Weird Universe Archive

December 2019

December 2, 2019

Follies of the Madmen #455

Imagining oneself swimming through filthy dishwater is not the turn-on the advertisers imagine it to be.



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 02, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Miniature People in Ads, Domestic, 1950s

December 1, 2019

An improved container for shoe polish

Carl Herold of Pittsburgh didn't think it made sense to sell shoe polish in tin containers, because the containers were so expensive that they added substantially to the cost of the shoe polish. So, back in 1872, he came up with a solution, which he patented: pack shoe polish in animal guts.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and convenient mode or means for packing the ordinary shoe-blacking of commerce, which is now almost universally put up in shallow tin boxes, which, being expensive, comparatively, greatly enhances the price of the blacking thus packed... My improvement consists in putting shoe-blacking upon the market packed in the guts of animals, which will add but a trifle to the cost of the blacking.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a package of blacking put up in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof...

The blacking is packed in suitable lengths of animal guts A, which are then firmly tied up at both ends, presenting the appearance of a sausage. Each package should be wrapped in paper to prevent the grease or oil upon the outer surface of the package from soiling the hands in handling it. The blacking thus packed will retain its moisture, and consequently remain in a proper plastic state for a great length of time. In this condition it may be sold by the pound, each purchaser or user providing himself with a small saucer or other shallow vessel into which to empty portions of the package from time to time for use.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 01, 2019 - Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Shoes, Nineteenth Century

Carved Meerschaum Pipes

I never knew that Meerschaum pipes came in so many carved varieties.



Sale site.



Foto source.

This model seems rarer.


Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 01, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Tobacco and Smoking, Carvings

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