If you want to get a glimpse of life in the early 20th century, just look at advertisements from the era. These vintage ads were printed at a time before “Mad Men” and the Golden Age of Advertising, and often used hand-drawn illustrations, a focus on modernity, and patriotic sentiments to appeal to consumers. The following ads, which span over two decades from 1914 to 1939, are a telling depiction of life in America at the time. Oh, and they might make you want to buy Listerine toothpaste or Cracker Jacks, too.
1. Colgate Shaving Stick (1914)
2. Cracker Jack Baseball Cards (1915)
3. U.S. Navy (1915)
4. Montgomery Ward & Co. (1916)
5. Interwoven Socks (1920s)
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6. Comet Rice (1921)
7. Jell-O (1924)
8. Oreo (1924)
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9. Mystikum Parfum (1925)
10. Roosevelt Five-Passenger Sedan (1929)
11. Ivory Soap (1931)
12. Buick (1933)
13. Kenwood Mills (1939)
14. Gary Cooper in ‘Beau Geste’ (1939)
15. Listerine Toothpaste (1939)
More ad content:
- 17 Ads That Reveal the Quirks of the 1950s — These ads from the 1950s clue us in to the products that captured Americans’ interests during the decade.
- 16 Retro Ads That Reveal ’60s Pop Culture — Discover some of the most eye-catching ads we found from the 1960s.
- 17 Retro Ads That Show What Was Cool in the 1970s — These 17 vintage ads from the ’70s not only promoted everyday items, but also mirrored societal trends and aesthetics of the time.
