Stuff From the Box
We haven't explored the contents of THE BOX for six weeks or so - let's get back into it!
First up is this small enameled pin for Bosch Radios - presumably worn by a salesperson. Bosch is a German conglomerate. From Germany! I don't know when this pin was used, or anything else about it, to be honest. I think the device below "Bosch Radio" is supposed to be an old-fashioned microphone. Anyway, I like it because it harkens back to the days when radio was such an important part of people's lives.
Next is this tiny pin from Capitol Records. As a kid I have memories of watching my older brother's Beatles albums spinning around on the turntable, with the purple Capitol Records label; that combined with seeing the famous Capitol building in Hollywood made me fond of the company! Weird, I know. This pin is not much more than .5" in diameter; and like the Bosch pin, I don't really know too much about it.
I hope this photo didn't frighten you too much! There's nothing to be afraid of, Casper is a friendly ghost, after all. I never really loved Casper's cartoons, but I find his design to be very appealing.This plastic ring (dispensed from gum ball machines, I believe) is the cat's meow!
Another tchotchke that I enjoy is the humble tin-litho badge with the fold-over tab. This Foremost Tastemark Dairy example is particularly nice; it has a Pacific Northwest look, with the stylized totem pole, though I don't know why. Perhaps they had a factory in the Seattle area?
Howsabout this swell Special Counterspy Junior Agent badge? It's from 1949, from a radio program sponsored by Pepsi Cola. The portrait shows Agent David Harding, and apparently it once glowed in the dark, though it no longer does so. Notice that you could access a sliding panel in the back and add your own picture if you wanted.
Like so!
And finally, here's another plastic ring, this time from Wonder Bread. The squishiest bread of all! So soft, so pillowy, so apt to stick to the roof of your mouth. It was fortified with vitamins and minerals, too. I believe that the cartoon loaf of bread was known as Freddy the Fresh Loaf, but he might have changed his name to avoid The Mob.
STAY TUNED for more STUFF FROM THE BOX!