I love looking back at vintage advertisements to see what people were buying to outfit the interiors of their homes. From flooring, to wallpaper and even Formica tables, the advertising was everywhere.

Today’s post is for all kinds of furniture ads (not just one kind) from the 1920s to the 1960s with their vibrant colors, playful illustrations, and clever copy that grabs your attention and transports you back in time.

Let’s take a look!

1950s Vintage Furniture Ad-1958 Bassett Furniture ad featuring bedroom and dining room furniture for your home.

1958 Bassett Furniture ad-Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Note: If the item you clicked on is no longer available, just do a search for like items. There are loads of vintage items being added to Etsy and eBay daily!

Vintage Furniture Advertising 1920s-1960s

I’m a sucker for classic Mid Century furniture pieces (and great wallpaper) like in this 1950s advertisement for the ‘Baumritter’s care free VIKO collection“.

“Yesterday’s basement transformed into a delightful, livable family-room”. ” Constructed of tubular steel, plastic upholstery, and heat and stain resistant plastic table tops for long, family service.”

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Wallpaper Designs in Mid Century Homes

1950s vintage advertisement: Mid Century furniture pieces (and great wallpaper) in this 1950s advertisement for the 'Baumritter's care free VIKO collection".

Source: eBay

1950 Samson Folding Furniture ad-“For tots…teens…and twenties”

1950s vintage advertisement for 1950 Samson Furniture featuring a folding card table for all sort of activites for the kids, teens and twenty year olds.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

1920 advertisement for Velmo Mohair Upholstery Fabric by LC Chase of Sanford Mills Maine.

While not technically an advertisement for furniture, it’s for what goes ON the furniture and I very much enjoyed the couch and chair featured in the ads illustration. So I decided to add it to the mix.

Source: eBay

Simmons Hide-A-Bed 1950 vintage advertisement featuring images of how the bed looks in the living room and how to easily pulls out to house guests.

1950s Vintage advertising for Simmons Hide-A-Bed (sofa bed) as seen on September 16, 1950 in The Saturday Evening Post magazine. The vintage ad features images of how the bed looks like a 1950s living room and how it also looks sleeping in it.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

One more sofa bed ad because I love Breeze Blocks! 1961 Simmons Hide-A-Bed advertisement featuring a breeze blocks table and room divider.

Further Reading: Mid-Century Cool: Breeze Blocks

1960s vintage ad: 1961 Simmons Hide-A-Bed Vintage Ad featuring breeze blocks. Fantastic Vintage house interior inspiration

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

1940 advertisement for Branchflower furniture. Home office furniture for the entrepreneur in your home.

Vintage Furniture Ad-1940 advertisement for Branchflower furniture feature a desk and chairs for your home office

Source: Archive.org

1929 KRAPPEN furniture ad for “vivid individuality in a small apartment”. Bold patterns and furniture pieces that stand together and on their own in the room.

I love the green chair at the bottom left of the ad.

1920s furniture ad for -Krappen furniture from 1929 featuring a small apartment living room with 1920s furniture pieces.

Source: eBay

1950s Vista by Bassett advertisement for bedroom furniture. “For the woman who will be satisfied with nothing less than the newest”.

1950s vintage Ad, Vista by Bassett, bedroom furniture.

Source: eBay

“The new look in dinettes….says engaging ESTHER WILLIAMS”…”is one of functional beauty, the colorful, friendly, liveable beauty of a modern CHROMCRAFT dinette suite”. 1948 vintage ad for Chromcraft dinettes.

Further Reading: “Vintage Formica Tables”-Mid-Century Modern Design Ideas for the Vintage Home

1940s vintage furniture advertisement-1948 Chromcraft Dinettes featuring Esther Williams. The Dinette includes the matching sectional buffet. Colour in the ad is green but comes in different colours. Fun vintage interior inspiration

Source: eBay

Vintage advertising print ad from 1956 for a Formica Furniture Shopper Guide featuring a dining table that also has storage. Perfect for small spaces.

1950s vintage ad: Vintage advertising print ad from 1956 for a Formica Furniture Shopper Guide featuring a dining table that also has storage. Perfect for small spaces.

1930s Harrods bedroom furniture suite advertisement. How glamorous even in black and white (the ad not the furniture).

1930s vintage furniture advertisement for 1930s bedroom furniture from Harrods

Source: Etsy-AncientAds

1965 Kroehler Sofas advertisement. “Why the softest Kroehler sofa can’t give you a hard time”.

1960s Vintage Advertisement: 1965 Kroehler Sofas advertisement featuring images of 1960s / Mid Century Couches / Sofas. Fun Vintage Interior Inspiration

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

Cedar Chests for Christmas! A 1950s Cavalier vintage ad.

1940s vintage furniture ad for Cavalier Cedar Chests. The perfect Christmas Present.

Source: Etsy-UnicornVintageAds

1930s advertisement-Lloyd Loom Woven Fibre Furniture. Love the green chair, matching lamp and other home decor items (the green wall sconce on the upper right side of the image, is fantastic!).

1930s vintage furniture ad for Lloyd Loom Woven Fibre Furniture-The advertisement features green chairs and a table in a living room.

Source: whoppah.com

“Now…Million Dollar Luxury built to stand a “Heap o’ Living!” from Kroehler furniture. 1940s advertisement.

1940s vintage furniture advertising: "Now...Million Dollar Luxury built to stand a "Heap o' Living!" from Kroehler furniture featuring sofas for your home.

Source: Etsy-AmericanCenturyShop

1950s advertising for ” Swing King Contoured Reclining Chair”. “For your health and comfort!”.

1950s vintage furniture ad for "Swing King Reclining Chair" featuring a 1950s woman in a red chair. The perfect Christmas gift.

