Jack & Marion's Skyscraper Sandwich

FRESSER'S FRATERNITY

When you have eaten a SKYSCRAPER SANDWICH of your own design, this heroic epicurian feat entitles you to the privilege and courtesy of being called a BIG FRESSER.

JACK & MARION'S

Builders and Designers of Skyscraper Sandwiches

AT COOLIDGE CORNER — BROOKLINE, MASS.

 
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Vintage Kitchen Stoves

Here are some postcards advertising kitchen ranges from early- to mid-twentieth century. The card above advertising the Quick Meal Range is circa 1909-10. This range was apparently made of iron with ornate embellishments.That looks like a coal bucket next to it. Both wood and coal were used for cooking at that time.

The next two postcards advertising "modern" Monarch ranges are probably from the early 1930s. No mention is made of the type of fuel used by these stoves. The first model looks like a modernized version of an old wood or coal burning stove. It was a "balanced design" incorporating "adequate equipment for heating and cooking."  and was available in either Ivory-Tan or Nile-Green porcelain enamel finish. The second model looks closer to the more modern ranges of the last 75 years. It had a practical "4-in-line" top, a large bake oven, a warming compartment, a light, and a timer clock. It was available in Ivory-Tan, Nile-Green, or White.

There were big changes in cooking stoves in the thirty years between 1910 and 1940, but not many obvious changes from 1940 until now.

Early electric stoves were unsatisfactory for several reasons. "By the 1930s, decreased cost of electric power and modernized styling of electric stoves had greatly increased their acceptance. Electric stoves and other household appliances were marketed by electrical utilities to build demand for electric power." (source: Wikipedia)

The 1940s Frigidaire models illustrated on the next two postcards don't look very different from today's stoves. The 1940 Frigidaire Special Model B-15 on the first Frigidaire card has features comparable to more expensive models — 5-Speed Surface Cooking, Twin Unit Oven, Thermizer well cooker, High-Speed Broiler,  and Cooking Top Lamp.

The 1953 Crosley electric range also still looks fairly modern. Crosley also manufactured automobiles, and the back panel reminds me of an auto dashboard. This range has two "Bake-Best" ovens, and "Automatic Mastermind," and Pushbutton controls for seven surface heat speeds.

Appliance company ads seem to emphasize electric ranges and appliances. When a gas range is shown, the ad is often promoting the use of gas rather than a specific brand of appliance. The ad below promoting modern gas ranges is from the December 1939 issue of The American Home magazine.(This image can be enlarge to an easy reading size)

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Oranges and Grapefruit from Florida

 

Here are two mid-1930s postcards advertising fancy fruit gift packages from Indian Rocks Fruits, Inc. and Rancho Margarita. Florida is a big citrus producing state, and the mid-1930s was a time when auto travel to Florida was increasing. Roadside shops sprang up along the highway where tourists could stop and buy fruit to eat and ship. 

The prices seem absurdly low now, especially considering that they included shipping. The largest size in a wooden crate was 90 pounds and cost only $7.50 from Rancho Margarita.

The Orange Blossom Groves postcard below is a circa 1950 example of one of the shops. The first Orange Blossom Groves location was opened in 1946, and the one in Clearwater was opened three years later. This is now closed, as are most of the old Florida tourist-oriented roadside citrus attractions.

The Orange Shop shown in the video below opened in 1936 and is still in business. Their current "free shipping specials" of approximately 27 pounds. cost over $70.

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Map: Minnesota State Fair Food

 

This is one of the new postcards I found at the Minnesota State Fair this year. There have been a lot of nice Minnesota State Fair postcards issued in the last ten years. This is surprising considering that few people send postcards today, and there are not many postcards available in the places where they once were common. There also were very few Minnesota State Fair postcards made between the end of the postcard craze of the early 20th century and the end of the 20th century.

I think the main reason that there are more State Fair postcards in recent years is that postcards now can be ordered in smaller quantities than in the past. Price is  probably another important reason. Postcards are cheap to manufacture and, even when sold at $1 each, they are much cheaper than most other souvenirs. 

Most of the recent Minnesota State Fair postcards don't show any publisher or printer information on the back. Below is the back used on the 2014/2015 postcards.

Pete's Cafe -- Boonville, Missouri

================= • =================

Pete's Air - Conditioned Cafe

314 MAIN STREET     -     BOONVILLE, MO.

Located on U. S. Highway 40 and

Missouri No. 5

Known for Good Food

================= • =================

 
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Parker's Restaurant -- Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Parker's Restaurant & Dining Room

Air Conditioned - U. S. Highway 301 - Air Conditioned

ROCKY MOUNT, N. CAR.

