Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Florida

20 Beautiful Vintage Airline Travel Posters

In addition to their primary purpose in drumming up business for their company, airline travel posters of course wanted to get you in the mood to visit places all over the world. And without the benefit of a TV commercial, travel posters had to work overtime to help you paint a picture of exotic locales in your mind. Here are 20 such vintage travel posters that did their job exceptionally well, most dating from the 1950s and ’60s.

And if I may be allowed a shameless plug — which I am — I should tell you that some of these images are available as beautiful custom apparel and other products on my Zazzle shop. Why not go there now? Just click on The Hangar for all airline-related goods.

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Switzerland

TWA – Switzerland

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Florida

TWA – Florida

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Pan Am - Japan

Pan Am – Japan

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Western Airlines - New York

Western Airlines – New York

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / BOAC - Africa

BOAC – Africa

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Pacific Western Airlines - Canada

Pacific Western Airlines – Canada

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Capital Airlines - Nassau, Bahamas

Capital Airlines – Nassau, Bahamas

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / American Airlines - Arizona

American Airlines – Arizona

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Western Airlines - Las Vegas

Western Airlines – Las Vegas

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / American Airlines - San Francisco

American Airlines – San Francisco

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Qantas - India

Qantas – India

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / American Airlines - Detroit

American Airlines – Detroit

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / American Airlines - Mexico

American Airlines – Mexico

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Northwest Orient Airlines - Alaska

Northwest Orient Airlines – Alaska

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / United Airlines - Seattle

United Airlines – Seattle

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Portugal

TWA – Portugal

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / United Airlines - Southern California

United Airlines – Southern California

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / Continental Airlines - New York

Continental Airlines – New York

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Las Vegas

TWA – Las Vegas

Vintage Airline Travel Poster / TWA - Egypt

TWA – Egypt

Vintage CompuServe advertisements of the '80s and '90s

Vintage CompuServe Ad Gallery (1980s – 1990s)

Vintage CompuServe advertisements of the '80s and '90s

During the 1980s, CompuServe was the undisputed king of online communities. Founded in 1969 as  Compu-Serv Network, Inc., the company got its start providing in-house computer processing support for Golden United Life Insurance, as well as by selling mainframe time-sharing.  This of course was in the days when both computers were very big and very costly to own.

Fast forward to the ’80s, and CompuServe — owned then by H&R Block — began to experience tremendous growth. Their subscriber base jumped from 3,600 in 1980 to 60,000 by early 1984.  By 1993 the service had more than 1.5 million subscribers, 90,000 of whom were in Europe. But the rise of competing services such as America Online and Prodigy ultimately spelled doom for this pioneer. AOL essentially bought CompuServe (although the deal was more complicated than that) in September 1997, and shut it down for all intents and purposes in July 2009.

In remembrance of the once-great company, here is a gallery of CompuServe ads spanning the from the company’s 1980s heyday to its acquisition in the late 1990s. Most of these were sourced from the wonderful Google Books library unless otherwise noted.

1981

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1981)

(via gsbrown.org)

1982

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1982)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1982)

(via gsbrown.org)

1983

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1983)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1983)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1983)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1983)

(via Interweb3000)

1984

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1984)

(via gsbrown.org)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1984)

1985

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1985)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1985)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1985)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1985)

1986

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1986)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1986)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1986)

1987

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1987)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1987)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1987)

1988

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1988)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1988)

1989

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1989)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1989)

1990

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1990)

1992

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1992)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1992)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1992)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1992)

1993

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1993) Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1993)

1994

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1994)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1994)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1994)

1995

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1995)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1995)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1995)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1995)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1995)

1996

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1996)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1996)

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1996)

1997

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1997)

1998

Vintage CompuServe advertisement (1998)

For more classic ad galleries, click here.

1973-74 United States Oil Shortage Crisis

Photo Gallery: 1973-74 United States Oil Shortage Crisis, Vol. 1

Ask anyone who was of driving age in the United States during the 1970s, and they likely remember well the two major oil shortage crises the country faced. The first oil shortage crisis, which lasted from October 1973 until March 1974, was set off when the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, or the OAPEC (consisting of the Arab members of OPEC, plus Egypt, Syria and Tunisia), proclaimed an oil embargo. This was reportedly in response to the U.S. supplying Israel with arms following the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

On October 16, 1973, OPEC announced a decision to raise the posted price of oil by 70%, to $5.11 a barrel. In the United States, the retail price of a gallon of gasoline rose from a national average of 38.5 cents in May 1973 to 55.1 cents in June 1974. President Richard M. Nixon requested gasoline stations to voluntarily not sell gasoline on Saturday nights or Sundays — 90% of owners complied, which resulted in the now-infamous gas lines on weekdays.

