Today the term “soda fountain” refers to the soft drink dispensers that appear in fastfood chains and convenience stores, dispensing Diet Coke, Orange Crush or Hires Root Beer. In the earliest days of the soda fountain, it had a very different meaning. Beginning in the latter part of the 19th century, a “soda fountain” was a counter within a pharmacy where the druggist would serve up carbonated soft drinks. He started by dispensing syrup from a large porcelain tureen-shaped container. He then added chilled soda water to a fill-line marked on the glass to complete a refreshing drink he then served to the customer. Some of these soft drinks were made with syrups that were meant to impart some medical benefit, perhaps to relieve dyspepsia, and others were meant simply to quench your thirst. In addition to drinks, the soda fountains served ice cream and perhaps a light meal.

The practice of drinking soda water became widespread in the 19th century as people tried to recreate the benefit the ancients believed they achieved by drinking and bathing in natural mineral waters. In 1778 Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman and English scientist Joseph Priestly invented a method by which they could carbonate water with carbon dioxide. Others improved upon their method, and in 1807 the first patent was granted to British inventor Henry Thompson. His creation was called soda water, despite the fact it did not contain any soda. The first U.S. patent for carbonation was granted to Simmons and Rundell from Charleston, South Carolina in 1810.

Soda fountain counters had their start in Europe, and were then brought to the U.S. in 1806 by a Yale chemistry professor, Benjamin Silliman. He bought the equipment to make soda water and began selling it to the public in New Haven, Connecticut. His sales were so great he built a bigger machine and took on three partners, making it possible to open soda fountains in NYC and Baltimore. Other entrepreneurs were also jumping onboard, opening fountains in NYC and Philadelphia.

In 1832 two men helped turn soda drinking into a major business when they began manufacturing soda fountains. They were John Matthews, a native of NYC, and John Lippincott of Philadelphia. They made improvements to the soda fountains, enabling the pharmacists to update their soda fountains with the latest equipment. Some of the other soda fountain manufacturers of the time were Alvin Puffer, Andrew Morse, Gustavus Dows and James Tufts. The four biggest and most successful of the soda fountain makers came together and formed the American Soda Fountain Company in 1891. They were Tuft’s Arctic Soda Fountain, A. D. Puffer and Sons of Boston, John Matthews of New York and Charles Lippincott of Philadelphia. Their intent was to create a monopoly of the soda fountain manufacturing business.

It was estimated in 1877, that New York customers in warm weather were consuming 200,000 glasses of soda water in a day. At an average of 7.5-cents a glass, this was earning druggists in NYC a total of $15,000 a day. Needless to say, soft drinks at soda fountains were becoming a very profitable business for pharmacy owners. The popularity of non-alcoholic beverages was steadily increasing, giving saloons their first competition.

To keep drink and ice cream cool before the days of electricity and refrigeration, natural ice was placed around the containers. The ice was harvested from lakes and ponds in the winter months, and then stored in icehouses to use throughout the year. It might seem strange to modern customers that soft drinks were also served and consumed as hot drinks. The July 10, 1897 edition of the “American Druggist” states the importance of a pharmacist having high-quality syrups available to mix with hot soda water, and not necessarily just in the colder days of the year (called “winter soda syrups”).

The early 1900’s saw more manufacturers entering the market with “iceless” fountains that used brine to cool their soda fountain drinks. Dominating the market that used this new cooling method were the L. A. Becker Company, the Liquid Carbonic Company and the Bishop & Babcock Company. There were soda fountain manufacturers that used what was called “50% fountains” during WWI. This system used both ice and mechanical refrigeration to cool the drinks. The early 1920’s saw the introduction of ammonia refrigeration for soda fountains.

The glory days of the soda fountain continued from the early 1900’s through the 1950’s. Most fountains were serving not only soft drinks, but also ice cream and meals and were known as THE place to gather with friends. Soda fountain popularity took a downturn in the late 50’s as people moved out of the cities into the suburbs and the with the rise of fast food and drive-thru restaurants.

There are vintage soda fountains that have survived, giving pharmacies bragging rights and still attracting visitors. An example of an original soda fountain still in use today is the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in South Pasadena, California (dating to 1915). Another example is the James Gallery and Soda Fountain in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It was opened as a general store in 1790 and the soda fountain was installed in 1896.

This little brochure contains paint chips of the Adaptall brand enamel.  It dates to 1933. These paints were intended for furniture, appliances and even the radiators, furnace and pipes. It was appropriate to use on wood, metal or plaster. There are also chips of waterproof varnish stains for furniture, floors and woodwork.