Famous for Courtesy and Good Food

Pay Attention to What You Eat

But More to Where you Eat It!

35 Years of Courteous Service

 
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Henry's Restaurant -- Charleston, South Carolina

======================================

Just as the Sword Gate in Charleston

sets the style in iron gate design

so also

"In Charleston It's Henry's" for fine food.

======================================

 
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Belmont Restaurant -- Denver

DENVER'S Celebrated

BELMONT RESTAURANT

and our CIRCLE BAR

the Talk of the Town, different from any other restaurant you have ever seen.

Food at its best, plus more than you expect.

17th and TREMONT

Opposite the Brown Palace

postmarked 1951.

 
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The Covered Wagon Restaurant -- Chicago

Covered Wagon Restaurant

 Michigan Ave. at Cermak Rd
CHICAGO, ILL.

Our murals depict the history of early Chicago. We are located in the heart of Chicago's famous "Automobile Row" and have plenty of parking space available.

Always Open

postmarked 1950

 
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Red Room Bar & Green Room Restaurant -- Milwaukee

• Fine domestic and imported liquors and the highest quality entertainment have made the 

RED ROOM BAR

popular with visitors from coast to coast.

The GREEN ROOM

is Milwaukee's most popular restaurant, serving breakfast, luncheon and dinner in a delightful atmosphere. Dinner music nightly.

 
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New York World's Fair: Sunshine Bakers

Those very merry midget Sunshine Bakers are shown building a good foundation for a business here with one ton of Krispy Crackers — America's No. 1 Cracker! These little bakers are drawing great crowds at the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company exhibit at the New York World's Fair, entertaining with a variety program of magic, singing, dancing and dramatic sketches. Don't miss 'em! Food North building.

CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1939-40 WORLD'S FAIRS
Look for more World's Fair Postcards on the Postcardy Blog on Fridays.
To view past World's Fair posts, click here or on the exposition label.

New York World's Fair: Mayflower Donuts

CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1939-40 WORLD'S FAIRS
Look for more World's Fair Postcards on the Postcardy Blog on Fridays.
To view past World's Fair posts, click here or on the exposition label.

New York World's Fair: Zucca's Restaurant

Zucca's Italian Garden was a popular restaurant located at 116-118-120 West 49th Street in New York's Midtown district. Rita Zucca, the Italian-American daughter of the restaurant's owner, became famous for broadcasting Axis propaganda from Italy to Allied troops in Italy and North Africa during World War II.

CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1939-40 WORLD'S FAIRS
Look for more World's Fair Postcards on the Postcardy Blog on Fridays.
To view past World's Fair posts, click here or on the exposition label.

GGIE: 1939 World's Fair Cake

1000 - Pound

California Fruit Cake

==================================================

A presentation to the Golden Gate International Exposition in honor of the Baking Industry. Made from California products only and from the same recipe as the cake sent from California to President and Mrs. Roosevelt each Christmas. The decorations, made entirely of sugar and certified pure food coloring took one year to make. The dimensions of the cake: 5 feet on the base, 3 feet high and 3 feet across on the top of the cake. 

==================================================

Designed, baked and decorated by

BILL BAKER

of the 

SOYA AND LIMA BEAN BAKERY

OJAI, CALIF.

Ask your grocer or send for

Soya or Lima Bean literature

 

CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1939-40 WORLD'S FAIRS
Look for more World's Fair Postcards on the Postcardy Blog on Fridays.
To view past World's Fair posts, click here or on the exposition label.

New York Hot Dog!

These are two "World's Fair Comics" postcards from the first New York World's Fair.

2014 is the 75th anniversary of the 1939 New York World's Fair, and July is National Hot Dog Month.

Fanny Farmer Candies

June is National Candy Month in the United States.

This is a linen advertising postcard for Fanny Farmer Candies, circa 1947.

Fanny Farmer was an American candy manufacturer and retailer. It was started in Rochester, New York in 1919 and was named in honor of culinary expert Fannie Farmer, who had died four years earlier. In 1992 the Archibald Candy Company acquired the brand (and its 200 retail stores in the northeastern United States) as a sister brand to its own Fannie May candies (sold primarily in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic United States). Alpine Confections purchased both brands in 2004 after Archibald filed for bankruptcy, and merged Fanny Farmer into Fannie May. (source: Wikipedia)

There are several variations of this same basic Fanny Farmer design with the same number in the bottom right corner (7B-H459). The main difference is the font style used for "Fanny Farmer." One variation doesn't have the seal on the candy box the boy is carrying. This design was also used for Laura Secord Candies, a Canadian company.

