HycoSpeed, on October 21st, 2012
 
In high school I had a friend who was the hobby guy. I imagine that most people have known a hobby guy–someone who has managed to start and semi-capably maintain a ridiculous number of hobbies. Well, this guy was into sailing, VW vans, snowboarding, and RC airplanes. Likely there were others as well that I am missing, but those are the ones that I remember. As one with an interest in flying, I had always found RC airplanes to be an intriguing way to fly without flying at a young age, but handing around him I quickly discovered that it was no cheaper than taking actual flying lessons, neither of which I could afford. Not without dumping all my available funds into that hobby, instead of into the sweet El Camino I was rolling around in.
In this ad from a 1960 Boys’ Life magazine, we see the BIG u-control B-25 model from Aurora. I don’t know if the model was designed to be remotely operated, or with a tether, but I do know that it was powered by twin .060 Tornado engines. And it was so aerodynamically perfect that it could fly on one engine!
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Mitchell (Wok-a-Chik-a)
HycoSpeed, on October 14th, 2012
 
Today’s bit of Boys’ Life magazine advertising hails from 1960, and is a example of educational salesmanship from Ford Motor Company. Clearly Ford buyers are a cut above the rest in smarts! The ad explains how one of Pascal’s Laws makes the superb stopping power of the hydraulic brakes of Ford cars possible. No word though, on the delay the company had in moving on from mechanical brakes. Water under the bridge I suppose.
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Blaise a Trail
HycoSpeed, on October 7th, 2012
 
When you think Harley, you undoubtedly think of their great line of scooters, like the Topper! Well, you are in luck today, as we have an ad from Boys’ Life magazine in late 1960 that highlights the ’61 models. Plus a bonus ad for the Topper specifically! There is the new Topper ‘H’ with its 50% increase in power–to 9 HP, and also mentioned is the lesser 5 HP ‘U’ model scooter, for those who aren’t up to handling everything that a 9 HP machine entails. So ‘get on the beam’, whatever that might mean, and take a look!
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Fun in the Sun in ’61
HycoSpeed, on September 23rd, 2012
 
This weeks look at technology from late 1950s and early 1960s Boys’ Life magazines is not advertising, but instead a fun little test that I came across. How are all of you on identifying early missile systems? Brush off those skills and take a look! Quick, before they ‘blast off for far-away places’ (and blow them up)!
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Pop Quiz, Hotshot
HycoSpeed, on September 16th, 2012
 
Not everybody is the rugged, outdoors type, even in the Boy Scouts–not that there is anything wrong with that. Perhaps your taste run more to building your own electronics, or even jewelry. Then this ad from a 1960 Boys’ Life magazine is for you! Here we have the Weller Expert Dual heat soldering gun, just the ticket for those projects you have been planning. As a bonus, check out the tag at the end for the free ‘Soldering Tips’ pamphlet, and the accepted self-address stamped envelope payment methods.
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Solder On
HycoSpeed, on September 9th, 2012
 
Good Sunday morning to everyone, and let’s take a look at what the Chipster has been up to lately! What’s that you say? You don’t remember the Chipster? Why, he is Chip Martin of course, intrepid college reporter for the Franklin Tech Daily News and semi-professional shill for the Bell Telephone System! He makes quite the frequent appearance in the ad space of the late 1950s/early 1960s Boys’ Life magazines we have been taking a look at these sleepy Sunday mornings. In this piece, he takes an in depth look at the latest hi-tech gadget coming out of the Bell Labs–the Princess phone.
Continue reading Boys’ Life: The Princess and the Pen
HycoSpeed, on August 26th, 2012
Welcome to Sunday morning here at Atomic Toasters, where we take a gander at a bit of vintage advertising from old Boys’ Life magazines. Today’s ad comes from outside of the usual time fame of my personal collection, it is a 1975 issue via Google Books, that seems timely. The US Postal Service wants you to learn history through stamp collecting, and they have chosen a few highlight events and people to showcase that. Pay special attention to the stamp in the middle!
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Triple Stamp a Double Stamp
HycoSpeed, on August 19th, 2012
 
Willy Ley, a German-American science writer, spaceflight advocate, and historian of science who helped popularize rocketry and spaceflight in both Germany and the United States, collaborated with the Monogram Model company in the 1950s to create a set of space vehicle models. Today’s ad from Boys’ Life magazine in 1960 highlights these sets. Each model included informational booklets on space travel written by Ley, and if you mailed a box end from a space model you could join up with the “Space Explorers”, complete with genuine membership card and an autographed photo of Mr. Ley himself.
Continue reading Boys Life: Space Explorers
HycoSpeed, on August 12th, 2012
 
Good morning! afternoon! Trying to travel and get posts up on time doesn’t always work out well for me. Apparently neither does having a small Case pen knife stashed unknowingly in the backback I decided to fly with, but I digress. Let’s take a look at a 1960 Boys’ Life magazine for the ultimate in mechanical assembly fun, the Erector set!
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Get an Erector
HycoSpeed, on August 5th, 2012
 
Gee Whiz! It’s the Midville Soap Box Derby Finals! What will happen? Who will win? What mysterious company is sponsoring this dramatic race? Check out this 1961 Boys’ Life ad and you will find the answers that you seek! But be sure to follow the rules and build carefully.
Continue reading Boys’ Life: Get on Your Soapbox
|
|
