B.F. Goodrich "Free Warbler" Ad – Nov. 26, 1953

We'll kick off December here on the blog with a vintage Christmas ad. It's for B. F. Goodrich, which had a store in Downtown Lorain at 942 Broadway that sold automobile tires, batteries and accessories, as well as household appliances.

As we noticed a few weeks ago, many stores liked to utilize gimmicks to appeal to kids, with the goal of getting them to drag their parents in. And that's what B. F. Goodrich was doing in this ad (below) which ran in the Lorain Journal on November 26, 1953.

We all recognize the bird whistle, which is pretty cool if you've ever played with one. I didn't know it was called a warbler.

An internet source notes, "These bird whistles are a classic novelty. Bird whistles were popular with 18th-century children and adults. To use, simply fill the whistle with water and then blow gently through it."

A Morning Journal article from Nov. 11, 2018  by antique experts Terry and Kim Kovel about bird whistles noted, "Very early whistles were made from a hollow reed or bird bones. By the 17th century, ceramic whistles were made, often in the shape of an owl or other bird. The center of the whistle held water. Blowing into a hole on its back made the water move and make a sound."

So these things have been around for a long time. Here are a pair recently on eBay that resemble the one in the 1953 ad.

And here's one that I've had for a long time.

Apparently the bird's design has been chubbified over the years to match the increasingly ponderous bulk of the average American.

I filled my birdie up with water and gave him a trial tweet. After I cleaned up the water that sprayed all over the counter, I gave him another chance. He did work, but I had to blow pretty hard. I'm sure my neighbors were wondering what was going on in here, but they probably already think I'm strictly for the birds.

Anyway, here's a funny YouTube video showing one in action, as well as how they work.