Labor Day Ads – 1953 & 1963

It's Labor Day – so it's time for another "labored" attempt to entertain you here on the blog with vintage ads saluting the American worker. 

Of course, the clip art used by the Journal in the 1950s always seemed to depict white males in these ads. It would take a few decades before stock illustrations began to reflect a little diversity.

Anyway, above is the full-page ad that ran in the Journal on September 7, 1953. Oddly enough, the skyscraper being served up on a platter by the worker somewhat resembles the BP Building in Cleveland. (Remember how at the time it was built, it wasn't allowed to be taller than the Terminal Tower? That restriction didn't last.)

Anyway, there's some interesting names on the roll call of companies that sponsored the ad. Two of them are former employers of my father, in the years before he made it to BF Goodrich in Avon Lake: White Roth Machine Corp. and Nelson Stud Welding.

And the listings reflect just how long I've been doing this blog, with posts devoted to many of them: American Crucible Products, Baetz Barber Dairy, Chris Cafe, Kline's Dept. Store, Lorain Crystal Ice Co., Magic Chef, Ohio Fuel Gas and the Steel Stamping Co.

Fast forward to 1963. I didn't find a full-page ad honoring the American Worker, but there was this ad for the City Bank Company that ran on Sept. 2, 1963.

The ad can make a Lorainite feel a little wistful. 

At the time of the ad, there were numerous employers in the area where workers could make a good living, including US Steel, Ford Motor Company, the American Ship Building, Thew Shovel, etc. As we all know, they're all gone, or at the very least, departed from our area.

A worker can still work at Ford or make steel, but it's necessary to drive a bit.