Over the decades, I have picked up several old catalogs and magazines. The ads and articles I find amazing. A 1928 Popular science has numerous offerings of correspondence schools to learn "Aviation" and there are apparently big bucks in learning to repair radios. Also, Harley Davidson ads of a motorcycle hitting the open road loaded with camping gear, to expand your wanderings. A real kicker though is a 1938 Popular Science which contains a picture of a man in a suit holding a plate with a sandwich between two large electronic tubes and the caption indicates the man heats his lunch with radio wave.
Faming magazines of 1939 and 1940 warned of the coming war and the cost to American farm families. Shortly into the war, outdoor magazines contained ads concerning the shortage of small boats for the navy and asked civilians to donate their boats and outboards. a year later, families were asked to donate their family pets to the "War Dog Project" to be trained to assist US troops. Of course the promise of return after service was never kept. Scope companies took out ads saying while their products are not currently available to civilians, their military scopes are helping aviators sight and bomb the enemy to hopefully bring more men home safely and sooner rather than later. Same for gun manufacturers and ammunition companies. Of course their were the strange ads for Bibles in Tins that according to a testimonial saved a soldier from a Japanese Bullet.
I have 1900 era sporting catalogs and magazines. One of which contains a very strongly worded editorial about passing a waterfowl conservation and protection act in Congress. One old newspaper, dated early June 1876 contains an editorial about the coming US actions against the Indians of the northern Plains, warning that US forces and civilians should not underestimate the finest horse cavalry in the world, manned by the fiercest fighters who are so intimately familiar with their surroundings, fighting for their homelands and way of life. So very prophetic.
I have a December 1944 Pennsylvania Game News. The Cover is looking out a door window at a soldier coming home in time for the holidays, his hunting dog jumping at the door with excitement and his shot gun leaning against the wall waiting for that first hunt. The Battle of the Bulge started within a week after that magazine was published..
I have a 1939 local newspaper. A 6 cubic foot GE electric refrigerator was $779.00. A new Pontiac was $789.00. Local news society pages included the names of people who attended birthday parties and club meetings. Did you know, in 1939, there were so many homeless people migrating across the southwest and California, that some feared an armed uprising similar to the Russian Revolution.
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Originally Posted by Perry Hilbert Jr
