Doors for sale 1908 catalog

Here we have doors galore
from the 1908 Cussins & Fern catalog.



I think I owned houses using some of these styles.

Cussins and Fearn Door Hardware 1908

Here are some vintage door hardware from the 1908 catalog. I guess it was not vintage in 1908. So here is the latest and greatest door hardware fashions from 1908

Old Cussins and Fearn Catolog 1908

I have a 1908 Cussins and Fearn catalog which I am attempting to scan to my computer. The catalog is quite large and my scanner is quite slow.

Cussins and Fearn was a large hardware company that had stores through out Ohio and maybe other states. They also had a mail order division.

It looks as if they catered to the Farmer which makes a lot of sense in 1908.

Cussins and Fearn was in business well into the 1980's I believe. I am not sure when they closed or sold.

They were an early pioneer into the Discount Store business. They opened Discount Stores in Ohio and named them Buckeye Mart. By 1966 Gambles-Skogmo bought them and operated them as Gambles Buckeye Mart. When Gambles opened another Discount store division they merged them and were renamed Gambles Tempo Buckeye Mart

Gambles sold the Buckeye Marts to Fisher Big Wheel in 1978 and the stores became Fisher Tempo Buckeye Mart. Fisher's later renamed the stores to Fisher Big Wheel . Fisher closed their operation in the 90's ending the Cussins and Fearn lineage.

motion pictures ruined ladies hats

Wear one of these to a motion picture, you will become mighty unpopular with the folks who sit behind you.

My theory is ladies millinery got smaller as movies got popular.

Now if I was in Church, I would be happy to sit behind a gal that was sporting one of those hats. As long as you did not snore, the preacher would not know you were napping.

Now the truth is you would need two of those hats, one to s**t in, the other to cover it up.

Don't get Stout

Here it is, a rubber garment to prevent you from getting stout. are you getting too fleshy ? Wear this outfit it will prevent the accumulation of fleshy tissue and superfluous fat. Where was this garnent when I started to add fleshy tissue ?

Women bought for men way back when

Somewhere I read that women buy a large % of men's underwear and other clothes. This must have been true back in the 1900's. These ads are from literary magazine, filled with short stories. I would guess it had a mixed audience, but I bet it had more women readers. The ad on the left is for a fountain pen, that took water and made ink. It was called a fountain pencil. You put in a cartridge and added water. Never needs sharpening.
The union suit was made to your measurements and could be made for men and women. I am sure the weights he is holding were extra.
The suspenders were made by the Common Sense Suspender Company. What an original name.
Try that name today. Common Sense Discount Store. Common Sense Hamburger Joint. Common Sense Breweries.

Education mail order style

Learn to mount birds at home was a legitimate mail order program. My wife's father, Al Beale, took a similar course and received his taxidermist certificate. Somewhere we have a photo of a deer head he completed.
He never made a fortune, nor did he become a profession taxidermist. Most of the folks in Upper Michigan during the depression ate what they killed and did not want the head looking down on them as they had the rest for dinner. Who had money for such foolishness.
Now the other course looks like you need to go to Effingham, IL to take the course. Effingham use it in a sentence. That effinham was so salty.........

Magic Tricks and typewriters

A friend of mine's father was in the mail order magic business in the 50's and 60's. Not sure if they are still in business. These guys will sell you 150 tricks, their trick was to get your name and a catalog into your hands.

This typewriter must have been a good deal in this time period but in the ad it says all machines rebuilt as new. How much did a new one cost ? Those machines today would cost more than $25 to mail. They were heavy suckers. I am betting it's hard to find any kind of typewriter in use today. Yea I know there are a few holdouts that do not own a computer.
Of course this machine is usable when the power goes out.

Rates are higher today

This building is still being used as a hotel. It is not the Cumberland, but called Ameritna. Good old Google and street view on the map tab.
Back in 1907 you could get a room for 2.50 with a bath no less. Did not call for todays rates. The ad says new, modern and fireproof. Well it is not new today, it might be modern and it looks like it has been fireproof so far.
I wonder if they would send me a booklet.

Sexolgy or Whiskey

If you read my last blog you found in 1907 you could get a gallon of Whiskey for 3.20, but now you have to make a choice.
A book on Sexology for 2.00. Since it is illustrated, it might be worth the 2 bucks.
In 1907 if you made 5.00 a week you were average, so do you blow a weeks wages on Whiskey and a how to book.
Funny thing is stuff like this is being still sold today.

Sign Me up for a truckload

3.20 got you a gallon of Whiskey in 1907 and you did not need to leave the house. It comes in a plain brown box.
Bottled in Bond. Of course in 1907 the average guy was lucky to earn 5.00 a week. Average wage 22 cents an hour. I googled it.
Haynor is out of business but the bottles are collectible.
Read the history here.
http://www.troyhayner.org/distillery.htm

Found a nice source for old ads, going to try to do 3 or 4 a week.