The following photo gallery captures scenes from the crisis. Color photos are courtesy the U.S. National Archive’s Documerica project; black and white press wire photos were scoured from the internet by me.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Happy Motoring – Seattle, WA, 2/16/74

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Portland, Oregon gas line, December 1973.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Lines of cars waited for gasoline today at a station at Mercer Street and Westlake Avenue North. – Seattle, WA, 2/12/74.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

On this day in February 1974, only cars with license plates ending in an even number could get gas. Portland, OR.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Gasoline rationing coupon, December 1973.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Portland Texaco station sign warning of reduced gas and station hours, June 1973.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

A New Jersey man fills his car with gas from his own backyard pump, 3/2/74.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Portland Chevron attendants on the day before the requested Saturday closures, 11/73.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

A motorist waiting for gas shook his fist as another motorist sneaked in line ahead of him in Chicago yesterday. 2/10/74.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

A businessman hitch-hikes in Beaverton, OR due to the gas shortage, 12/73.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Despite using a limousine as a screen and ducking low while service a regular customer yesterday, a New York City service-station operator soon was noticed by motorists, who then formed long lines waiting for gasoline. 1/1974.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

An “Out of Gas” sign affixed to a parked car outside a Shell service station, 12/1973.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

A Chevron station at 18131 Bothell Way N.E. was forced to limit its sales to 10 gallons a customer. 7/8/73.

1973-74 United States Oil Crisis

Father and son show a sign and a gun warning potential gas thieves away. 4/1974.

Vintage World's Fair postcard - New York (1939)

Vintage 20th Century World’s Fair Postcards (1900 – 1940)

Getting to a World’s Fair is definitely one of the items on my bucket list. But until I can attend one in person, I guess the next best thing will have to be to look at some vintage World’s Fair postcards. The selection I present here spans every officially sanctioned and recognized fair and exposition from the first half of the 20th century. Due to the outbreak of World War II, there were no fairs held between 1941 and 1957. The next part of this overview (to be published later) will pick up with Expo 58 and run through Expo ’98.

Exposition Universelle (Paris, 1900)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Paris (1900)

Petit Palais

(via)

Pan-American Exposition (Buffalo, 1901)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Buffalo (1901)

The Stadium

Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis, 1904)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - St. Louis (1904)

Varied Industries Building

(via Brenda)

Liège International (Belgium, 1905)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Liège (1905)

The Munich Building

(via alanp_photo)

Milan International (1906)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Milan (1906)

Irish International Exhibition (Dublin, 1907)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Dublin (1907)

(via)

Jamestown Exposition (Norfolk, 1907)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Jamestown Exposition (1907)

History and Historic Arts. Auditorium. Education and Social Economy Building.

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (Seattle, 1909)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition (1909)

United States Government and Hawaiian Building

 Brussels International 1910

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Brussels (1910)

Visit from the King and Queen of Belgium

Turin International (1911)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Turin (1911)

Monumental Bridge and the Pavilion of Paris

(via)

Exposition Universelle et Internationale (Ghent, 1913)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Ghent (1913)

La Section Française‎ (The French Section)

Panama–Pacific International Exposition (San Francisco, 1915)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - San Francisco (1915)

Great South Gardens

(via)

Panama–California Exposition (San Diego, 1915)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - San Diego (1915)

Downtown Plaza and U.S. Grant Hotel

(via)

Independence Centenary International Exposition (Rio de Janeiro, 1922-23)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Rio de Janeiro (1922)

Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 (Seville, Spain)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Seville (1929)

Mexican Pavilion

1929 Barcelona International Exposition

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Barcelona (1929)

Exposition of 1930 (Liège)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Liège (1930)

Entrance Doors, North Sector

International Colonial Exposition, Maritime and Flemish Art (Antwerp, 1930)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Antwerp (1930)

Pavilion of the French Colonies

A Century of Progress International Exposition (Chicago, 1933-34)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Chicago (1933/34)

General Motors Building

Brussels International Exposition (1935)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Brussels (1935)

International Exposition Dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life (Paris, 1937)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Paris (1937)

1939 New York World’s Fair

Vintage World's Fair postcard - New York (1939)

The 14-Ton Giant Underwood Master (Typewriter) Operating Daily

(via)

1939 International Exposition (Liège)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - Liège (1939)

The Palace of Germany

(via)

Golden Gate International Exposition (San Francisco, 1939-40)

Vintage World's Fair postcard - San Francisco (1939/40)

Night View of Treasure Island, Magic City of Golden Gate International Exposition on San Francisco Bay

(via Shook Photos)
Mr. Potato Head and the Picnic Pals

Meet the Mr. Potato Head Toy Family

Mr. Potato Head and the Picnic Pals

The icon that was to be known as Mr. Potato head was born in the early 1950s when Brooklyn-born inventor George Lerner came up with the idea of inserting small, pronged body and face parts into fruits and vegetables to create a “funny face man” toy. After Lerner sold his idea to Hasbro — then known as Hassenfeld Bros. — Mr. Potato Head was officially introduced on May 1, 1952. The original toy kit cost $0.98 and contained plastic hands, feet, ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and eight felt pieces resembling facial hair.

By the mid 1960s, stricter government safety regulations meant that the plastic accessories could no longer easily puncture real food, so Hasbro introduced the all-plastic Mr. Potato Head in 1964. They also introduced a number of complementary characters, who all became part of the Mr. Potato Head family. Most of them have since been discontinued and have been forgotten, but I thought it was high time for a little family reunion.

