A Century in Advertising - Part 7

A Century in Advertising - Part 7

My look at some of the advertisements and products of yesteryear. Some weird and whacky, some surprisingly still around today. Here are their stories.

1919 - Phonograph

The Edison Amberola DX internal horn phonograph was introduced in July, 1914 and only remained in production until December, 1914.  After that date, excess stock, as seen in the advert above, was flogged off to the public cheaply!

It was the last and best in a series of  Amberola "X" table top phonographs.  It is also the last belt-driven Amberola to be sold by Edison.  The Amberola DX was the only X Series model to have a Fireside spring motor.  Previous X Series Amberolas were fitted with noisy and underpowered GEM motors.

All Amberola X models were designed to play only 4-Minute plastic Blue Amberol cylinder records via a Diamond B reproducer.   The Diamond B bears down on the hard surface of the Blue Amberol records and it yields superior sound reproduction.

Even with a small internal horn, the Amberola DX sounds as loud as a phonograph with a large external morning glory horn and a smaller Model H saphire stylus reproducer.  The heavy floating weight allows the Diamond B reproducer to track well on out-of-round Blue Amberol records, so skipping and fluttering is usually not a problem.

Although the phonograph is called an "Amberola", the heavy Diamond B reproducer will destroy 4-Minute black wax Amberol records.

As a unique name for his new long-playing cylinders, Edison used the made-up word "Amberol" which derives from the expensive amber used at its core.

1920 - Baked Beans

Heinz Beanz were launched in 1901 as "Heinz Baked Beans" and were produced in the United States until 1928. In 1901, Heinz Baked Beans were first sold at the Fortnum & Mason department store in London.

After opening its first overseas office in London in 1896, the company opened its first UK factory in Peckham, south London, in 1905. This was followed by a second factory at Harlesden, north-west London in 1919. Production was started at a former munitions factory at Standish near Wigan in 1946. A new factory opened in Kitt Green, Wigan, in 1958.

Between 1941 and 1948, The Ministry of Food classified Heinz Baked Beans as an "essential food" as part of its wartime rationing system.

1921 - Massage Vibrators

Rachel Maines study “Vibration is Life!” Electromechanical Vibrators and Women Consumers, 1899-1930 has some interesting notes:

“Articles and textbooks on vibratory massage technique at the turn of this century praised the machine's versatility for treatment of nearly all diseases in both sexes, and its savings in the physician's time and labor, especially in gynecological massage.”

“In the first two decades of this century, the vibrator began to be marketed as a home appliance through advertising in such periodicals as Needlecraft, Home Needlework Journal, Modern Women, Hearst's, McClure's, Woman's Home Companion, and Modern Priscilla.  The device was marketed mainly to women as a health and relaxation aid, in ambiguous phrases such as "All the pleasures of youth ... will throb within you."”