"Win a Corvette" Januzzi's Shoes Ad – May 1954

We'll close out the week and the month here on the blog with a vintage Januzzi's Shoe ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on May 7, 1954.

There's a lot going on in the ad. It's from that time period when Hollywood had a surplus of starlets doing double duty by serving as spokesmodels in advertisements, so here we have the lovely Elaine Stewart. 

(Elaine is okay in my book because she starred with a trio of my favorite Western actors – Audie Murphy, James Stewart and Dan Duryea – in the movie Night Passage.)

Elaine (as a blonde) with Audie Murphy in a scene from Night Passage

The image of elegant Elaine may have roped us in (it did me), but the main focus of the ad is the "Win a Chevrolet Corvette" contest. It's interesting that – like the Mother's Day contest that I wrote about here – you had to compose a short essay to enter.

Besides the image of the Corvette and some nice shoe art, we also get a cameo from Esky, the Esquire magazine mascot. 

Esky always reminded me of both the rich guy from the Monopoly game, and Lord Plushbottom from the Moon Mullins comic strip. 

That's Plushie in the middle, with  Prof. Byrrd on the left and Moon on the right

Here's Esky as a fully dimensional advertising figure.

Anyway, the Jacuzzi ad was merely the newspaper version of a larger color advertisement that was appearing in magazines at the same time. Here's the magazine version. I like the typography a lot.

Click here to visit the City Club Shoes website, where you'll find a nice selection of vintage ads.

Judge Findley Announces His Retirement – May 29, 1950

Seventy-five years ago today on May 29, 1950, Common Pleas Judge Guy B. Findley announced his retirement effective October 15th. Below is the Lorain Journal front page from that day with the story, as well as the continuation.

As the article notes, "Judge Findley who will be 65 on Oct. 10, is now rounding out his 16th consecutive year as a Lorain-co common pleas judge. He is serving in his third consecutive six-year term."

In his remarks to the Lorain-co Bar association, Findley stated, "It has been a happy experience for 15 1/2 years to have been privileged to meet with you as one of the judges. The association has been one dear to my heart. I have never come down here to the courthouse and taken my place upon the bench except with pleasure."

Lorain Countians should be familiar with Judge Findley. He generously bestowed two great gifts to the public: more than 800 acres of farmland near Wellington that became what today is known as Findley State Park; and his beautiful former home on Abbe Road that is decorated so beautifully at Christmas – Finwood Estate.

Sohio Road Map Ad – May 1930

So when was the last time you drove somewhere and used a road map from a gas station to guide you?

If you're like me, it's probably been a while – about two cars ago. I remember having to buy a map at a gas station while getting lost in a Cleveland suburb. And the map (which wasn't cheap) was something put out by Rand McNally or somebody – not the oil company.

Since then, like everyone else, I rely on my car's navigation system or use Google Maps directions on my iPhone through Bluetooth. (I have handwritten directions just in case something goes wrong.)

But back in 1930, road maps were essential on a trip. The federal highway system was still in its infancy and many roads weren't paved, and were merely gravel – or worse. You had to have a map.

Thus ads with the promise of a free map, like the one at the top of this post which appeared in the Lorain Journal on May 1, 1930, no doubt lured a lot of drivers to their local Sohio station.

Here's a color version of the map shown in the ad.

Sohio maps were pretty well-designed and creative. Here's an ample sample from through the years.

1935

1940

1949

1954

1964

1971

1973

1976

Sohio has been the subject of many posts on this blog.

Canada Dry Beverages Ad – May 5, 1955

Canada Dry Ginger Ale has been a favorite topic for me on this blog.

Why? Because my original 2013 write-up on the former Canada Dry Ginger Ale bottling plant facility on Colorado Avenue is my second most visited post of all time. That's more than 23,000 hits!

Actually, the hits are more likely related to the business that was located in the former plant: the Corner Store model railroad shop. Nevertheless, I like Canada Dry Ginger Ale (although I have  a six-pack of Vernors in the fridge right now) and enjoy writing about its advertising.

Speaking of which, here's a large ad for Canada Dry that ran in the Lorain Journal back on May 5, 1955. 