So here are all the members of Mr. Potato Head’s strange, extended toy family of the ’50s and ’60s — Mrs. Potato Head, the Tooty Frooty Friends and the Picnic Pals — along with a few special sets. Sorry about the quality on some of these images. Good ones are not easy to come by.


Mrs. Potato Head (with car and trailer)

Mrs. Potato Head (with car and trailer)

Katie the Carrot

Katie the Carrot

(via Thomas Hawk)

Cooky the Cucumber

Cooky the Cucumber

(via Nidy)

Oscar the Orange

Oscar the Orange

Pete the Pepper

Pete the Pepper

(via Randy Regier)

The Picnic Pals (set)

The Picnic Pals

(via Tracy’s Toys)

Frenchy Fry w/Mr. Soda Pop Head

Frenchy Fry w/Mr. Soda Pop Head

(via Tracy’s Toys)

Frankie Frank w/Mr. Mustard Head

Frankie Frank w/Mr. Mustard Head

Willy Burger w/Mr. Ketchup Head

Willy Burger w/Mr. Ketchup Head

Dunkie Donut Head

Here’s an interesting limited edition item. This was released jointly by Hasbro and Dunkin’ Donuts in 1969.

Dunkie Donut Head

Assorted Mr. Potato Head Fruit & Vegetable Playsets

I’m including these playsets featuring assorted fruits and vegetables, even though they were not all named. In addition to some of the family members named above we’ve got an apple, onion, and lemon. Here are the sets for Mr. Potato Head on the Moon, on the Railroad, on the Farm, and in the Parade.

Mr. Potato Head on the Moon, on the Railroad, on the Farm, and in the Parade

Blank audio cassette tape (Maxell)

A Gallery of Vintage Blank Audio Cassette Tapes

It’s easy to get nostalgic for the days of vinyl records — it’s harder to muster up the same sentiment for audio cassettes. They didn’t sound as good and they could be a pain in the ass to deal with. About the only thing they had going for them was size. Still, seeing them does bring back memories of countless hours spent making mixtapes and recording old episodes of the Howard Stern Show from the radio (WXRK New York to be specific).

So whether you grew up with names like Maxell, BASF, and TDK as a part of your lives or not, you should get some enjoyment out of this gallery of blank audio cassette tapes — most of which are from the ’80s. Many of these specimens are brands and cassette lines that I used. All images are courtesy the excellent site tapedeck.org.

Blank audio cassette tape (Maxell)

Maxell

Blank audio cassette tape (Sanyo)

Sanyo

Blank audio cassette tape (Audio Magnetics)

Audio Magnetics

Blank audio cassette tape (Scotch)

Scotch

Blank audio cassette tape (Radio Shack)

Radio Shack

Blank audio cassette tape (Ampex)

Ampex

Blank audio cassette tape (JVC)

JVC

Blank audio cassette tape (BASF)

BASF

Blank audio cassette tape (TDK)

TDK

Blank audio cassette tape (Maxell)

Maxell

People found this post by searching for:

    "audio cassette"

The Evolution of Fast Food Logos: Top 10 Burger Chains Edition

I know I’m certainly not the first person on the internet to post a gallery showing the history of fast food logos. But I’ll be honest — a lot of the other ones I’ve seen have been half-hearted at best, completely lazy and misleading at worst. So here’s my attempt to remedy that. Here is my turn at a gallery showing the evolution of fast food logos, featuring the top ten largest chains in America (measured by number of locations in 2010).

Dates on some of these logos are estimated, as exact years are difficult to come by for some. If anyone has higher-resolution versions please let me know.

#1. McDonald’s (est. 1940)

The restaurant that became McDonald’s was started in 1937 in Monrovia, California by Patrick J. McDonald, and sold burgers and orange juice. In 1940 his sons Maurice and Richard (Mac and Dick) took it over, moved the building to San Bernadino, California, and renamed it as  McDonald’s Famous Barbecue.

McDonald's Famous Barbecue

McDonald’s Famous Barbecue logo (1940 – 1948)

Eventually the brothers figured out that their most profitable item was the hamburger, so they dropped BBQ from the menu, converted from a carhop stand into a self-service restaurant, and re-opened in December 1948 as just McDonald’s (alternately McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers). The tagline for McDonald’s during this period was “Buy ’em by the Bag.” Unfortunately not a lot of great images from this period are available, but this period photo shows the logo in action.

McDonald's Famous Hamburgers logo (1948 - 1953)

McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers logo (1948 – 1953)

It was in 1953 that McDonald’s started opening new restaurants with the franchising model. Since the emphasis for the franchise was on fast service (in addition to the food, of course), McDonald’s created the Speedee mascot. In 1955 the modern McDonald’s era began when Ray Kroc opened his first franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois. Note that while the arch motif is present at this point, it was not incorporated into the logo and was not a prominent part of the company’s advertising.

