The Life / Look Magazine of Appliances

[Unimatic1140]

I'm introducing something new into the Automatic Ephemera Library today. Every once in a while I'm going to add special "Premium Ephemera" to the library. The reason it is considered premium is because it is a HUGE amount of work to do (scanning, cleaning and assembling hundreds of large size pages, verifying each page is copyright free or has expired, etc. etc.). Today's entry took me over a week's worth of work to do.

Electrical Merchandising is a fun magazine to read for any collector or enthusiast of vintage appliances, electronics and other vintage home products. This highly entertaining magazine covered the retail sales and merchandising areas of Major Appliances, Small Appliances, Small Electrics, Radios, Televisions and other electric home products from the mid-20th century. This was the Life and Look Magazine of the appliance world, in the same large size 10x13 magazine format. Whenever Fred and I discover one of these super rare Electric Merchandising magazines we sit down together on the sofa and spend a ton of time going through each page as we just love these magazines. The advertisements are amazing, and most of them we have never seen before because they were targeted towards retailers as opposed to the consumer ads we are used to seeing.

Here is a summary index of just what is in the first issue...

Full Page Ads:
Speed Queen Automatic Washer, Waste King Dishwasher, Hoover Floor Polisher, Hotpoint Trends, Voice of America Record Players, Tide/Proctor and Gamble, Successful Farming Magazine, Frigidaire Wash and Wear Savings Fair, Blackstone Automatic Washer, Grabar, Caloric Spring Promotion, Olympic Hi-Fi, Heil-Quaker Heating, Whirlpool Combination Washer-Dryer, Maytag Dryers, Syroco Clocks, DuMont Television, Ladies Home Journal, Travel Aire Evaporative Coolers, Amana Refrigerator-Freezers, National Accounting Machines, Good Housekeeping Magazine, Ben-Hur Freezers, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Modern Water Softeners, Commercial Credit, Chromalux Electric Range Elements, Oster and Osterizer Blenders, Hotpoint Air Conditioners, Sylvania Hi-Fi, St. Charles Kitchen/Dupont, Philadelphia Bulletin, Grundig-Majestic Hi-Fi, RCA Whirlpool Gas Ranges, Westinghouse Vacuum Cleaners, General Electric Refrigerator-Freezer, Dexter Wringer and Automatic Washers, Eureka Vacuum Cleaners, Johnson Wax Floor Polisher, Frigidaire Air Conditioners, Philco Transistor Radios, Honeywell Heater Controls, Hamilton Automatic Washer.

Double Full Page Ad Spreads:
Westinghouse Shape of Tomorrow Appliances, RCA Whirlpool Vacation Jamboree, Thomas Organs and Hi-Fi Combinations, General Electric Automatic Washer, Universal Coffeematic, New Whirlpool Refrigeration Center, Atlas Power Lawn Mowers, Fedders Heat Pump and Air Conditioner, RCA Whirlpool Washer and Dryer, Bissell Shampoo Master, Ingraham Clocks, Porcelain Enamel Institute, General Electric Radios, Gibson Appliances, Whirlpool Refrigerator-Freezers, Chicago Tribune, Hotpoint Television, Norge Refrigerator-Freezer, RCA Color Television, Westinghouse Television, Admiral Refrigerator-Freezers, Motorola Car Radios, Sylvania Television, Kelvinator Washer and Dryer, York Room Air Conditioners, RCA Whirlpool Air Conditioners.

3+ Page Ads or Catalogs:
Hotpoint Appliances, Dormeyer Small Appliances, Philco Automatic Washers, Dryers, Wringer Washers, Refrigerators, Electric Ranges and Air Conditioners, Kelvinator Appliances, Norelco Shavers.

Other Ads:
West Bend, Beldon Electric Cords, Majestic Gas Incinerator, Symphonic Hi-Fi, EZ Clean Air Filters, Cornish Wire, Toastmaster Water Heater, Lamb Electric Motors, Arvin Radios, Stromburg Carlson Hi-Fi, Manitowoc Appliances, Thermador Appliances, Ruton Vacuum Cleaner, Monarch Ranges, Yeats Appliance Dolly.

Featured Articles:
Spotlight-A Quick Look at what's going on, Business Trends, Trends by Region, You Can Sell More Air Conditioners, House Power News, Help Yourself to Good Help, How to train a Kitchen Salesman, He Nets 9% on Kitchens, Builder Sales Aren't So Tough, You'll Be Selling These Kitchens, How to Become a Better Businessman, Dealers are Serious About Kitchens, Who Says the Appliance Salesman is Extinct, Look What this Buffalo, NY Dealer Did with Wringer Washers, Promotion with a French Accent, Nothing Beats a Carnival, 35% on Central Coolers, Trade Report, Fred Maytag II Discuses Artificial Obsolescence, Electric Servants Fair, Consumers Hit the Merchandise Mart's Trade Show, The Housewares Show: Crowds, Products and Prices Explain Why They're Optimistic, It Looks Rosy for Lawn Mowers, How Research Shapes our Future Prosperity, More Shopping Than Buying, Editorial.

