Advertising has always been an interesting way to look at history. But when you see these vintage advertisements, the past seems a lot weirder than you thought.
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Frederick’s of Hollywood was established in 1946 by Frederick Mellinger and his first store was opened on Hollywood Boulevard in 1947. His association with Hollywood boosted the image of the company, which in the 1940s was responsible for such lingerie innovations as the padded, push-up and blow-up bras.
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Advertising in magazines such as Harper’s Weekly, in the 1880s, the manufacturer claimed that 'The Health Jolting Chair' could solve the problems of the ‘cripples, paralytics … the corpulent, the insane, the blind etc’, as well as being ‘indispensable to the health and happiness of millions of human beings who may be living sedentary lives through choice or necessity.’ Some writers have commented on the erotic potential of the Health Jolting Chair, suggesting that it might have provided the same stimulation that horse riding offers to the female erogenous zones.
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Prior to the development of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, the weaponry used against light tanks was large-caliber anti-tank rifles. The German-made Solothurn S-18/100, a 20 mm anti-tank rifle was used during this period. As a result of its large, powerful ammunition, the gun had a tremendous recoil, and its size made portability difficult. After WW2, many were sold as military surplus and according to this ad, you could buy one via mail-order with only a $40 deposit.
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Catarrh is a build-up of mucus in an airway or cavity of the body. Dr. Benjamin Marshall first started to market this snuff product in the early 1830s. It was claimed to be a cure for "nearly all common diseases of the head, except wrong-headedness."
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The Dream campaign ran from 1949 through 1969 and revolutionized intimate apparel advertising by featuring women in their bras acting out fantasies of assertiveness and independence in public places.
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Unlike today when everyone wants a tan, women in previous times thought pale was prettier. Pale skin was a status symbol, since it showed that the woman did not have to work in the sun. These poisonous wafers were advertised as being “simply magical” for the complexion, their most striking effects “being brought about by their steady use.” They were guaranteed to improve “even the coarsest and most repulsive skin and complexion.”
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The MOLBY Revolving Hammock
Make Your Spine Young!
"Stretch it with the Molby Revolving Hammock. Bring back health and vitality. Have a full chest and a small waist. Live longer and enjoy life more. All the keen relish of a healthful existence comes to the man or woman whose spine is straight, strong and supple, with no tension on the sympathetic nervous system and with every spinal nerve relaxed."
If you suffer from lower back pain, forget about seeing qualified health professionals. All you need is this terrifying-looking Molby revolving hammock that promises you "all the keen relish of a healthful existence."
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The Rectorotor can "reach your vital spot to such good purpose," to cure “piles, constipation, and prostrate problems.” It was designed to break up any obstructions and lubricate the rectum. The tip had holes in it through which ointment could be released. How it was supposed to cure your prostate problems can only be imagined. But with an enticing motto like “large enough to be efficient, small enough for anyone over 15 years old,” it was worth a shot.
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The history of skin whitening ingredients includes highly toxic lead and mercury compounds that were rapidly absorbed into the skin. In 1913, the Mitchum Warren family established the Paris Toilet Company in Paris, Tenn., to market a bleaching cream for freckles. The company name was changed in 1927 to the Golden Peacock Company and later became the Mitchum Company.
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In America, when the right to vote was extended to include all races, all social positions, and all incomes, women were still not included. It didn't matter if a man was illiterate, had been to jail, or if he was the town drunk. He could vote, and a woman, no matter who she was, could not. On August 18, 1920, the United States ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote, ending a hard-fought, 70-year battle for women's suffrage.
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Similar to today's medical marijuana laws, whiskey was still available during Prohibition with a doctor's prescription. Each person with a prescription was permitted one pint every ten days. To supply that whiskey, six whiskey producers were given licenses by the US Government to bottle and sell medicinal liquor. It was all government-stamped and Bottled-In-Bond at 100 proof. At the point of sale, the prescription was glued to the back of the bottle.
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Don't let your "happy trail" end prematurely. Mesh underwear reveals the anatomy and still provides maximum coverage where it's needed.
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"The illustration shows the left breast supported and right unsupported. Only JouJou Breast Supporter gives this correct improvement : must be worn day and night. Guards against Cancer, Tumour, Mastitis, and relieves Pain immediately."
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Make your home Gaytop Gay!
OK, but what if you're a Gay Bottom?
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Here are some other benefits of Demon Possession:
1. Your demon will have you thrashing about so much, you won't have to go to the gym as often.
2. Make your demon do all your chores while you relax.
3. Any time you get caught doing something wrong -- blame the demon.
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The Alien-Eye Creature was an over-sized balloon with a eye in the middle of it. Its tentacles were actually white party streamers which came with adhesive tape to attach them to the bottom of the inflated balloon. It had a 50 foot string that you could use to “Control” your Alien. You had to fill the Eye with helium to make it float.
