Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: Franklin Mutual Life Insurance Company

The Franklin Fire Insurance Company, featured in this September 1874 ad, was chartered in 1851 in nearby Franklin, Indiana, in Johnson County.  In 1871, the company reorganized and moved into Indianapolis, and eventually, in 1874,...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: Nik-O-Lok Toilet Lock Company

Ad Courtesy of Private Collection of Bradley Keen The Nik-O-Lok Company, which manufactures coin and token-operated toilet locks, was founded in Indianapolis in 1910 by Charles Van Cleave, a native of Crawfordsville, Indiana.  The company...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ads: 1910 Indy Christmas

Christmas ads of 1910 are all over the map. From milk to diamonds and well wishes from all forms of business… The L. E. Morrison & Co. was one of the many Washington Street businesses…...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: Cafes of Mass Ave

Who doesn’t miss this once prolific form of advertising? It seems at one time the Around the Corner Grille was in the same block where Black Market ad Indy Reads Books are today. One wonders...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Advert: Do You Ride One?

If you think “history repeats itself,” is just a hackneyed phrase, think again. Indy’s ‘star’ is on the rise when it comes to the bicycling community, and why not? Over 100 years ago, we may...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: School 23rd & Alabama

The year was 1924 and there was a college at 23rd  & Alabama Streets? How fascinating that this was what qualified a person to become a teacher and look at these disciplines.  My how times...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ads: Parquet, not a creamy spread

The warmer weather inevitably makes me grateful for wood floors–just seems to make the house feel lighter and cooler. The above advert is from 1906 and below from 1898–I have to wonder if my parquet...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ads: 150 Years Ago of Boots, Groceries and Promotional Posters

Of course, it’s we know we needed food and foot coverage 150 years ago, but you don’t necessarily think of event fliers. Then again, those “Wanted: Dead or Alive” posters of the Wild, Wild West...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ads: Imperial Roofing Tiles in Meridian Kessler

This was a nifty find–and advert for Imperial Roofing Tiles, offices in Chicago and New York, featuring the home of E. E. Crane of Indianapolis, George & McLucas, Architects. So much the niftier that the...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: A full page of Fountain Square

Can’t recall when I found this and don’t know the exact date, but clearly, it’s around Thanksgiving 1922.  Which stand out most to you? The next time you’re in Fountain Square, look in the window...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Adverts: House Movers, 1897

Considering the recent ‘to-do’ over the planned demolition of approximately 2,000 Indianapolis structures and the desire by some of us to explore other options before we eradicate more of our (potentially restored) historic homes and...

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