Here's yet another selection of STUFF FROM THE BOX! I hope you enjoy today's goodies.
Let's start with this brass ring with a frowning bulldog's visage, and the words "DEVIL DOGS". This is a movie-related prize given out in 1935 with Quaker cereals - a tie-in with James Cagney's "Devil Dogs of the Pacific". It's the story of the U.S. Flying Marine Corps (which explains the feathered wings on the sides. The owner was able to have his or her initial engraved on the front, I guess this one is a "J"?
This next extra-fancy pin is undated, but I would not be surprised if it was from the 1930s, or even earlier; it was given to a 30-year employee, and it has a "genuine" diamond - for all I know, it really is a low-grade diamond; I own another employee badge with a diamond chip, and my mom immediately said, "That's a real diamond!" when she saw it. I choose to believe her. One website says The Bell Telephone Co. of Illinois was chartered in 1878; three years later, it became part of the Chicago Telephone Co. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Chicago Telephone was associated with the Bell network of American Telephone & Telegraph Co. (AT&T), the largest phone company in the United States.
I like this rather heavy brass badge with the white enamel star, celebrating the International Dairy Exposition! While I can't find much solid info, I believe that the Exposition was held in Indianapolis in 1949. Everyone dressed like cows. I hope.
In the early 1970s, my father and Grandpa took us to the L.A. Auto Show for several years in a row. It was quite a scene! My brother and I greedily collected every brochure and freebie we could get our hands on; we could often tell that the exhibitors were annoyed that kids with no money were taking their lavishly-printed books and brochures. "Tough bunnies!", as my dad might say. I still vividly remember a giant moving cutaway model of a Wankel engine. And my brother and I got to sit in a Rolls Royce that had a phone in it. Can you imagine? Both of the exhibitor pins below are from a few years later.
I associate Libby food products (later known as "Libby's) with frozen TV dinners (remember "Libby the Kid"?), and (I think) some kind of juice that was advertised with the song, "When it says Libby's Libby's Libby's on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your table table table...". This stickpin is probably from the early 20th century, though I'm surprised at the shoddily-applied paint - atypical of such items from that era. Perhaps somebody touched it up more recently.
And finally here's a Roy Rogers Deputy badge, given out by Post cereals in 1951. The bas-relief of Roy is a pretty good likeness! I'm not so sure about Trigger, however. On the back is a whistle for calling your friends during an emergency, as well as a mirror so that you can flash Morse Code messages to the authorities from across the canyon.
Stay tuned for more STUFF FROM THE BOX!