Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Trailer trash

For a brief period in the 1950's, trailers were an almost acceptable lifestyle - advertised with enticing words about "no long-term debt" and "trailer parks are beautifully landscaped".

A world away from the trailer park of the 21st century, with squalid living, declining self-esteem, meth-labs and violence.


"The Mobile Home", 1959
-click to enlarge-

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Pot-watching?

A kitchen range so intelligent that "it cooks meals while you are away".

Consumerism bull-hype overstating the simple fact that it only has timers to turn it on and off. That's all. Electric cooking is NOT automatic: you still have to keep an eye on your kitchen.


"Electric cooking", 1959
-click to enlarge-

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Glow in the dark bottle

A small ad for the legendary bottle of "glow in the dark paint".

Guessing at the malevolent chemical responsible for the glow - the words "latest scientific discovery" point at a weak radium solution. But it could be a white phosphorus compound.

Radioactive or poisonous - back in 1931 those were minor details when selling a product.


"Luminous paint", 1931
-click to enlarge-