Announcing New Products Section - (1 to 5 paragraphs for each new product with descriptions and images):
Norge Refrigerator Line, Easy Combination Washer-Dryer, Hoover Vacuum Cleaner, Sub-Zero Refrigerator-Freezers, Deep Freeze Freezers, Amana Refrigerators, Manitowoc Freezers, Revco Freezers, Kitchen-Aire Ventilation, Markel Fan, Heetair Baseboard, Lau Fans, Dumont Fans, Broan Wall Heater, Admiral Refrigerator-Freezer, Foster Frypan, Duralux Coffeemaker, Victor Door Chimes, Sunbeam Egg Cooker, Handy Hannan Hair Dryer, Cory Party Chef, Sunbeam Frypan, Universal Floor Polisher, Ronson Hair Dryer, KitchenAid Dishwashers, Brotherized Blender, Fedders Air Conditioners, Philco Air Conditioners, Chico Air Coolers, Thermador Evaporative Cooler, Chill-Air Coolers, Rabar Porta Coolers, Write Coolers, Roper Gas Ranges, GE Telechron Clock, Knibb Ice Cream Maker, Excello Riding Lawn Mowers, Mow Master Lawn Mowers, Jacobson Lawn Mower, Roberton Riding Lawn Mower, Dumont TV and Hi-Fi, Hoffman TV and Hi-Fi, Packard-Bell Radio, DeWald Radio, Admiral Radio, GE Transistor Radios, Webcor Hi-Fi, Philco Hi-Fi, Symphonic Hi-Fi, Admiral Italiana Hi-Fi.

One thing to note about premium ephemera is that instead of the typical 3-day $1.39 introduction download fee, I will have a 7-day $8.99 introduction download fee. It is simply a way too time consuming task to offer these any other way. All other Ephemera will continue at the regular $1.39 3-day introduction rate. Any premium ephemera will not be valid for ephemera donation credit simply because of the sheer amount of work involved.

Thanks everyone!

http://www.automatice.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi?showdoc~1144

 

[tomturbomatic]

The bound issues of this serial as well as a few other titles reporting on the appliance industry are here on Deck 11 South and they have been a treasure to me since 1976. I was able to provide Jeff with a piece describing his just introduced rare Laundromat from an early 1941 issue. These magazines are amazing to browse. There were digital clocks and food processors in the 1930s. There were clocks that projected the time in digital format on the ceiling. Many small companies were producing fascinating equipment before WWII intervened. Great amounts of manufacturing equipment was sacrificed to the war effort as these companies shut down and the staff went to either serve in the war or into war production. Most did not return to their small enterprises and things and brands were lost forever. One of the more fascinating inventions was a wringer-type washer that had a round tub but no agitator. At the bottom of the tub there was a heavy perforated plate and a multi-vaned impeller under it that sent swirling currents of water through the plate to wash clothes without the abrasion an agitator could cause. All kinds of little businesses were in operation making the inventors' dream machines. These trade magazines are the only record of much of this activity just as our collections are physical evidence of America's glorious manufacturing past.

 

[revvinkevin]

Wow Robert, this sounds like a HUGE task!

Thank you SO MUCH for all of the hard work and long hours you put into both AW and the Automatic Ephemera Library!

I'm looking forward to downloading this once I get home this afternoon!

Kevin

 

[jetcone]

Tom

I must get over there for an afternoon and read some of those. I'd love to spend an afternoon in the LOC!

 

Lets plan something around New Years when Smitty is installing my truck bed.

 

Jon

 

 

 

[frigilux]

Purchased this 200+ page monster and am slowly making my way through it. So many wonderful ads! Thanks, Robert.

 

[alr2903]

How NICE!

Robert Thanks!  The nostalgic cover picture is worthy of  "Norman Rockwell"..  I remember my dad "negotiating" an appliance deal in a family owned appliance store.  He always got delivery, installation, warranty and service after the sale in writing.

 

[tomturbomatic]

"always got delivery, installation, warranty and service after the sale in writing."

When we bought out 1958 Lady, Sears' delivery people did not install washers. The tag said, "Fri with service" but the machine sat in the basement, uninstalled. Daddy got on the phone with Sears, an experience as joyful as calling the cable service today, but without all of the options, just the long waits. He finally got someone out there to install the washer before the day was out.

 

[peteski50]

The Life / Look Magazine of Appliances!

Thank you Robert this has been some real great reading!
Peter

 

[Unimatic1140]

I am so glad to see everyone enjoying these!!!

