1915
IT HAPPENED IN…1915
D. W. Griffith’s landmark motion picture,
The Birth of a Nation,
opened in Los Angeles.
The
Lusitania was sunk without warning by a German submarine
drowning 1,198 people.
American indignation over the sinking influenced U.S. entry into
World War I in 1917.
The Victor Talking Machine Company introduced the
Victrola phonograph.
Taxicabs appeared when automobile owners
discovered people would pay for rides.
The one millionth Model T rolled off the Ford
Motor Company’s assembly line December 10, 1915.
A new mile run record of 4:12:6 was set in
Cambridge, Massachusetts by Norman Taber.
The initial design of the hobbleskirt Coca-Cola
bottle was patented by Alexander Samuelson and assigned to the Root
Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana.
New soft drinks included Delaware Punch, and
several “cloudy” orange drinks.
Victor M. Earle of New York City received a patent
March 9, 1915 for the design used to create a 12 page
Hires Extracts booklet
featuring a children’s story and recipes.
Earle’s United States patent 1131494
describes his “story picture device” as follows:
This invention has for its subject to provide a story
picture device, for the amusement of children and others, which will be
of such a character as to successively represent different scenes,
appearing on parts of a folding leaf or sheet, in such a manner that a
story may be progressively told in pictures by folding or unfolding the
said leaf or sheet. The
folding picture section will preferably be used in connection with what
may be termed a permanent picture section, and to which permanent
picture section the scenes on the folding section will have a fitting
relation, although the folding leaf or sheet may also be used by itself,
to progressively tell a story in pictures, simply by folding up or
unfolding the same. The
story picture devices, comprising sheets of either of the different
forms just referred to, will preferably be bound together in the form of
a book of which these different sheets will constitute the leaves, each
leaf being intended to tell its own story; or a story may be
progressively told by the medium of several leaves each having folding
sections, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.
Instructions on the back of the Hires Extracts booklet explained how to read the verses and view the pictures.
(Figure
1915-01, Hires
Extracts booklet)
Hires' new advertising spokesman, the cartoonish, bug-eyed soda jerk,
was named “Josh Slinger” via a 1914 contest. Hires announced a
follow-up contest in 1915. (Note: the next two illustrations are
presented as split panels because of the full page size of the original
advertisements.)
(Figure 1915-02, Saturday Evening Post & Leslie’s, May 6, 1915)
(Figure 1915-03,
Saturday Evening Post,
May 15, 1915)
Once the 2015 sayings contest started, advertising
bearing Josh Slinger’s likeness began carrying his signature.
(Figure 1915-04, cardboard
hanger, 10.0” x 14.0”)
(Figure 1915-05, cardboard
sign, 14.0” x 17.75”)
This 4.625" x 6.125" advertisement was placed in three publications June 5, 1915.
(Figure
1915-06,
Saturday Evening Post,
Collier’s,
and National
Sunday)
(Figure 1915-07, tin serving tray, 13.25" diameter
The
Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey manufactured this “Crystoglas”
sign for Hires. The
trademarked Crystoglas process involved placing metal foil over reverse
embossed lettering, producing a three-dimensional, reflective metallic
look. The back is
cardboard.
(Figure 1915-08, Crystoglas
hanger, 6.0” x 9.0”)
(Figure 1915-09,
Collier’s,
June 26, 1915, and
Leslie’s, July 8, 1915)
(Figure 1915-10,
Leslie’s
July 15, 1915, and
Collier’s, July 17, 1915)
This 5.0" x 4.5" Charleston, South Carolina newspaper advertisement offered a dozen pints of either Hires Root Beer or Hires Ginger Ale for 90¢. A bottle deposit was also likely charged, given the grocer's mention of a "15¢ Rebate for MT Bottles."
(Figure 1915-10.5,
newspaper advertisement, Charleston, South Carolina)
(Figure 1915-11, paper poster,
8.0” x 20.0”)
These two Villeroy & Boch ceramic mugs have different style handles. The top portion of the first mug’s handle rises at a 45° angle, while the top portion of the second mug’s handle is almost flat.
(Figure 1915-12, Villeroy & Boch mug, 5.0” x 3.0”)
(Figure 1915-13, Villeroy & Boch mug, 5.0” x 2.75”)
Villeroy & Boch also manufactured ceramic coin
coasters/trays for Hires.
(Figure 1915-14, coin
coaster/tray, 4.0” diameter)
(Figure 1915-15, Villeroy &
Boch ceramic tankard, right side, 8.5” tall)
(Figure 1915-15, Villeroy &
Boch ceramic tankard, left side, 8.5” tall)
(Figure 1915-15, Villeroy &
Boch ceramic tankard, lid)
(Figure 1915-15, Villeroy &
Boch ceramic tankard, base)
(Figure 1915-16, Villeroy &
Boch ceramic serving bowl)
(Figure 1915-17, ceramic
saucer, 4.5” diameter)
(Figure 1915-18, label under glass syrup
bottle, courtesy of the Wong collection)
The H. D. Beach Company of Coshocton, Ohio manufactured this 20.0" x 28.0" embossed tin sign.
(Figure 1915-19, embossed tin sign, courtesy of the Wong collection)
This tin serving tray was also manufactured by the H.D. Beach Company of Coshocton, Ohio.
(Figure 1915-20, tin serving
tray, 13.0” diameter)
The
Swayze Advertising Company in Canton, Pennsylvania manufactured this
canvas sign.
(Figure 1915-21, canvas sign,
12.0” x 36.0”)
Sentenne & Green of New York City manufactured this
embossed tin sign.
(Figure 1915-22, embossed tin sign, courtesy of Mike Godown)
Philadelphia’s Excelsior Iron Sign Works made a
similar embossed tin sign for Hires.
(Figure 1915-23, embossed tin
sign, 8.0” x 14.0”)
This metal watch fob’s design is slightly different
than the one produced for Hires in 1910 (see Figure 1910-11).
(Figure 1915-24, watch fob)
This image shows two workers steadying a large backdrop while this photograph of a newly manufactured Hires mixer was being taken. Note the large grappling hook used to move the heavy machine. This machine combined and mixed the ingredients used to make Hires Root Beer syrup.
(Figure 1915-25, Hires mixer
while being manufactured)
And here's a larger, close-up image of the completed mixer. A handwritten description on the back of the photograph reads “Hires Mixer 12/2/15 – Order 6519 – Root Beer.”
(Figure 1915-25, completed Hires mixer)
In
late 1915 a decision was made to discontinue Josh Slinger’s two year run
as Hires’ advertising spokesman.
Hires’ staff was using up the remaining stock of pre-printed Josh
Slinger envelopes when this example was mailed September 25, 1916.
(Figure 1915-26, Josh Slinger
envelope)
These photographs of Charles Elmer Hires were taken circa 1915 when he
was 65 years of age.
(Figure 1915-27, Charles Elmer
Hires, circa 1915)