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"Produces awe-inspiring sights! Enables you to actually SEE the paths of electrons and alpha particles traveling at speeds of more than 10,000 miles per SECOND! Electrons racing at fantastic velocities produce delicate, intricate paths of electrical condensation – beautiful to watch. Viewing Cloud Chamber action is closest man has come to watching the Atom!"
The Atomic Energy Lab was released by the A.C. Gilbert Company in 1950 so that children could create and watch nuclear and chemical reactions using radioactive material. This set has been called "the world's most dangerous toy" because of the radioactive material included.
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"Vibratory eye treatments are now given by many of the best known occullists. There are many who are now wearing glasses that would find relief in vibration by strengthening the nerves and muscles which control the eye."
Victorian era vibrators came with several attachments, so that they could be used on various parts of the body, but the claims in this ad are ridiculous.
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Before Charles and Maximilian Fleischmann began to produce the first commercial yeast in 1868, bakers had to culture and grow their own leaveners. The Fleischmann brothers perfected dry yeast with consistent, predictable qualities and revolutionized large-scale baking.Fleischmann's yeast cakes claimed to clear the skin by purifying the blood. You were supposed to eat 3 yeast cakes per day to get rid of acne. Actually, the acid in your stomach kills the yeast so it cannot cause infection. Then the dead bodies of yeast cells “train” your immune system to respond to bacterial infection with less inflammation, so pimples are not as severe.
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Despite the disconcerting claim that this medicine “makes children and adults as fat as pigs,” Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic was actually sold as a preventative measure against malaria and associated symptoms. Those who remember taking the chill tonic did not agree with the “tasteless” billing, although it was better than taking straight quinine. The chill tonic was so popular the British army made it standard issue for every soldier going off to mosquito infested lands and, by 1890, more bottles of Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic were sold than bottles of Coca-Cola.
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Tawny Cocaine Port
"The cure works like magic, consisting almost entirely of cocaine syrup and weak grapes. If any drunkard drinks copious amounts of this cocaine syrup, they will almost instantly lost their need and want of alcohol and will gain a new want for life and fun."When alcohol and cocaine are combined, they form a chemical which produces a feeling of euphoria more powerful and longer lasting than anything cocaine is capable of producing on its own. Coca Wine was first developed in 1863 by a French-Corsican entrepreneur in Paris, Angelo Mariani. His brand “Vin Mariani”, made from Peruvian Coca leaves and Bordeaux wine became an overnight success.
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In 1941, the Doughnut Corporation of America came up with "Vitamin Donuts" to advertise their fortified flour. The War Food Administration didn't agree, and they suggested the "Fat Pills" be called "Enriched Flour Donuts" instead. That didn't sound particularly appetizing, so the product was dropped.
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How is this woman stout? Look at her waist!
Talk about unreasonable expectations.
Lane Bryant opened for business in 1904 as a small dressmaking boutique run by Lena Bryant in Manhattan. They were one of the first retailers to specialize in plus-size clothing.
The question is, how does an appeal that amounts to an insult work as advertising copy? Hard to imagine today...but Lane Bryant produced print advertising for its "Stout" clothing lines from 1917--1950s and it worked out very well for them.
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The Radio Hat was manufactured 5 years before the transistor radio and so it used vacuum tubes, a loop antenna, and much of the clunky technology that made portable radios of the day both heavy and bulky. The inventor packed the latest technology into a metal pith helmet and promoted it as a wearable, portable radio that you could use everywhere.
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An Hilarious Optical Illusion!
"Scientific optical principle really works. Imagine you put on the “X-Ray” Specs and hold your hand in front of you. You seem to be able to look right through the flesh and see the bones underneath. Look at your friend. Is that really his body you “see” under his clothes? Loads of laughs and fun at parties."
The "lenses" consist of two layers of cardboard with a small hole punched through both layers. The user views objects through the holes. A feather is embedded between the layers of each lens. The vanes of the feathers are so close together that light is diffracted, causing the user to receive two slightly offset images.
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"We dedicate this collection of toilet secrets, not to the pretty women (they have advantages enough, without being told how to double their beauty), but to the plainer sisterhood, to those who look in the glass and are not satisfied with what they see."
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Save Your Face in Just 12 Minutes a Week!
At last, you'll enjoy looking in the mirror again.
Helps get rid of wrinkles, baggy eyes, double chin, turkey neck...actually strengthens muscles so you enjoy natural beauty from the inside out.
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Sometimes we forget to guard our shorts from spontaneous combustion, misdirected hellfire or the errant match. But these things do happen. The question is: will your shorts survive?
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Here's an exploding army hand grenade replica that “really scatters the gang when you throw this baby in their midst?”
Edwin Wegman began Honor House in 1951 and sold cheap goods imported from Asia. The company lasted until the mid-1980s when the rising price of postage killed most novelty mail-order companies.
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Born in 1872 in what is now Poland, Maksymilian Faktorowicz started work at a young age in the wig and cosmetics industry. He founded Max Factor & Company in 1909.
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