History, at Random

Here’s an advertisement from January 18, 1945 for a company that – refreshingly! – exists even today: American Car and Foundry.

Formed and incorporated in Jew Jersey in 1899, the firm is located today in Milton, Pennsylvania. According to the Wikipedia entry, the manufacturing facility, “…is capable of manufacturing railcars and all related railcar components. The plant is capable of producing pressure vessels in sizes 18,000–61,000 gwc, including propane tanks, compressed gas storage, LPG storage, and all related components, including heads. The plant, covering 48 acres, provides 500,000 square feet of covered work area and seven miles of storage tracks.”

(How nice to know that something physical is still manufactured in the United States!)

Regarding the advertisement itself, the illustration is a very nice example of graphic art. Every major product manufactured by the company is presented, from (primarily) railroad cars, to naval vessels, to shells or bombs, and (it looks like…) tires, with every manufactured item “leading” back to a point on a simplified map showing the location of its relevant manufacturing facility. Above all, the use of light and shadow is quite striking.

The full text of the ad is presented below.

In the service of AMERICA … and its RAILROADS

AWARE of the magnificent job American Railroads are doing, and aware too that THE WAR IS NOT YET OVER – A.C.F. pauses for an instant in its immense task of producing materials for our armed forces – Pauses to SALUTE THE RAILROADS, their men in maintenance, operations, and those who man the trains. They are truly a potent factor in the successful waging of war.

A.C.F., with sleeves rolled up, has well-laid plans for the future, for the wonder trains of tomorrow, and the facilities and “know how” that will help American’s Railroads attract and hold traffic.

IN WAR A.C.F. produces Combat Tanks, Shells, Bombs, Tractors, Landing Mats, Minesweepers, Net Tenders and many implements of War for our Army and Navy.

IN PEACE A.C.F. will again lead in Production of – Railway Passenger Cars, Streamliners, Freight Cars, Subway Cars, Mine Cars and a variety of other Products.

Whatever A.C.F. Builds – It is Known to Build Well!

References

ACF Industries, LLC, at http://acfindustries.com/

American Car and Foundry, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Car_and_Foundry_Company

American Car and Foundry has survived; other corporations have not.

Among them, Pennsylvania Railroad.

The advertisement below – from January 15, 1945 – has a title that proved to be as optimistic as it was ironic, for after merging with New York Central Railroad in 1968, the resulting firm, the Penn Central Transportation Company, filed for bankruptcy in 1970.

The advertisement combines three elements to produce a striking image. On the left, symbolizing the future, new designs for railroad cars are displayed on a unfurled blueprint, against which are placed a T-square and right triangle. Translucent images of those “future” railroad cards are shown below. On the right, a fleet of existing freight and railroad cars, en route from “a city” and “factory” pass by a suburban rail station. In the background, stylized images of that city and factory are set against the horizon of a cloudless sky, surrounded by farmland. Above all is the emblem of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Though “this” example of the advertisement was published in The New York Times, certainly the original advertisement was in color, and probably intended for publication in magazines. Here’s an example of the original ad, from Pinterest:

Here is the full text of the advertisement:

EYES ON TOMORROW

On drawing board and blueprint, in research laboratory and on testing machines you will find the shape of things-to-come in railroading.

We know the American public expects great things – new, modern trains; daring designs; exciting and novel innovations; new power; new speed; new riding qualities; new comforts and luxuries; new services and ideas in travel, in shipping … in a word, transportation values beyond anything known or experienced before.

In its planning, the Pennsylvania Railroad has these things in mind – for it is a tradition of this railroad to look ahead, and apply its research to finding new ways to serve the traveling and shipping public better!

★ 50,757 entered the Armed Forces ☆ 532 have given their lives for their Country
BUY UNITED STATES WAR BONDS AND STAMPS

That the advertisement was created during the Second World War is strikingly evident by one particular facet of the text: The number of Pennsylvania Railroad Employees who died on WW II military service. Though listed as 532, the actual number is more than twice as many: 1,307. The discrepancy was likely attributable to the fact that the advertisement was created before the war actually ended, and thus, well before the status of all casualties (especially those missing in action) was verified.

The 1,307 men are memorialized at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, in the form of a bronze sculpture showing the Archangel Michael lifting a fallen soldier out of the “flames of war”. The sculpture is set atop a four-sided black granite base, upon the sides of which are bronze plaques listing the soldiers’ names in alphabetical order, and, bearing symbols of the four branches of the armed forces.

References

Pennsylvania Railroad, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad_World_War_II_Memorial

The Age of Advertising / The Age of the Railroad: American Car and Foundry Company (January 18, 1945)

The Age of Advertising / The Age of the Railroad: Pennsylvania Railroad (January 15, 1945)