Classic Advertising...Retro Art

Roadhouse Antiques recently listed a great selection of vintage advertising...with some very cool die cut litho art. A lot of the pieces are from the early part of the 20th century and run up through the 1960s. This is the "golden age" of advertising to me. It's classic, it's creative, it's colorful, and it's cool. It's from the time before computers, when the art work was done by hand, the concepts were simpler, and the work was true art. Not to denigrate today's advertising because some of it is great...it's just different from the early stuff.
Check out some of the vintage advertising we have posted for sale and you'll find some really great art. Like "Dr Morse's Indian Root Pills," pure chicanery, quack medicine, but great advertising.
You have to appreciate some of the quack products, snake oil, and elixers sold in the past...one of my favorites was Hadacol. They finally took it off the market...probably because Hadacol was 12% alcohol...even teatotalers would take Hadacol with the recommended dosage a Tablespoon 4 times a day and some before retiring...it would likely take the edge off the day.
Advertising such as the litho on tin sign above would never be condoned today...not politically correct. It has young children smoking cigars...ain't gonna happen in today's hypercritical world. The sign is also embossed, which is an expense most advertisers wouldn't okay today.
Coca-Cola has some great vintage advertising...and, they do some great advertising today, but the medium is much different. In the early 20th century, most advertising was signage...and, it had to catch your attention to compel you to buy the product. Nothing subliminal, nothing repetitive, no pop-ups...just straight forward graphic advertisements.
Check out our recent postings to view some really cool early advertising art...whether it's Coke ads for your game room, food ads to decorate Mom's kitchen, tobacco oriented advertising "sins," or great lithography for the art of the ad, Roadhouse has some way cool stuff for spicing up your decor.
If you're looking for any thing in particular, let me know. I have some larger hand painted signs not posted on the site as well as some neon, advertising clocks, and other product advertising...let me know what you'd like to see.
What really revs me up is the "art" of the advertising...absolutely love it.
My degree in art specializing in graphic design, can help you understand my passion for early advertising art.
Keep looking for cool stuff...and enjoy your hunt.