Brochure Beauties #5: Pacific Telephone Colorphones

This lovely brochure comes from Pacific Telephone, and advertises their line of extension colorphones. There’s no date on this one, but I think 1960s is a reasonable guess.

Pacific Telephone Colorphones brochure, 1960s

The front of the brochure features a delightful mid-century color palette that definitely predates the earth tones of the ’70s. Perhaps someone more versed in commercial artwork of the period can figure out a more precise date range?

Pacific Telephone Colorphones brochure, 1960s

Pacific’s full name at the time of this brochure was The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, by which they were known until 1983. That’s the year they moved from their parent company, AT&T, to one of the many new Baby Bells formed in the wake of the former company’s breakup, Pacific Telesis.

Pacific Telephone Colorphones brochure, 1960s

Today, the company once known as Pacific Telephone operates as the Pacific Bell Telephone Company, or PacBell. I doubt they offer products as wonderfully colorful or durable as the ones in this brochure.

Ads from the Open Road, Volume 3: Local News Edition

For this third installment of vintage billboard photos, I have a gallery of roadside advertisements for local news broadcasts. Just about all of these date from the 1970s and ’80s, and include ads for news broadcasts as well as local weather and sports teams.

All images courtesy Duke University’s Digital Collections site. Click for a larger version.

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

WLNE – New Bedford, Massachusetts – Providence, Rhode Island

local-news-billboard-wor-1983

WWOR – Secaucus, New Jersey

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

KPAZ – Phoenix, Arizona

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

WTLV – Jacksonville, Florida

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

KOOL – Phoenix, Arizona

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

News 12 (city unknown)

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

KPNX – Mesa/Phoenix, Arizona

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

KCOX – San Diego, California

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s

KTVK – Phoenix, Arizona

Vintage local news billboard, 1970s-1980s, Dan Milham weather

WDSU – New Orleans, Louisiana

Billboard Time Capsule — August 14, 1965

In Billboard Time Capsule, we journey through an old issue of Billboard to see what the most popular and advertised albums of the day were. Not through charts, but rather through advertisements. In each capsule you’ll see ads for classic songs and albums, both promoting new recordings and trumpeting ones that had already gained traction.

Enjoy!


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - The Beatles - "Help!"

The Beatles – “Help!”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Jody Miller - "Home of Brave"

Jody Miller – “Home of Brave”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - The Hollies - "I'm Alive"

The Hollies – “I’m Alive”




vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Barry McGuire - "Eve of Destruction"

Barry McGuire – “Eve of Destruction”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Donovan - "Colours"

Donovan – “Colours”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Connie Francis - "Roundabout"

Connie Francis – “Roundabout”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Columbia Records

Columbia Records



vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Sonny Bono - "Laugh At Me"

Sonny Bono – “Laugh At Me”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Skeeter Davis - "Sun Glasses"

Skeeter Davis – “Sun Glasses”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - The Great Scots - "Give Me Lovin'"

The Great Scots – “Give Me Lovin'”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - Rusty Draper - "You Can't Be True Dear"

Rusty Draper – “You Can’t Be True Dear”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - The Lovin' Spoonful - "Do You Believe in Magic?"

The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Do You Believe in Magic?”


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - "Must I Tell You So?" - The Liverpool Set

“Must I Tell You So?” – The Liverpool Set


vintage 1965 Billboard ad - "Heartaches by the Number" - Johnny Tillotson

Johnny Tillotson – “Heartaches by the Number”


For those who dig Spotify playlists, here is one that contains about half of these songs. I suspect the rest are either not permitted or may have just been lost to the mists of time…