I can't decide what my favorite ad is, probably the RCA-Whirlpool combination washer/dryer ad with the big picture of the window and spray on page 33. But there are so many others like the Philco-Bendix thrifty-threesome on page page 82 and the Gibson Havana Holiday hotel is fabulous on page 94. Something tells me that hotel is still there lol, but not in such great shape. The Dexter Hydro-Jet on page 116 I have to assume is a Bendix Power-Surge under the Dexter name???

What Fred Maytag II has to say about planned obsolescence page 141 is quite interesting for sure. Quite different than how manufacturers feel about that today I'm sure.

There is nothing more satisfying for me then to be able to bring something so rare from 1958 into the 21st Century with such color and clarity for everyone...[this post was last edited: 12/3/2014-16:01]

 

[vacbear58]

I am here to tell you

That this download is THE most wonderful value you will ever find - and I am not even American! I spent half an hour just looking at the ads and pictures and hardly got half way through it. Even at the full price it would be well worth having, at the "sale" price it is little more than the cost of a magazine.

With Christmas coming up this would also be a wonderful AND USEFUL gift for any collector friends.

What I cannot understand though Robert is how you have the time or even the motivation to go through the scanning process as I find it mind numbingly boring not to mention the time checking out and cleaning up the images. Do you have a scanner by the treadmill at the gym perhaps? Or do you not need to sleep? How you have time to work a job, develop and maintain AW & VL, maintain your home and collection and have time to relax and unwind from the day is just beyond me.

Although I have not downloaded much from Ephemera any thing I have has been of absolute premium quality and you deserve thanks from us all for providing such a wonderful archive of material.

Thank you for all your efforts

Al

 

[Unimatic1140]

Hi Al, thank you so much for such a nice compliment and testimonial. Actually I do the scanning process, while I'm relaxing for the evening at home with Fred on on the sofa. We are sitting there watching TV and I have scanner on the sofa next to me. I just feed pages as we're watching the Big Bang Theory or other silly shows with my feet up!

The key to being able to do so much with limited time is working efficiently, multi-tasking and using software that you can write macros to do repetitive tasks on 100's of pages automatically.

My central motivation to do all this is the archival of things that most other people couldn't care less about. If someone doesn't save this stuff now, its going to be lost forever in a generation or two. I do believe creating these digital files will keep this history alive for much longer if not forever.

The majority of this stuff is extremely rare now and getting rarer with each passing year. Yes you can go to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC and find bound volumes of some of this stuff, during the open hours of the library, but for the majority of us that simply isn't a practical option. I'd much rather have this stuff on my computer or iPad where I own it and can have it my own library which I can read it whenever and wherever I please.

 

[jetcone]

Amen to what Vacbear says

its so much fun for me I knew of these magazines but there never was a library close enough that carried these ! To have seen these articles in the periodcal guide to literature as titles and now to be able to read them with the dog jammed up on me is a pure pleasure !
Thanks again Robert it is always a treat and makes our hobby so much more fun and gives it a depth it could never have just collecting !

 

[turquoisedude]

I'm going to be glued to this for weeks!  It's fun to spot things one has in one's collections in these old feature ads (I want one of those fancy-console '58 Whirlpool washers now, though...)

 

Robert, thank you for making this available to us!

 

[petek]

Loving it even though I've only skimmed a few pages so far after downloading this morning. Now I have to figure out how to get it onto the the Ipad if that's possible so I can read and relax in comfort this evening.

 

[norgeway]

When I was a teenager

I had 2 issues of this magazine from 1953 and 1954...I have looked for more ever since, I somehow lost my copies ...how I cant figure out, but this is wonderful!..Somewhere out there is a old store with all of these setting on a shelf! Now, just to find them!!!!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Now I have to figure out how to get it onto the the Ipad if that's possible so I can read and relax in comfort this evening

I absolutely love reading all this ephemera on my iPad, if you have an iPad I highly recommend downloading ephemera to it. Its almost like having the manual or magazine right in front of you.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to download ephemera to you ipad. If you want to try this and your time has run out on the 24 hour download on your Electrical Merchandising, send me an email and I will give you another link for another 24 hours to try this.

It is very easy, here is the step by process (I'll post four images below)...

#1

 

[Unimatic1140]

#2

 

[Unimatic1140]

#3 Once the file is downloaded you'll get this message box to pop up, remember it might take a minute or two for the file to finish downloading. You wont get this pop up until it is finished. If you haven't downloaded any reading apps yet, select open in iBooks, which is the iPad's default reader. Once you select "Open in iBooks for "Open in" and select a reader, the file is permanently saved to your iPad and you can read it anytime you please, forever.

 

[Unimatic1140]

#4

I highly recommend the free app called "SideBooks". I use it for reading all of my ephemera. It is easy to organize all of your downloads into different folders in Sidebooks. I set up a folder for each brand.

Sidebooks is 100% free from the App Store.