The illustrations show some great vintage home interiors. The kitchen is very quaint, with a storybook country cottage look and tiles linoleum floor. In the game room you can see an old cathedral-style radio on the table. Note the steam radiator units and old coal-burning furnace. You can even catch a glimpse of the room for storing coal off to the side. This gives you an idea of how much homes have changed over the years. If you’re looking to create a 1930s or 40s look in your home, you may like using these color chips as your color inspiration.

Waterproof Paint & Varnish Co.
Watertown, Massachusetts

Shown here is a 1950s Chromcraft brochure with sample chips of plastic laminates for dinette tabletops and plastic upholstery for the coordinating chairs. Very modern-looking, durable dinette sets were all the rage from the mid-1940s through the early 1960s. I recognize both the table and chair coverings that we had on our set when I was very young. Chromcraft dinettes were very practical and hardwearing, since the table and chair surfaces were plastic and the table and chair legs were steel. This type of furniture construction preceded the use of Formica and vinyl that came years later. Chromcraft sets were very well made and there are many that are still in use today.

The Chromcraft Corporation began as a subdivision of the American Fixture and Showcase Co. that was founded in 1908. Chromcraft was originally located in St. Louis, Missouri, but continued growth lead to a move to a new plant in Senatobia, Mississippi in 1962. They have been a very successful manufacturer of metal dining furniture, office chairs and barstools and are still in business today.

It’s interesting to see the colors and patterns that were so popular in 1950s America. Many of these are making a comeback as more people are favoring the retro look in their own homes. This Chromcraft brochure has been added to the Retro Planet PDF Library. If you’d like to view the color charts there, just click on the link.

The Formica Corporation was founded in 1913 by two men after they created an innovative new product to insulate electrical wiring. At the time of the discovery, both men worked at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, PA. Daniel O’Conor worked there as an engineer and Herbert Faber as a sales manager. They had created a new substance that was a type of laminate intended to encase electrical wiring. It was made from cloth that had been coated with resin. Just weeks after being paid the standard $1 by Westinghouse for their patent, they decided to venture out on their own.

The trademark name of Formica has an interesting story attached to it. Prior to Formica’s discovery, electrical wiring was insulated using mica, a naturally occurring mineral. This new laminate was a substitute insulator that could be used as an alternative “for mica”, so the inventors gave it the name “Formica”.

New applications for Formica were researched and developed and it was installed in diners on countertops and tables and on the walls of ocean liners and trains. Formica engineers developed a cigarette-proof surface that was used in the construction of Radio City Music Hall that opened in NYC in 1932. They also created wood-grain laminates that were used in the building of the ocean liner, The Queen Mary, which was completed in 1934. During WWII, the Formica Corporation manufactured airplane propellers that were made from plastic-impregnated wood, or “Pregwood”. Formica’s largest single order was from the US Government to make a bomb component called “burster tubes”. Of course Formica was also developed as laminated kitchen countertops in residential homes. Although the company was hugely successful before and during WWII, their most profitable time came during the postwar building boom. In the early 1950s, one in three newly constructed homes had Formica countertops.

In 1956 the Formica Corporation was purchased and became a subsidiary of American Cyanamid. In 1985 Shearson Lehman bought the Formica Corporation from American Cyanamid. Today the Formica Corporation offices are based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The brand is so well known today that people generally refer to all laminated countertops and furniture as “formica” whether or not they were actually the manufacturer. The brochure pictured shows the Sunrise collection designed by Raymond Loewy Associates for Formica in 1953. These appear to have been the lineup through to 1960, when the colors and patterns were updated again. It’s interesting to see what was in style then, and you may see some you recognize yourself. As the retro look is popular again today, so are some of these laminates. You can also download these images in the Retro Planet PDF Library . Look for the Formica Sunrise Brochure link.

The Coca-Cola Archives issued this document in 1976. It illustrates the different can styles used from the very first can design to the can design used beginning in 1970.

Coca-Cola was first introduced in cans in 1940. The original can design was a cone style can with a metal crown cap. Both 16- and 32-ounce cans were tested in the market from 1940 to 1942. But when WWII began, the shortage of materials made it necessary to put their testing on hold. Testing results up to this point indicated people didn’t like the taste of Coca-Cola in cans, as it gave it a metallic taste.

Postwar, cans were redesigned with a liner in the hope of producing a better tasting product. A new flat topped can with an improved liner was released in 1955 exclusively for distribution to the Armed Forces in the Pacific. This 12-ounce can was test marketed in New England and California in 1959 and was made available to the general public in 1960.

As you can see in the second photo, can designs continued to change throughout the 1960s and had a redesign again in 1970. In 1985 the Coca-Cola formula was changed and resulted in very negative reactions from the public. Later in 1985 the Coca-Cola Company returned to both the original formula and design used in the 1970s, with the word “Classic” added to the label.