McDonald's Speedee logo (1953 - 1962)

McDonald’s Speedee logo (1953 – 1962)

McDonald's Speedee sign and logo (1953 - 1962)

McDonald’s logo (1953 – 1962)

The first version of the classic Golden Arches logo debuted in 1962, and represented the architecture of the early franchises. The roof sloped upward from the back and its side arches appeared to interlock when viewed from certain angles.

McDonald's logo (1962 - 1968)

McDonald’s logo (1962 – 1968)

McDonald's Filet Fish card, 1967

McDonald’s promotional card, 1967

By the late ’60s, McDonald’s was in the process of phasing the physical arches from its restaurant design, and so a similar change was made to the corporate logo. In 1968-69 the roof-line element was dropped, and the logo transformed into the one recognized the world over. There are some color variations to this logo, but the look is the same.

The main corporate variant featured a white word mark and a red background. Typically in advertising and packaging you could see either a black or white wordmark.

McDonald's logo (red background, white lettering)

McDonald’s logo (red background, white lettering)

McDonald's promotional breakfast mugs, c. 1970s

McDonald’s promotional breakfast mugs, c. 1970s

Of course, almost any color combination was possible. Witness this Big Mac bumper sticker from the 1970s, featuring the famous “twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun” slogan. The logo here is all red.

McDonald's Big Mac bumper sticker (1970s)

McDonald’s Big Mac bumper sticker (1970s)

Starting in the 1990s, McDonald’s rolled out several variations on the Golden Arches for use in its packaging and promotional materials, but the official corporate logo remained unchanged. That all changed in 2003 when the company undertook a drastic campaign to update its marketing and restaurant design. Enter the “I’m Lovin’ It” era.

McDonald's "i'm lovin' it" logo (2003 - 2006)

McDonald’s “i’m lovin’ it” logo (2003 – 2006)

Another variant of this logo, which also jettisoned the McDonald’s name, featured a more matte yellow Golden Arches.

While the “i’m lovin’ it” campaign is still around in one form or another, the phrase was dropped from the official logo in 2006. The replacement, and current, logo trades on the pure brand recognition of the Golden Arches themselves.

McDonald's logo (2006 - present)

McDonald’s logo (2006 – present)

#2. Burger King (est. 1954)

The predecessor to what is now Burger King was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida, as Insta-Burger King. The original founders and owners, Keith J. Kramer and his wife’s uncle Matthew Burns, opened their first stores around a piece of equipment known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler oven proved so successful at cooking burgers, they required all of their franchises to carry the device.

Pre-1960 Specimens of the Burger King logo are hard to come by. Here’s an extract of one from an early ’60s ad, which as far as I can tell is the same typeface as the original.

Burger King wordmark logo (1954 - 1957)

Burger King wordmark logo (1954 – 1957)

From 1957 comes the first example of the Burger King character. Notice the “Insta” wordmark on his crown, linking him to the original restaurant. (image via Flick user roadsidequest)

Burger King logo (1957)

Burger King logo (1957)

At some point the “Insta” was taken off the king’s crown, and the logo was updated to reflect the prominence of the Whopper sandwich for the chain.  Here’s what just the mascot looks like, taken from a recent bit of retro packaging to celebrate the Whopper’s anniversary.

Burger King mascot (1957 - 1969)

Burger King mascot (1957 – 1969)

And here’s what the full logo looks like as seen in this 1966 print ad.

Burger King print ad (1966)

Burger King print ad (1966)

 

In 1969 BK introduced the famous “Bun Halves” logo, with a rather interesting typeface. This logo lasted for a quarter century.

Burger King logo (1969 - 1994)

Burger King logo (1969 – 1994)

The company updated the logo in 1994 by streamlining the typeface, but it was otherwise left intact.

Burger King logo (1994 - 1999)

Burger King logo (1994 – 1999)

Five years later Burger King updated their branding, and rolled out a fancy new logo. The current “blue crescent” logo was designed by the New York-based Sterling Group and made its official debut on July 1, 1999. I made my feelings on this change known several years ago. Hint: I don’t like it.

Burger King logo (1999 - present)

Burger King logo (1999 – present)

#3. Wendy’s (est. 1969)

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s has been fairly consistent with their branding over the decades. In fact, most of the elements in the chain’s logo were the same until 2013. The first logo already had the well-known Wendy’s wordmark and an illustration inspired by Thomas’s eight-year-old daughter, Melinda Lou “Wendy” Thomas.

Wendy's logo (1969 - 1970)

Wendy’s logo (1969 – 1970)

In 1970 the company slogan, “Quality Is Our Recipe,” was added to the portrait of Wendy, above her head.

Wendy's logo (1970 - 1976)

Wendy’s logo (1970 – 1976)

The first noticeable design change to the Wendy’s logo came in 1976. The drawing of Wendy was flattened and made to look less homemade, and the wordmark for “Old Fashioned Hamburgers” was streamlined somewhat. Additionally, the swirls became separated from the portrait.

Wendy's logo (1976 - 1978)

Wendy’s logo (1976 – 1978)

After just a few years the Wendy’s logo was modified again. A yellow background was added and the circular portrait frame became more oval-shaped.