It's interesting that it's not advertising the famous ginger ale. It's promoting large bottles of the Canada Dry family of beverage flavors: root beer, 'true fruit' black cherry, imitation grape soda, and 'true fruit' orange. 

Here's a color magazine ad from 1955 giving us a good luck at the color scheme.

There was indeed something for every consumer's tastes: ginger ale, cola, root beer, cream soda, black cherry, orange and lemon-lime (their version was called Hi-Spot). And of course the famous mixers.

Here's another magazine ad, from only a few years later – 1961.

Looking at the ad, it's fascinating how much the Canada Dry advertising changed in so short a time. The little illustrations of formally dressed people were out – and photography was in. 

And the focus of the ad was different. It's not just a variety of flavors that was being promoted. Now, the ad was selling youth, a feeling, an attitude, a way of life.

Welcome to modern advertising.

Happy Memorial Day – 1955

Journal Editorial Cartoon – Memorial Day 1955

Here's hoping you enjoy a happy and meaningful Memorial Day.

Sometimes the original meaning of the day – that of honoring the members of our Armed Forces who died while serving their country – is forgotten. It's all explained quite eloquently in the Journal's great editorial from Memorial Day 1955.

And as per my custom, here's the handsome full-page ad with sponsors that ran in the Lorain Journal on May 28, 1955.

There are a few companies listed that are still around in some form, 70 years later. Besides the Morning Journal, there's Amherst Memorial Studio; Polansky's Market; the Lorain Telephone Company (now Lumen); Castle-on-the-Lake (Papasitos and Beer Mexican Grill); Airport Tavern (Mutt & Jeff's); and Shields Rest Clinic (Sprenger Health Care).

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Although none of my relatives lost their lives while serving this country, on Memorial Day I can't help but remember Army Sgt. Bruce Horner of Lorain, who was killed in action in Iraq in June 2007.

1965 Ads: Hot Dogs for Memorial Day!

Have you ever heard about that research study claiming that eating a hot dog can shave about a half hour from your life expectancy? It basically states that hot dogs are about the worse thing that you can hungrily shove into your gaping maw.

I don't really believe that. As Mom always preached, "Everything in moderation." Just don't eat them all the time.

The hot dog study (probably commissioned by the Hamburger Association of America) certainly hasn't kept me from ordering the occasional delicious coney dog at Dog 'N Suds this spring. (BTW, Dog 'N Suds will be the subject of a major post next month.)

Anyway, it seems that hot dogs have had a strong connection with Memorial Day cookouts for a long time; well, at least since 1965.

Above is a Lawsons ad that ran in the Lorain Journal back on May 28, 1965. Wieners are definitely top dog in the ad. I like the illustration of a chef-hatted dad ringing a Western dinner triangle, like he was Wishbone on Rawhide.

And below are two ads that ran in the Journal on the same day: May 26, 1965. One is for Sugardale Coneys and the other is for Superior's Frankies - the Keener Wiener. (Both companies have been featured on this blog before.) The Sugardale Coneys package has its great Hamlet the pig mascot; the Superior's Frankies has our old pal Frankie.

If these 1965 ads give you a hankering for a frankfurter, just exercise some moderation. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Frankie is still employed as spokeswiener for Superior's. In fact, it doesn't even look like the company even makes hot dogs any more.

Sugardale still makes its tube steaks, but it doesn't look like Hamlet is featured on the package these days. 

The porcine mascot probably retired to some Ohio, er, hamlet –  where he can live in peace, far from big city butchers and meat processors.

Professional Building is Professionally Demolished

A Google Maps view that is no more

While taking care of some business in Downtown Lorain a few weeks ago, I noticed that the building (shown above) next door to the Lorain Elks Lodge on W. 6th Street was in the process of being demolished. Staring at the steaming pile of rubble® I remembered that it had been a small, unassuming office building that I had only been inside once or twice – back in the 1980s.

And it was exactly 72 years ago today that the Grand Opening ad for The Professional Building, as it was known, below appeared in the Lorain Journal on May 22, 1953.