This Formica brochure is from 1951, when postwar residential construction was booming. Total Formica Corporation sales in that year were almost two times what they had been during their most successful war years. Inside the brochure is a quaint little story called “Open Formica Inspection”. In the story Mother falls asleep while Dad takes the family out on their Sunday afternoon drive. She dreams of arriving at a model home and being told that Formica has been installed throughout the house. The dream guide describes what it is and how beautiful and durable it is. This is a great bit of advertising that you probably couldn’t get away with today. We’re a little too cynical to sit and read a story like this. But it is awfully quaint.

The brochure explains that there was a 16MM color movie available called “Living with Formica” that could have been sent away for to learn more about the virtues of Formica. And the back of the brochure has photos of a great bathroom renovation. With the installation of a Formica Vanitory and wall laminates, an outdated bathroom gets a clean, modern look. It truly is a modern-looking bathroom, resembling photos of new bathroom designs you can see today.

This brochure is also available as pdf files in the Retro Planet PDF Library.

Are you aware of the role the Coca-Cola Company played in forming the modern image of Santa Claus?

Whether you know him as Santa, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or Kris Kringle, the image that comes to mind upon hearing his name is that of a white-haired and bearded, jolly old man clothed in a red suit with white fur trim and shiny black boots. Having roots in European folklore and influenced by the life of the 4th century bishop, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus was originally depicted as an old man riding either a white horse, or a goat but always leaving gifts for good little children. He was dressed in a variety of colors or even all in fur. He was tall, or short, heavy or thin. Prior to Coke’s interpretation, illustrations of Santa were very varied. He was even sometimes depicted as an elf, which may have been a little frightening to children.

Santa’s look was modified and given a more modern, human look by the Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast in the late 19th century. But this rendition was of a somber, strict looking gentleman, rather than the jollier image we are familiar with today.  And in the 1920s the Coca-Cola Company did not stray far from this depiction when they placed their first Christmas ads in The Saturday Evening Post featuring a serious-looking fellow. This marked the beginning of a new campaign by Coca-Cola to inform people that Coke was not just a drink for warm weather, but rather was a drink for all seasons since “Thirst Knows No Season”.  These ads featured Santa as the prominent symbol for winter drinking Coca-Cola to serve as a reminder that Coke could be consumed year ‘round.

In 1931 the Coca-Cola Company decided they wanted a more “wholesome” depiction of Santa, and contracted the illustrator Haddon Sundblom to give Santa a makeover and develop a friendlier look for him. It is said Sundblom’s inspiration was the poem by Clement Clark Moore, “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (which has come to be known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas”).  Sundblom was inspired by Moore’s description of Santa as a jolly, “chubby and plump” fellow. What he developed was a tall, pleasantly plump, elderly gentleman with a kind face and a twinkle in his eye. His depiction in the ads that followed for the next 33 years is responsible for the notion of the warm, merry Santa Claus that people today share the world over. In Sundblom’s advertising illustrations that he created between 1931 and 1964, Santa is shown not only delivering toys, but also playing with them and the little children who have ventured out of bed to meet him. He’s shown checking his list—twice. And of course, drinking lots of cold Coca-Cola.

There is a rumor that Santa wears a red coat because that was the official color for Coca-Cola and some people believe erroneously that Santa was created by the Coca-Cola Company as a marketing tool. The color red is actually a carry-over from Santa’s origins as an incarnation of St. Nicholas, born in the year 282 who, as a bishop, would have worn a red cape.

We carry a retro metal Coca-Cola sign here at Retroplanet.com that is a reproduction of an ad with a Sundblom-inspired Santa on it ( shown above). We also have a large variety of other items that feature either Santa or Coca-Cola, including signs and many household items. Please take a look and stop by often, as we carry new products all the time.

The Bastian-Blessing Company was started by Charles Bastian and Lewis Blessing. They were employees of the Liquid Carbonic Company that had been founded by Jacob Baur in 1888. Liquid Carbonic had been the first midwestern company that produced liquefied carbon dioxide for making soft drinks. Bastian and Blessing left the Liquid Carbonic Company in 1908 and started their own company where they manufactured soda fountains.

The Bastian-Blessing corporate offices and factory were based in Chicago, Illinois. A second factory was located in Grand Haven, Michigan from 1910 until 1988. In addition, they had a showroom that was located in NYC. They started a new division called RegO in 1918 that manufactured gas-welding equipment. Today Bastian-Blessing operates under the RegO name. But in its heyday, Bastian-Blessing was not only one of the earliest manufacturers of soda fountains, but the finest.

