When I was a kid, my Mom would get out this giant electric waxer for our sunroom flooor. Then, out came the can of wax. She pried off the lid and removed a big old glop for the electric waxer. As soon as she plugged the monster in we all fought for a chance to sit on top of it and go swirling around the floor. This was the early 50's version of an amusement ride in my house.

My favorite line of products has to be S C Johnson, a Family Co. Great ads and a great history. In 1886 Johnson was formed as a parquet flooring company by Samuel C Johnson. Trying to figure out how to care for their floors lead to the development of a specially formulated Prepared Paste Wax. Up to this point paste wax was evidently not in the local department store. Leave it up to the Johnsons to introduce the wax and then to innovate product after product for the consumer...read housewife.

Let's look at some of those ads:

First, an 1899 ad declaring that Johnson's makes hardwood floors and that their experience has taught them that Johnson's Prepared Wax is best for hardwood floors.

By 1905, the wax was also to be used on furniture, wood surfaces and floors. Further, it came with a handy mitt.

By 1916 the competition was starting to catch up and Johnson ran ads for its furntiure wax deeming it superior to liquid polish:

So many of our everyday products have interesting histories. One of the best ways to view the history of a company is through its advertising.

If you have a product you would like highlighted in this blog, just let me know! And if these pictures are too big, let me know that too, and I can post smaller ones.

Before we all started zooming around in our cars, we rode bikes.  According to the Bicycle Museum, in 1817 Baron von Drais invented a walking machine that you propelled by straddling and then pushing your feet against the ground. Thus rolling yourself and the machine forward. This machine became known as the Draisenne.

The Draisenne was just a fad and it wasn't until 1865 when a two-wheeled riding machine appeared. The pedals were applied directly to the front wheel and it became known as the velocipede or bone shaker. It too didn't last. It was about the late 1800's that the bicycle we recognize was manufactured. Several of these bike manufacturers went on to develop automobiles.

Here are some bicycle ads from the late 1800's. Pretty cool:

An 1896 Monarch (always used the Lion logo):

Also from 1896, the Crescent, Erie and Phoenix:

An 1899 Rambler:

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