A small photograph (below) had appeared in the Journal the previous September when the land was being prepped for construction.

From the Lorain Journal of Sept. 23, 1952

According to the Grand Opening ad, when The Professional Building first opened, many doctors, lawyers and dentists had their offices there. The building was also home to The Professional Pharmacy.

It was a very nice looking building that acquired an addition over the years. To access the parking lot from Sixth St., you drove under a walkway that connected the two buildings.

But time marches on. The Lorain County Auditor website noted that the Elks owned the building. Perhaps it needed too many repairs, or maybe the Elks have plans for the property. We'll see.

Harvesting Timber on the Baumhart Farm – May 1938

When I think about lumberjacks, the image of Paul Bunyan lumbering about the North Woods (and laying waste to it) immediately comes to mind. I certainly don't think of the Baumhart farm on its namesake road as a place for Paul and his crew to create a lot of stumps.

But that's exactly where the story below takes place. The article about about the logging operations of a South Amherst timber firm called Parker and Bechstein appeared in the Lorain Journal on May 20, 1938. It's an interesting, behind-the-scenes look at how the firm does a great business cutting its hickory and oak right in Lorain County – on the Baumhart farm.

Grand Opening of Tower Drive-in – May 20, 1950

Drive-in movie theaters have been a favorite topic on this blog. 

I've written and posted photos of several that were located in Northern or Central Ohio: the Starview Drive-in on US 20 in Norwalk: the Carlisle Drive-in south of Elyria (on what used to be US 20); Sandusky Drive-in on US 6; Midway Auto Drive-in on US 42 near Mansfield; and the Madison Skyway Drive-in, on US 20 near Geneva.

(US 20 sure had a lot of drive-ins.)

Local drive-ins that I've written about include the Lorain Drive-in (the present location of Hold-It Self Storage, where I rent a small unit); the still-thriving Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theatre in North Ridgeville; and the Tower Drive-in, on what used to be State Route 57.

And 75 years ago today, the Tower Drive-in opened. Here's the Grand Opening ad that appeared in the Lorain Journal back on May 20, 1950.

The ad makes it sound pretty modern and nice. It notes, "A new advancement in sound engineering and speaker construction will bring you for the first time a tone quality and fidelity never before achieved in an Auto Theatre.

"A newly designed speaker post provides you with your own parking light. A small lamp concealed in the plastic top of the post casts a soft mellow glow to aid in replacing the speaker and a small white spot light up the base of the post for greater ease in parking.

"All ramps are scientifically designed for perfect visibility in any part of the theater."

"For the first time anywhere in the world you will see a screen image, of this tremendous size, three times more brilliant than before."

Here's an ad for the theatre that ran a few days later.

May 26, 1950 Journal ad

By June, Tower Drive-in movie ads had adopted the flower logo that would adorn its ads for decades.

June 2, 1950 Journal ad

A summer 1974 ad

Baumhart Dairy Farm

As a follow-up to Friday's post...

Having only lived in Vermilion since 2018, I'm still learning about the history of the city. I've written a few posts (mainly about Colonel Henry Brown) that included some history about the Baumhart family that had a farm where the Ford Motor Company plant was built in the late 1950s.

But I had no idea that there was a Baumhart farm, specifically a dairy farm, that was located west of Vermilion.

Rich Tarrant's great Vermilion Views website has some mentions of the "very productive dairy farm on the west side of the village" and the Baumhart family members connected with it. But I still wasn't sure where it was located.

Fortunately, I was able to located the Baumhart name on a few vintage township maps. Here's a portion of the 1974 map. The Baumhart name is listed under the (29).

And here's the same area, circa 1896.

And here's the same area today, courtesy of Google Maps.

When I overlay the last two maps, it looks like the Baumhart dairy farm property was located roughly where you see a rail line splitting off from the more northerly line, connecting it to the other rail line. 

This is approximately near Dayton Court (by the Wayside Inn), east of Coen Road. This is all a rough guess on my part.

Anyway, the only mention of the Baumhart Dairy Farm that I could locate in the Lorain Journal online archives was a small article saying that it had been sold. Here's the blurb that ran in the paper on March 7, 1927.