The following photos are from a vintage 1940 company brochure featuring the “Superior Fountain” product line. These soda fountains were made of solid steel construction. They had completely mechanical refrigeration, eliminating brine and water baths that were used on earlier models to keep the ice cream and drinks cold. The brochure claimed these units were “sanitary” and were designed to help you “reap greater profits than ever before”. These soda fountains were also very beautiful.

The first brochure page we feature here shows an installment in the Rainbow Restaurant in Portland Oregon. The clean, wood finish of the soda fountain fits in very well with the Art Deco design of the Restaurant’s exterior. And note the Dole Junior soda dispenser on the counter. The next brochure page shows the Superior Fountain at S. H. Kress & Co. in San Antonio, Texas. The stools are covered in red Spanish leather and on the walls are scenes depicting historic San Antonio. There’s also an architectural drawing showing the floor plan and layout of the soda fountain.

The next two pages show samples of the marbles tops available for the soda fountain counters. The sleek, modern style of these fixtures is an art form of a bygone era.

Here are more styles available in wood or porcelain on steel. They vary from Art Deco, to Neoclassical to Native American and they are all striking.

The next two pages of the brochure illustrate the different backbar options for the soda fountains. With the mirrors and glass they make quite an overall statement.

Many shops with soda fountains today advertise as having an original Bastian-Blessing counter. It would be worth trying to find an example in your area. Brochure pages not shown in this blog are available in the RetroPlanet PDF Library. Please take a look at them and blog-in with your comments.

When the United States became involved in WWII, they brought Coca-Cola with them to Italy and North Africa. We at Retroplanet.com wanted to share a few vintage photos showing Coca-Cola sales and distribution in Italy and Cairo, Egypt, postwar.

This photo shows some of the Italian navy and a poster promoting the consumption of Coca-Cola. In American advertising, the Sprite Boy encouraged people to “Drink Coca-Cola”, “Have a Coke” or “Take Some Home Today”. But in the Italian advertising, Sprite Boy simply proclaims that Coke is “Ice Cold” or “Ghiacciata”.

Here we see Coca-Cola being delivered by boat in the canals of Venice. Note that the boat is emblazoned with the Coca-Cola logo and is being captained by a man in a corporate-looking suit. Looks as if Coke delivery was taken very seriously at that time!

Our next photo is of a long line of Coca-Cola delivery trucks lined up in front of the Arch of Constantine; in the background is the Roman Coliseum.

And at the Vatican…

Here we have a photo of a sidewalk café in Italy. “Bevete Coca-Cola”, or “Drink Coca-Cola” is repeated on panels on the outer walls of the café.

The following photo shows a serious-looking crowd in Cairo. Clearly they never heard “Have a Coke and a Smile!” This kiosk appears in front of a stadium and the two men out front are outfitted with stadium vendors loaded with cold bottles of Coke. Note that both the sign on the kiosk and the stadium vendors have Coca-Cola written in both English and Arabic.

And here is a great photo of a vintage Italian Coca-Cola delivery truck. “Bevete Coca-Cola Ghiacciata” most likely translates to the English equivalent of “Drink Ice-Cold Coca-Cola”.

And finally, this is a photo of men painting and assembling advertising posters for Coca-Cola. The signs feature the slogan “Bevete Coca-Cola Ghiacciata” and as we can see, they are all hand-painted. The poster with the woman and dog is the same one featured in our “Coca-Cola Slogans” blog. And the “Bevete Coca-Cola” button sign is almost exactly like the button sign we sell here at Retroplanet.com.

This is just a small number of the vintage Italian and Egyptian Coca-Cola photos we have scanned. Please visit the Retroplanet.com PDF Library-Vintage Vending Archives to view many more of the interesting photos.

I ran across pictures of this great old Coca-Cola neon sign and thermometer in a 1943 “Red Barrel” magazine. The sign was located in New York City at Columbus Circle on the roof of the American Circle Building. The sign overlooked the statue of Christopher Columbus, erected in 1892 in commemoration of his voyage to the Americas. The Trump International Hotel and Towers are now in the location where the sign once stood.

The original sign read’ “Drink Coca-Cola, The Pause That Refreshes”. It also posted “Tomorrow’s Weather”. It was made up of a half-mile of neon tubing and 3,000 incandescent lamps. All that and five miles of wire were contained in a sign that measured 80 feet wide x 55 feet high.

Because the first incarnation of the sign gave a weather forecast, it was changed during WWII so as not to give any information to the enemy, according to the article. The US Government considered this information to be a military secret, so the sign was changed to a giant thermometer with the tag line, “Thirst Knows No Season”.

The beautiful and much loved sign is now most likely gone forever. It was taken down on August 20, 1965 when the American Circle Building was to be replaced by the Gulf and Western Building, which in turn was replaced by the Trump International Hotel and Towers.