Mammy's Donut Waffle Shop

Your Trip to Atlantic City Is Not Complete

Without a Visit to

Mammy's

Famous Shops

Mammy's Restaurant was located in Atlantic City at Boardwalk and Pennsylvania Ave. at the entrance to Steeplechase Pier. Mammy's Restaurant was most famous for donuts and waffles. The boardwalk-facing window allowed people to see the mechanized production of donuts being fried and sugared and then served to patrons in the restaurant or offered as take out. The restaurant closed in the late 1970s. (source)

Today is National Doughnut Day which is celebrated on the first Friday of June each year. The Doughnut Day event was created by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the men and women who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. The doughnut (a.k.a. "donut") is an edible, torus-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. Many American doughnut stores offer free doughnuts on National Doughnut Day. (source: Wikipedia).

Riddle on a Stick

 

This is a postcard with a corndog riddle that I got at the Minnesota State Fair a few years ago. A corndog is a hot dog sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter, typically deep fried and served on a stick.  Corndogs are one of the oldest and most popular foods on a stick, but there are many other foods on a stick available at the state fair. A long list of Food on a Stick at the Minnesota State Fair is here, and a list of the 10 Most Unusual Foods on a Stick at the MN State Fair is here.

 I am posting this now because today is National Something on a Stick Day. Earlier this week, March 22 was National Corndog Day.

Swiss Choclolate & Anthem

This postcard advertises Cacao Suchard Soluble. It was sent from brother Adolf in Spiez, Switzerland to Eduard at St. Croix in 1903.

Philippe Suchard (9 October 1797 – 14 January 1884) was a Swiss chocolatier and industrialist. By the end of the 19th century, Suchard had become the largest chocolate producer (source: Wikipedia). According to a website on Swiss Chocolate History:

The years between 1890 and 1920 saw a real blossoming of the Swiss chocolate industry, coinciding with the golden age of Swiss tourism. Members of the top echelons of society throughout the world who spent their holidays in Switzerland came to know and appreciate Swiss chocolate, and took its reputation home with them. The initiative of Swiss chocolate producers conquered the world chocolate market between 1900 and 1918. Up to three quarters of Swiss chocolate was exported. Thus "little Switzerland" became a world power in chocolate. Of course, "Swiss chocolate" owed its global reputation not just to the quantities exported, but above all to its quality, which made it stand out above the great amount of chocolate produced in other countries.

The postcard has the words and music for Dem Vaterland. This was the former national anthem of Switzerland. It had semi-official status as the national anthem from the 1850s to 1961, when it was replaced by the Swiss Psalm. Its text was written in 1811 by Bernese philosophy professor Johann Rudolf Wyss. The tune of the anthem was the same as in God Save the King (1745), a tune which became widely adopted in Europe, first as the hymn of Denmark (1790), later also as that of Switzerland, and as that of the United States as My Country, 'Tis of Thee (1831) (source: Wikipedia).

These are the words in German and English:

Rufst du, mein Vaterland
Sieh uns mit Herz und Hand,
All dir geweiht
Heil dir, Helvetia!
Hast noch der Söhne ja,
Wie sie Sankt Jakob sah,
Freudvoll zum Streit!

When you call, my Fatherland,
see us, with hand and heart
all dedicated to you.
Hail unto you, Helvetia!
Who still hast such sons
as Saint Jacob saw them,
going to battle joyously!

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Ghirardelli's Cocoa

 

This postcard advertises Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. Ghirardelli Square is considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country. It  has a history that spans more than a century. It is now a specialty retail and dining complex, housing shops and restaurants and is located at the same site where the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, established by Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli, moved in 1893.

The postcard was sent via Air Mail to "Beth" from "Daddy" in 1967. I wonder whether any kids are still receiving postcards from their Daddys--or anyone. One thing is for sure, the postcards wouldn't be sent via Air Mail:

Air Mail as a distinct service was effectively ended within the United States on October 10, 1975, however, when all domestic intercity First Class mails began to be transported by air whenever practical and/or expeditious at the normal First Class rate. Domestic Air Mail as a separate class of service (and its rate structure) was formally eliminated by the successor to the Post Office Department, the United States Postal Service (USPS) on May 1, 1977. (source: Wikipedia)

The stamp on this postcard is the 6¢ red Eagle stamp issued on July 12, 1963. Today happens to be "Save the Eagles Day" as well as "National Bittersweet Chocolate Day."