Wendy's logo (1978 - 1983)

Wendy’s logo (1978 – 1983)

In early ’83, the logo elements were rearranged. Wendy moved to the top of a more square-shaped mark, and the colors for the two wordmark areas reversed. This is by far the company’s longest-lived brand variety at 30 years.

Wendy's logo (1983 - 2013)

Wendy’s logo (1983 – 2013)

In late 2012, Wendy’s introduced the first major change to their logo ever. It’s considerably less old-fashioned, although I’m still not sure if I like it. Wendy looks mostly the same but less like a little girl and more like an unfashionable teenager. I do already hate the lipstick wordmark. Nevertheless, the rollout of this new logo started in February/March 2013.

Wendy's logo (2013 - present)

Wendy’s logo (2013 – present)

#4. Dairy Queen (est. 1940)

Despite being best-known for their ice cream, Dairy Queen is actually one of the larger fast food chains around. The currently operate more than 5,600 stores worldwide. The first Dairy Queen logo was simply the company wordmark on a blue background. Signs at DQ locations also added an image of their signature soft-serve cone. Both can be seen in this 1956 print ad.

Dairy Queen ad (1956) with logo

Dairy Queen ad (1956)

In 1960 the iconic logo rolled out. It featured an updated wordmark on a red ovoid vaguely resembling a pair of lips. This logo remained in use through the rest of the 20th century.

Dairy Queen logo (1960 - 2001)

Dairy Queen logo (1960 – 2001)

After many years of being known colloquially as “DQ,” Dairy Queen changed its name to that in 2001 and issued an updated logo. The wordmark changed but that’s about it. (I believe the difference in shades of red is an artifact of my source files.)

Dairy Queen/DQ logo (2001 - 2006)

Dairy Queen/DQ logo (2001 – 2006)

Another update to the DQ logo was introduced in 2006. It sports a different typeface and italicized letters, as well as arced lines. The lines are meant to represent the chain’s main service offerings (orange to represent its hot foods and blue to represent its ice cream products).

Dairy Queen/DQ logo (2006 - present)

Dairy Queen/DQ logo (2006 – present)

#5. Arby’s (est. 1964)

Since Forrest and Leroy Raffel founded of Arby’s in Boardman, Ohio in 1964, the chain’s logo has had two prominent elements — the wordmark and a big ol’ hat. I couldn’t find any print versions of the first logo, which also featured the slogan “Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich Is Delicious,” but there are plenty of pictures of the sign bearing it. Many locations still use it today. Here’s a composite image featuring the neon sign in the daytime and all lit up at night.

(Technically, Arby’s is considered a quick-service sandwich chain rather than a fast-food burger chain. But I like the hat, so it goes on my list.)

Arby's sign logo (1964 - 1975)

Arby’s sign logo (1964 – 1975)

In 1975 the logo was streamlined to remove the slogan and turn the hat into a red outline. Simpler but less fun if you ask me.

Arby's logo (1975 - 2012)

Arby’s logo (1975 – 2012)

The latest Arby’s logo debuted in late 2012, and I covered it here. As updates go it’s not totally offensive, but they could have gone in an interesting new direction instead of just making it 3-D.

Arby's logo (2012 - present)

Arby’s logo (2012 – present)

#6. Sonic Drive-In (est. 1953)

Oklahoma City-based Sonic bills itself as “America’s Drive-In,” and indeed is one of the five largest fast food chains in the country. The chain was founded by Troy N. Smith, Sr. after he bought into a walk-up root beer stand called Top Hat. Sales skyrockets after Smith implemented the drive-in model, complete with carhops. The Sonic name was introduced in 1959, and was chosen because it turned out Top Hat — whose slogan was “Service with the Speed of Sound” — was already trademarked.

Here is the first Sonic logo on a neon sign, which is the best way to see these things anyway.

Sonic Drive-In neon sign with original logo

Sonic Drive-In neon sign with original logo

From 1963, here’s a print version of the logo from a piece of food packaging. Not only does it list some of the states Sonic had spread to, but sports a fantastic vintage graphic of a satisfied customer holding a bag of steaming hamburgers. Notice the motion lines on the Sonic wordmark.

Sonic Drive-In logo (1963)

Sonic Drive-In logo (1963)

Here’s an isolated wordmark logo with the “Happy Eating’ tagline.

Sonic Drive-In logo (1974)

Sonic Drive-In logo (1974)

The current, Googie-inspired Sonic logo debuted in 1998, and has been in use since then.

Sonic Drive-In logo (1998 - present)

Sonic Drive-In logo (1998 – present)

#7. Jack in the Box (est. 1951)

Jack in the Box, founded by Robert O. Peterson, was and is still headquartered in San Diego, California. The first location was a converted Oscar’s, Peterson’s previous burger chain. Since the chain had developed a circus motif complete with a clown, the new drive-through focused operation was named Jack in the Box.

