They never wear out

Some ads have such outrageous art in them that you can't help but stare. Look at this piece. I mean, seriously, look at "Baldy the Slick".

Is that cool or what? A gigantic car tyre with a criminal past waiting to destroy your car and stop you in your tracks. It doesn't get any better than this.

Sadly, the copy is not up to such a high standard and it plays heavily on the statement that the tyres "never wear smooth" - whoa, are they made out of kryptonite or something?

"Public enemy", 1937
-click to enlarge-

Glowing in the wind

The fifties were full of images of supersonic, futuristic and atomic regalia. Among all the fads and other ephemeral interests - who would have thought that amateur uranium hunting was so popular in the 1950's in the good old U.S.A?

This piece with "transistorized uranium finders" and "government cash bonuses" says it all - you buy amateur equipment, you stumble upon a rich uranium ore field and then you cash in the government bonus - easy.

It does not say anything at all about the nasty stuff; the fruitless weeks of rambling around the country waving a Geiger detector, the radiation poisoning or the long-term risk of leukemia.

Here's your chance to shine. Literally speaking.

"Uranium hunters", 1955
-click to enlarge-

Enjoy music outdoors

Portable technology is nothing to rave about now, but in the early 20th Century it was cutting edge and big money.

You think iPod is cool music on the go? Wait until you meet the "Ozarka" from 1924- with a name that brings up images of summer days on a fishing trip in the back of beyond, this amazing portable radio set weighs only.... 10 pounds. 

Yes sire, 5 kilograms only. As batteries at that time were lead-acid (like car batteries) this is probably where the weight problem was. So if you wanted music on the go in 1924, you had to go to the gym first.

"Enjoy radio on vacation", 1924
-click to enlarge-

Drive safe in the rain

Meet Mr. Vacuum. He is transparent, always wears a hat, hip glasses and a suit with a flower in the lapel. The height of gentlemen's fashion in the 1950's.

He also works powering windshield wipers in your car. Wait a second- are this Mad Ad Men actually using an outline of an invisible man to promote the wonders of vacuum? Bizarre.

A less-well known relative of the Invisible Man is helping you drive safely in the rain. Remember that.

"Mister Vacuum", 1955
-click to enlarge-

Press here for mystery

There's an old popular saying about "...a fool and his money..." - these two ads in the same publication illustrate the point in question: they are variations on the long running scam of selling worthless junk by promoting the curiosity of the reader.

Exhibit number one: the "Amazing Mystery Button", which the ad bills as the most interesting electrical apparatus ever discovered. For one dollar.  Not only you can build a telephone and an amplifier but also a ... Detectiphone (?). Whatever that is.

"Amazing mystery button", 1945
-click to enlarge-

Exhibit number two: the "Wonder Electric Button", which the ad *also* sells as the most interesting electrical apparatus ever discovered. The rest of this ad is almost identical to the one above -including the use of the word Detectiphone.

Talk about copyright infringement. Or the same scammer running two different ads.

"Wonder electric button", 1945
-click to enlarge-