• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Advertising in the past

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
mikejee said:
Caramac was only introduced in 1959, and there are not many papers in the archive that late
Click to expand...

Yes, the majority of newspapers cover time before 1959, but there are a few that cover much later. For example there is the Illustrated London News that carries much about Birmingham from 1960 upwards to 2003.
 
IMG_1586.jpg IMG_1587.jpg IMG_1588.jpg IMG_1589.jpg IMG_1590.jpg IMG_1591.jpg IMG_1592.jpg IMG_1593.jpg A few more cars from 1964.

Hilman Imp...Riley 4/Seventy two...Wolseley in 6/100...Vauxhall Cresta and Victor...Hilman Super Minx...Wolseley Hornet Mk.II.....and a few Jags.
 
IMG_1652.jpg


In 1860 the agent for Newcastle advertised the Absolute Perfection of Baker's Nonpareil Blacking, which was manufacture by Edward Baker & Sons, in Granville Street.

Their motto "It recommends itself" became a very familiar Birmingham and Black Country saying.

George Baker, who would become Lord Mayor of Birmingham, appears in the Old Newspaper thread, post 128. Where he has discharged 10 workmen for having overdrawn the wages to which they were entitled.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...t-150-years-ago-1867.47344/page-7#post-589299
 
With reference to the previous post (#375), my wife sometimes says that I'm "nonpareil". It means "having no match or equal" or "unrivalled". Dave.
 
Thanks oldMohawk - a boxer I'm interested in, Charley Norton, was an instructor at the BAI but I'm not sure where. Probably before it moved to John Bright Street. Love all the ads.
Does anyone have a picture of the Barber's Tea lady please? I'm sure there is a ghost sign of one but I can't remember where it is. Maybe Wittonso I'll have to go and have a look.
 
Lady P, There is a Barbers Tea thread on the Forum which might tell you.

However here is a picture of Little Miss Barber
Little Miss Barber.JPG
 
Thanks David,
That ad always fascinated me as a child. Don't know why. I wonder when the sign first appeared. I always though it was a bit strange!
 
Lady P This from Wikipedia. Apparently restricted to West Midlands

Little Miss Barber was an advertising character for a number of brands of tea, including Barber's, Orantips and Twinings, in the English West Midlands, several examples of which remain visible on ghost signs in the region.

The character was in use at least as early as 1945.
 
Lady P - I too am not sure what to make of the Berber Teas ad. Is the clothing suggesting a waitress? I know waitresses used to wear black and white uniforms in tea shops. But it's made to look like a child serving tea. Or is it? Viv.
 
I just thought of her as a young girl. I am sure I have also seen the dress with red stripes. She has one black shoe and one white shoe, Do you think she has another pair of shoes like that at home?
 
Bridlington must have had great appeal to Midlanders. My mum loved the place. Wonder if this was competition by the railways (Was NER a railway company ?). Viv.
 
Not certain Viv but I thought it was the LNER. Maybe the NER could be North Eastern Region as it's followed by Tourist Board. My friend went to live in Brid after we left school and I often went up to stay with her. Brilliant light up there and it gave me a love of the east coast.
 
395 prior posts, I am not going to wade through that lot! ;)
However the number 395 reminded me that the car number of the sole tramcar of the former Birmingham system, which still exists, is in fact car 395.
I remembered all those adverts carried by the trams which were quite distinctive some reflecting the traders in the areas that they usually ran.
Part 1.
The following list is that of national companies that had advertisements on the former Birmingham corporation tramcars:
Mars - Macleans (toothpaste) - Halls Wines - Whitbreads - Tizer - Dewars Whisky - Black & White whisky - Gileys Gin - Bovril - Kelloggs Cornflakes - Welgar Shredded Wheat - Jacobs Cream Crackers - Symingtons Coffee - Barbers Teas - St.Martins Chunky Marmalade - Keillers Dundee Marmalade - Crosse & Blackwell - Pears Soaps - Invicta Underwear - Swan Vestas - Dreft - Spillers Shapes - 3-in-1 oil - Say CWS and Save - Littlewoods - Vernons - Picture Post - Everybodys - Ediswan - Beechams Pills - Oakeys (emery cloths and glass papers)

Some of these names are still well known today but many have vanished. E&OE. ;)

Part 2 will be some names which I believe were solely applicable to Birmingham.
 
Part 2.
Caves (furnishers) - Typhoo Tea (although national was a B/Ham company) - Evening Despatch - E.R.Green, Kings Heath (ladies coats) - Bradshaws of Cregoe Street - E. Goodman, Sparkhill & Kings Heath (furnishers) - A.H. Field & Co., Kings Heath (Estate Agents) - Birmingham Mail - Birmingham Gazette - Izon, Aston (chemist) - Blacks, High Street, Aston - Birmingham Co-Operative Society Ltd. - Stratford & Midland, Sparkhill (furnishers) - Lou Bloom - Davenports - Evans & Kitchen (Austin cars) - Roadley for prams, Corporation Street - Stan Guest (furniture old and new) - Beacon for Ford - W.M. Taylor, Potter Hill, Aston (carpets and linoleum) - Davic Carr & Sons, Moseley (upholsterers) - G.R. Bailey, Kings Heath (bakers and confectioners) - Wards Pork Cambridge Sausages - S. Thornley Ltd., (varnishes, motor oils and spirits) - Mists Garage (taxis etc.) - Zissman, 28, Snow Hill (hats and capes) -Pond Tools.
* not sure about Pond Tools, whether local or national.
I hope one or two memories are jogged as the names are read. Maybe some Members were customers of these local companies.
 
IMG_1813.jpg
Vivienne14 said:
Bridlington must have had great appeal to Midlanders. My mum loved the place. Wonder if this was competition by the railways (Was NER a railway company ?). Viv.
Click to expand...

There are quite a few adverts by the railway companies for holiday travel. Here is one from 1939....Through the Trossachs.
 
Interesting that you could take your car on the LMS !!

For those who prefer cycling rather than the train here's some 1916 advice. Address is "Para Mills". Was this pre-Fort Dunlop? Viv

image.jpeg
 
Viv, Dunlop's factory used to be at Aston Cross as in the advertisement and when they moved to Holly Lane they used to take all their workers on barges up the canal. The men were used to working just round the corner from home and now they had a canal journey before and after work. I wonder how much time this added to their working days? It would be interesting to find out if allowance was made for this.
 
Viv, I didn't see your cycle ad as our posts crossed. I remember Dad having a few things like that. Probably newer but they hadn't changed much. He did a lot of cycling and sometimes used to carry his golf clubs over his shoulder - I could never understand how he managed to balance with them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top