Friday, May 1, 2015

Sterno for Sale

I have no idea why someone took a picture of a Sterno display window in the 1930's, nor do I know why someone would have saved it for the next 90 years, but I'm glad they did.


This is the history that fascinates me.  What would it have looked like to peer into the front window of a hardware store in the 1930's?  Here it is.  This history, not meant to be remembered, in my opinion is as important as the history we hold academic; normal day-to-day life, not presidents, wars or stock market fluctuations.  It's the history the majority of us live.

$300 in Cash Prizes, the sign in the window promises, but for some reason the cans boast $2,500 in prizes.  I wonder if the store was offering their own lesser prize.  I wonder who won.


Printed by Carna Studio Photo Finishing and given their Red-Seal.  I have no idea who they were nor does the internet.

4 comments:

  1. That is pretty cool. People back then took a lot of random photos. We have a ton of old pictures of caskets with bodies and flowers not to mention other oddball things. But this lights up your imagination wondering what the heck??

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    1. Photos of loved ones in repose were popular back then. Kind of creepy if you ask me, but I guess they wanted something to remember them by.

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  2. i agree that it's the pedestrian, mundane, workaday existence details that are just as fascinating as the big-history moments. maybe the shopkeeper was especially proud of this display, or maybe the winner took the photo to remember it : )

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    Replies
    1. That was a thought I had, that this was their store and they were particularly proud of the display. I actually bought a typewritten memoir at the same sale of one of a parent/grandparent who was born in 1900. I'll have to see if it mentions someone owning a store.

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