For several years through the 1950s and ’60s, Jack in the Box locations featured a number of different logos — all a variation on the basic design of a clown head popping out of a colorful box. If there was a single, unified corporate logo for the chain during this period I couldn’t find it. What I could find were some excellent vintage photos of various Jack in the Box locations. First two photos via Modern San Diego, third via Oak Cliff Yesterday.

Jack in the Box burger location (designed by Russell Forester) circa 1951

circa 1951

The logo on this next one is what I believe to be the one used by Jack in the Box in the ’50s and ’60s.

Jack in the Box burger location, circa 1956

circa 1956

Jack in the Box burger location, circa 1968

circa 1968 (photo by Della Cirillo)

Here’s another variation on the clown look, but with the same typeface.

Jack in the Box promo logo, 1971

circa 1971

In the early ’70s the logo was cleaned up and modernized somewhat. A white wordmark with a new typeface was placed on a red square with rounded corners. Here’s an example taken from a take-out bag from the 1972/73 period.

Jack in the Box logo, early 1970s

circa early 1970s

The next update came about in 1978 and it (temporarily) brought back the clown head, albeit in a stylized form. The “Hamburgers” portion of the wordmark was removed, and the faceless clown sported a hat and three round balls. These presumably were a visual representation of puffy, frilled clown collar.

Jack in the Box logo (1978 - 1980)

Jack in the Box logo (1978 – 1980)

After the short-lived geometric clown design, the next Jack in the Box logo was rolled out in 1980. It most closely resembled the early ’70s variety, but with a more rounded typeface and a tilted red box. Some locations still feature this logo design.

Jack in the Box logo (1980 - 1985, 1986 - 2009)

Jack in the Box logo (1980 – 1985, 1986 – 2009)

And now we get to a strange period in the chain’s history. In 1985 Ralston Purina, who bought Jack in the Box in 1968, completely re-branded the chain. They got a new name — Monterey Jack’s — and of course a new logo. What they didn’t get was new customers, and so the change was reversed in 1986. Good specimens of the Monterey’s Jack’s are really hard to come by, so here’s a screenshot from a TV commercial.

Monterey Jack's (Jack in the Box) logo (1985 - 1986)

Monterey Jack’s (Jack in the Box) logo (1985 – 1986)

After a very public apology for the Monterey Jack’s fiasco, Jack in the Box brought their menu and logo back in 1986. The remained untouched for 23 years, until 2009. That’s when the current version was introduced. The typeface is much more modern (although the swoop in the “k” forming a smile is a nice throwback touch), and the plain red box is now 3-D and in your face.

Jack in the Box logo (2009 - present)

Jack in the Box logo (2009 – present)

#8. Hardee’s (est. 1960)

Hardee’s, which which mostly operates in the South and Midwest regions, was founded by Wilbur Hardee, who opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina on September 9, 1960. One of the chain’s signature food items early on was the Huskee hamburger.

One of the earliest Hardee’s logos featured a friendly looking chef cooking burgers on an old kettle grill while giving the universal seal of chef approval. Here’s a specimen pulled from a 1962 employee paper hat.

Hardee's logo (1962)

Hardee’s logo (1962)

The first major logo change came about in the early 1970s (I’ve seen varying accounts of the exact year). It was simplified into a stylized H composed of two vertically swooping orange halves with an orange dot in the middle. The Hardee’s wordmark changed from a script typeface to a sans serif one, and can be seen in a fully black or black outline variety. This is one of my favorite fast food logos ever.

Hardee's logo (circa early 1970s)

Hardee’s logo (circa early 1970s)

Here’s a great vintage photo of some Hardee’s product packaging showing the logo.

Hardee's packaging w/logo (1973)

circa 1973

The orange H was dropped from the logo in the late ’70s (I’m guessing ’78 or ’79, but perhaps earlier), and the wordmark was further stylized. This new logo was often depicted in orange on a blue or brown background. Here’s a sample from a storefront sign. This design lasted until 1999.

Hardee's logo (1970s - 1999)

Hardee’s logo (1970s – 1999)

After Hardee’s was bought out by Carl’s Jr. in 1999, they adopted their new parent company’s smiling star logo. The typeface was changed once again (to something resembling Courier), and the overall color scheme converted to bright red and yellow.

Hardee's logo (1999 - 2006)

Hardee’s logo (1999 – 2006)

In 2006, both Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. received a substantial “fancification.” The typeface converted to an embossed script, and the whole logo was given a bubbly red background. The Hardee’s version was also given the tagline “Charbroiled Thickburgers.”

Hardee's logo (2006 - present)

Hardee’s logo (2006 – present)

#9. Carl’s Jr. (est. 1941)

Speaking of the aforementioned Carl’s Jr., it was founded by Carl Karcher and his wife Margaret. The Karchers started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret’s purse. The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. On January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl’s Drive-In Barbecue, in Anaheim, California. The first Carl’s Jr. restaurants opened in 1956.

The Carl’s Jr. logo has always featured a star in one form or another. According to an old trademark application I found it was a plain star as early as 1945, was updated around 1954, and turned into the form you see here by no later than 1963.

