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The 1940s begins with America returning to affluence in the early 1940s and then after Pearl Harbor (1941) 4 years of War. This of course significantly affected advrtising. As the economy hifted to war proiduction, advertising as not as important as during an era of producing consumer goods. After the German and Japanese surrender (1945), the United States quickly returned to a peace-time economy and an exposion of advertising as the economy expanded. We have found a range of advertising from the 1940s. Knickers have obviously gone out of fashion. They show younger boys dressing up in Eton suits with actual Etoin collars. School scenes show most boys wearing long pants. "T"shits had become popular. Cun and Boy Scouts appear in a number if adverisements.
Print ads from the 1950s showed a lot of boys, generally up to about
ages 9/10 in shorts and often long-sleeved sweaters and knee socks. The quality of the art work varied quite a lot, from simple pen and ink or sketches to the well turned out photo-- such as the cigarette ad from 1946 which HBC has. I will link this image, as soon I can remember where it is.
Oneida has one of the most fascinatinng corporate hostories of any American conmpany. I remember Oneida best as a manufacturer of silverwear, but the early Oneida Community did much more. It was one og the ealy socialist comminities established in America during the early 19thu century. This advertisement for Community Silverplate was published in 1942 during World War II. It hardly looks like a World War II ad. Along with bride and groom are the flower girl and ring bearer. The ting beare wears a black suit with an Eton collar. The Eton collar had virtually disappeared in America by the 1940s, but younger boys for formal occassions might still wear them.
This ad for the Prudential Life Insurance Company appeared in a 1944 magazine. Insurance was one industry which was not affected by war-time shrtages. And workers in the booming war industries were now fully employed and able to afford life insurance. The image shows a father helping his son, a new Boy Scout, with his knot tying--a bowline knot. The ad copy stresses the relationshp between father and son. The Scout wants to know if his father was ever an Eagle Scout. The Scout is pictured in the new jniform. For years Scouts worn mostly knickers. The Boy Scout Association n 1942 discontinued knickers and gave Cubs and Scouts a choice of short or long pants. Prudential for the ad chose the short pants uniform, probably to emphasize the boy's youth and need for the security offered by life insurance. Ads with Cubs and Scouts were farly cmmon in the 1940s.
The Winchester Rifle is one of the most fmous brand names in America. The companies fire arms are associated with the Old West and American history. The winchester repeating rifle rivald the Colt 45 in the history of the West. The company roteinly sponsors advertisements in Scouting publication. Here is an advertisement from 1944 during World war II. Of course in 1944 there were not a lot of rifles being made for consumer sales. Presumably the company was looking forward to the end of the War.
Automobile manufacturers attempt to sell many cars as family cars and family status sysmbols, thus many car ads picture children. An ad for a Dodge in 1947 showed the car stopped by a school crossing full of children. This illustrated what American children were wearing to school in 1947, at least at the beginning of the school year when the weather was still nice. One boy wears a Cub Scout uniform. This was also when the new car models were unveiled for the coming year.
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