I've taken this week's Sepia Saturday theme at face value, and am sharing a few vintage advertisements featuring men in overalls. They all come from the March 1960 edition of Motor Sport magazine. I particularly like the advertisement featuring the petrol attendant. A small glimpse of the sort of service we used to get in the UK many years ago, which has now largely been replaced by surly staff sitting in the warm, behind a till asking if you want any half-price chocolate today.
Vintage advertisement for Filtrate Colloidal Oils, Motor Sport magazine, March 1960
Vintage advertisements for Jubilee Clips and National Petrol, Motor Sport magazine, March 1960
More vintage magazines can be found on my web site
Oh yeah - service at the gas station. I remember that. We really have evolved (or de-volved) into a do-it-yourself world.
ReplyDeleteThere are few things better than adverts at fixing a particular time and transporting one back to that time. My car goes into the garage on Monday for its service - as you say, such service won't be available these days.
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband was in college he worked at a "service" station pumping gas, changing oil and doing small repairs. He learned a lot but I've often wondered what the customers would have thought about their expert "mechanic" if they knew who he really was. I love these ads.
ReplyDeleteThat is tough to say, "Colloidal Oils". Very interesting stuff you've found here.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ads. Love the "Just Married" one. Now that's what I call service!
ReplyDeleteNancy
The British style workman's coveralls and overalls are very different from American worker fashions. Here the bib overalls are a rural farm uniform, the equivalent of bluejeans. Coveralls, which were only for mechanics, are never worn much anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe British still have those brown lab coats and baggy overalls worn over trousers for a lot of trades. And the Churchill boiler suit is pretty common too. Some years ago when I struck up a conversation with an old house painter working at my in-laws home, he made me a gift of two coveralls, new in the package, that he described as coming from an old dairy business that dated to the 1960s. I'm quite fond of them and wear them for painting and other messy work.
Our local Shell garage has reintoduced a petrol pump attendant if you wish to use him but only from 10 - 4; he wears a fluorescent over overalls. I think. And yes they do push chocolate plus a drink.
ReplyDeleteThese days the newly weds just drive by in stretch limousines.
When I lived on the dairy farm, we all wore a one-piece coverall...gray pinstripe jobs that had snap closures. Trying to get kids into 'em was like putting socks on a fish, but they kept our everyday clothes clean!
ReplyDeleteThese are really neat! I like the "Just Married" one; everybody looks so happy.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Yes sure miss the days of a service attendant. My bilaw owned a Standard Oil station and they wore blue pants, gray shirt and Standard Oil cap. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Ah, service with a smile! Those were the days right?
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in the 70s we still had full service gas stations and I recall this one fellow who would wash all our windows, making sure to make funny faces at us little girls as he worked his way around the car. Great posts that take me back to that long ago memory.
ReplyDeleteThose were the days, the days of the petrol attendant! He cleaned your car windows as well and opened the door for you. And all this when the price of gasoline was about 25% of what it is today... Thanks for reminding me :)
ReplyDeleteYou actually have people to interact with at a gas station? Wow, I haven't seen that in years.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder about getting your windows washed, tire pressure checked, and a marriage all while getting gas. Now that's some fancy schmancy service!