Carl's Jr. logo (1956 - 1985)

Carl’s Jr. logo (1956 – 1985)

Here’s photo of the logo in usage at a Carl’s Jr. location in 1978. The tagline at this time was “Char-Broiled Hamburgers.”

Carl's Jr. sign logo (1978)

Carl’s Jr. sign logo (1978)

Here’s an interesting variant on the star, used to sell Mexican food through the new Taco de Carlos spinoff chain (launched 1972). The star is now holding a taco and wearing a sombrero. The concept never really took hold, and was gone by the early ’80s.

Taco de Carlos logo (1972)

Taco de Carlos logo (1972)

The next major logo redesign was introduced in 1985, and remained in place for more than 20 years. The star lost his burger and drink cup, and the Carl’s Jr. wordmark moved to a red Courier-type font.

Carl's Jr. logo (1985 - 2006)

Carl’s Jr. logo (1985 – 2006)

In 2006 the same update that Hardee’s received was given to Carl’s Jr. as well. That means a star with beveled edges, a script wordmark, and a bubbly red background.

Carl's Jr. logo (2006 - present)

Carl’s Jr. logo (2006 – present)

#10. Checkers/Rally’s (est. 1986/1985)

Checkers and Rally’s were founded within a year of each other and both focused much more on drive-through service than on in-house dining. The main difference was location — Rally’s served the Midwest and Checkers the Southeast.

As far as I can tell, there has only been one primary logo used by Checkers since their debut in 1986. It features a white wordmark on a red background, with BURGERS FRIES COLA on a yellow background. Both of these elements are separated by a horizontal, black-and-white checkerboard band.

Checkers logo (1986 - present)

Checkers logo (1986 – present)

The original Rally’s logo featured a smiling man wearing old-fashioned racing gear (scarf, cap, etc.) and holding a hamburger. Here’s a sample of the logo in the intended red, on a t-shirt.

Rally's Hamburgers logo (1985)

Rally’s Hamburgers logo (1985)

At some point in the chain’s history they used this next logo as well. It calls to mind a stop sign that’s been stretched horizontally, which is an odd look since you wouldn’t want to tell your customers to stop eating your food (even subliminally). If someone knows the dates for this logo’s usage I’d love to know.

Rally's Hamburgers logo (date unknown)

Rally’s Hamburgers logo (date unknown)

When Rally’s merged with Checkers in 1999, they adopted the Checkers logo design and changed their restaurant design to match Checkers’ as well.

Rally's logo (1999 - present)

Rally’s logo (1999 – present)

People found this post by searching for:

    "Hardees", "mcdonalds logo", "rallys", "fast food logos", "checkers", "hardees logo", "هارديز", "hardees restaurant"
The Roaring Twenties

Vintage Movie Title Camera Art

Back in the day, before fancy computers and gizmos and whatnot, title graphics in movies were painted by hand. By real human beings. And somehow they managed to look fantastic. So now I present to you a gallery featuring a host of vintage title art graphics, most of which date from the 1950s and ’60s.

(Click for a larger version.)

RKO Pictures (1929 - 1957) movie camera title art

RKO Pictures (1929 – 1957)

Warner Bros. (1948 - 1967) movie title camera art

Warner Bros. (1948 – 1967)

Cinerama (1960s) movie title camera art

Cinerama (1960s)

Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) vintage movie title camera art

Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)

Carousel (1956) vintage movie title camera art

Carousel (1956)

MGM "The End" movie title art (1950s)

MGM (1950s)

Desperate Journey (1942) camera title art

Desperate Journey (1942)

The Big Steal title camera art

The Big Steal (1949)

Universal-International "The End" (1960s)

Universal-International (1960s)

The Roaring Twenties (1939) vintage movie title camera art

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Warner Bros. "The End" (late 1950s) movie title camera art

Warner Bros. (late 1950s)

Twentieth Century Fox CinemaScope (c. 1950s) vintage camera title art

Twentieth Century Fox CinemaScope (c. 1950s)

The Searchers (1956) movie title camera art

The Searchers (1956)

20th Century Fox (c. 1960s) movie title camera art

20th Century Fox (c. 1960s)

20th Century Fox "The End" (c. 1950s) vintage movie title camera art

20th Century Fox (c. 1950s)

Crown International Pictures logo camera art

Crown International Pictures (1960s)

Technicolor/Panavision camera title art from Camelot (1967)

Technicolor/Panavision, from Camelot (1967)

Twentieth Century Fox CinemaScope "The End" (1960s) vintage movie title camera art

Twentieth Century Fox CinemaScope (1960s)

People found this post by searching for:

    "roaring twenties", "20th century fox", "the roaring 20s", "20th century fox cinemascope", "roaring 20s"
Retrotisements — 1970 Dodge New Car & Truck Lineup

Retrotisements — 1970 Dodge New Car & Truck Lineup

For my latest car advertisement capsule, I’ve gathered marketing material for the full line of new 1970 Dodge cars, wagons, vans, and trucks. You’ll see vintage print and TV ads for the Dart, Coronet, Polara, Monaco, Charger, Challenger, Super Bee, and more. If you like these great vintage advertisements, you could be Dodge Material!

