, IL
“The Revere takes the clearest and steadiest home movies you have ever seen. Its advanced design (pocket size), its exclusive automatic film-threading sprocket, five speeds (including slow motion), precision construction, and many other proven features make Revere the outstanding value of 8mm movie cameras.”
Museum Artifact: Dorson Jr. Time Stamp, c. 1930s
Made By: Dorson Corporation (aka Dorson Time Instruments Co.), 605 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