(To see other car lineup advertisement galleries, click here. Got a request for other years and makes? Let me know in the Comments section.)

1970 Dodge Dart

The fourth-generation Dart was refreshed somewhat for 1970 and was available in three main trims. There was the basic four-door sedan, the two- and four-door Custom, and the two-door Swinger (available in base or 340 performance models). Owners of the Swinger 340, as well as other Dodge performance models, were invited to join the Dodge Scat Pack Club. For just $3 per year, members received a newsletter, a free performance parts catalog, and “Scat Packages” featuring performance Mopar parts.

In 1970, Dodge created a Scat Pack Club, complete with a newsletter. They also made the Direct Connection parts catalog available to members at no cost, and set up “Scat Packages” of Mopar parts. These included the Showboat (dressup kit), Read-Out (gauges), Kruncher (drag/strip), Bee-Liever (manifold, carb, cam, headers), and Top Eliminator (Six-Pack setup, electronic ignition, electric fuel pump, and cool can.) Club members received the catalog, wallet card, jacket patch, bumper sticker, 40-page guide to auto racing, the monthly Dodge Performance News, and the quarterly Dodge Scat News.

1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 ad 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger ad

1970 Dodge Dart Swinger ad

1970 Dodge Coronet

The Coronet, in its sixth year of production after a five-year break, remained Dodge’s lone mid-size model (it had been a full-size in the ’50s). It was available in a host of styles and trims, including the Deluxe (two-door coupe, four door sedan, and station wagon), 440 (two-door hardtop, four-door sedan, two-door coupe, and station wagon), 500 (two-door hardtop, convertible, four-door sedan, and station wagon), and R/T (two-door hardtop and convertible). There was also the Super Bee muscle car, which I’ll cover a little later.

1970 Dodge Coronet ad 1970 Dodge Coronet ad

1970 Dodge Polara

The Polara was Dodge’s entry-level full-size family car in 1970, as it had been since 1963. In its fourth generation, the Polara could be purchased as the base Special (two or four-door hardtop, convertible, four-door sedan, and two or three-seat wagon) or Custom (two or four-door hardtop and four-door sedan). 1970 was the last model year that you could buy a Polara convertible.

1970 Dodge Polara ad

1970 Dodge Polara ad

1970 Dodge Polara ad 1970 Dodge Polara ad

1970 Dodge Monaco

The Dodge Monaco for 1970 was the maker’s other full-size auto, and was marketed as a luxury car. It was available in the same styles as the Polara, minus the convertible.

1970 Dodge Monaco ad 1970 Dodge Monaco ad 1970 Dodge Monaco ad 1970 Dodge Monaco ad

1970 Dodge Charger

The second-generation Charger was in its third year of production in 1970. It was available in four trims — the base model, 500, R/T, and SE. Some Dodge promotional materials made reference to a race-ready Charger Daytona, which was built in 1969 but eventually scuttled for 1970 in favor of the Plymouth Superbird. Sales of the Charger plummeted in ’70 thanks in large part to the introduction of the Challenger.

1970 Dodge Charger ad 1970 Dodge Charger ad 1970 Dodge Charger ad

1970 Dodge Challenger

The brand-new Challenger (a sister car to the Plymouth Barracuda) was designed to compete against pony cars like the Camaro, Mustang, and Firebird, and was available in six styles, all two-door — the base hardtop, R/T hardtop, SE hardtop, convertible, R/T SE hardtop, and R/T convertible.

1970 Dodge Challenger ad 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A ad 1970 Dodge Challenger ad 1970 Dodge Challenger ad 1970 Dodge Challenger ad 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T ad 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T ad

1970 Dodge Challenger ad 1970 Dodge Challenger ad

1970 Dodge Super Bee

The Coronet-based Super Bee was in its third year of production in 1970, and was positioned as Dodge’s affordable sports car. Production was halved from nearly 30,000 units in 1969 to 15,506. The Super Bee was discontinued after the 1971 model year.

1970 Dodge Super Bee ad

1970 Dodge Trucks, Wagons & Vans

Not a whole lot to say here. Dodge had trucks, vans, station wagons, and even motor homes in 1970. You had the Sportsman and Tradesman vans, as well as the Adventurer and Sweptline trucks. There was also a limited edition Dude Sport Trim Package truck available.

One thing I did find curious was Dodge’s choice of spokesman for their truck line — Don Knotts.

1970 Dodge Station Wagons ad 1970 Dodge Tradesman van ad 1970 Travco Dodge motor home ad 1970 Dodge Sweptline Dude ad

1970 Dodge Sportsman/Tradesman van ad 1970 Dodge Sportsman van ad 1970 Dodge Tradesman Maxivan ad 1970 Dodge motor home and camper ad 1970 Dodge Adventurer Sportruck ad

(Most print ads sourced from Flickr, Old Car Advertisements, and the 1970 Hamtramck Registry.)

People found this post by searching for:

    "https://www grayflannelsuit net/blog/retrotisements-1970-dodge-new-car-lineup"