Source: Etsy-AmericanCenturyShop

1936 Berkey & Gay Furniture advertisement featuring a beautiful bedroom suite (The Downing) and dining room suite (The Fairfax) illustrated here.

1930s vintage furniture ad: 1936 Berkey & Gay Furniture advertisement featuring a beautiful bedroom suite (The Downing) and dining room suite (The Fairfax) illustrated here.

Source: Etsy-RetroReveries

1950s Thayer advertisement for baby furniture (“Better living for babies”). “Baby is so Modern”.

Source: eBay

Magazines covers were another form of advertising and this October 1935, House Beautiful cover featuring stunning red & white furniture with black walls and flooring, is a true standout (the curved chairs are super!). Love the game of backgammon setup for play as well.

1930s vintage magazine cover for House Beautiful from October 1935 featuring red and white furniture and a game of backgammon.

Source: fineartamerica.com

1951 Cosco Furniture advertisement for colourful kitchen chairs, stools, baby high chair and a bar cart.

Source: Pinterest

1950s MENGEL Furniture bedroom sets vintage ad. “Do you keep your bedroom behind closed doors?”. “Open the door to compliments…with MENGEL Furniture”.

Source: eBay

Thanks for dropping by and browsing these fantastic vintage furniture ads. I once again had a blast putting this post together.

Please share in the comments section what your favourites were or any memories / comments you wish to share around the topic of this blog post. I love hearing from my readers!

Further Reading: Vintage Home Decor, Interior Design & Vintage Real Estate Inspiration 1920’s- 1960’s

Have a great day!

Liz

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 15th and one thing that many dads / men enjoy to do is BBQing / Grilling. I know my husband and my dad is a big fan (and I am a big fan of the food).

1950s vintage photo of two men in Scottish kilts grilling on their BBQ outside of a store opening celebration (Source).

Today’s post is a collection of 1950s BBQ fun. Vintage images, advertising, cookbooks and even some fun vintage items.

Let’s fire up the grill and begin!

1950s Backyard Barbeque illustration of a 1950s housewife setting the table while her husband looks on smiling while cooking his chicken

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Weber Grill is Invented & Barbecuing is all the Rage!

1952: George Stephen, a welder at Weber Brothers Metal Works, cuts a metal buoy in half to make a dome-shaped grill. He uses the top half as a lid that seals in flavor and evenly distributes heat, and adds vents to get oxygen to the fire. The iconic Weber grill is born (Source).

Further Reading: A Brief History of the BBQ Grill by Popular Mechanics

1950s vintage image of the creator of Weber Grills, George Stephen showing off his Weber Grills he created in 1952.

Source: Weber.com

Shopping note: On the Weber website they are selling Limited-Edition 70th Anniversary Kettle Collection at WEBER (avail as of June 2024). If you are looking for a grill, off you go!

Available colors from the 1950s were Jet Black, Chestnut Coppertone and Marbleized- a squiggly lined/crazed finish (source).

In 1952, WEBER founder George Stephen introduced a charcoal kettle grill that started a global outdoor cooking revolution. This limited-edition Collection celebrates Weber’s innovative spirit and passion for creating a better grilling experience for people everywhere. Available in four heritage colours with intricate details that reflect American culture in the 1950s, these kettles pay tribute to the past, present, and future of cooking outside.

1950s photo of demoing Weber grills on television.

Fun Fact: WNBQ in Chicago was the first television station in the world to broadcast all of its programming in color (source).

1950s vintage photo of a man in a hat demoing Weber grills on television.

Source: tvwbb.com

The Vintage Photos, Advertisements, Cook Books/Recipes & More!

A 1956 ‘BIG BOY BARBECUE BOOK‘ – “Shows how easy it is to cook on spit or Grill”.

1950s vintage Barbeque cookbook featuring vintage recipes for the bbq or grill -The 1956 Big Boy Barbecue Book. The cover features a dad in a BBQ chefs hat grilling steaks for his family outside.

“A Picture Treasury of Barbecuing-A test recipe institute cook book”.

1950s vintage Barbeque cookbook featuring vintage recipes for the bbq or grill -The 1956 Big Boy Barbecue Book.

Source: Etsy-CathysVintageTrunk

1956 Rheingold beer advertisement featuring “Miss Rheingold 1956-Hillie Merritt” serving up some BBQ.

Further Reading: Let’s Have A Beer! Vintage Beer Advertising

Source: Vintage-ads.livejournal.com

Barbecue for two as seen in a Life Picture Cookbook, 1958.

1950s vintage photo of a couple having a barbeque on their patio in 1958 in their 1950s fashions.

Source: Pinterest

1950’s MCM vintage “Come And Get It” apron featuring a Chef with a barbecue tool.

1950’s MCM vintage "Come And Get It" Barbeque Apron featuring a Chef with a Barbecue tool

Source: eBay

Here is a 1950s man smoking a cigarette while grilling and wearing his own chef’s apron with a fun image on the front.

1950s vintage photo of a man having a BBQ in his backyard while wearing a chef apron and smoking a cigarette

Source: Everyday life in the past

1950s Reynolds Wrap advertisement. “Let’s have a Bar-b-q it’s easy!”

1950s vintage advertising for Reynolds Wrap featuring an illustration of a couple having a barbeque outside while dad grills and kids looks over the fence

Source: Pinterest

1950s vintage Mid Century enamelware platter depicting a BBQ Grill, and all the things to go with it! Fun!

Source: Etsy-UppityWomen

1950s BBQ cookbook: The Terraced Chef offers an array of recipes for meat, seafood, drinks, salads, desserts, For anyone that has dreamed of having a backyard cooking event that features crabs stuffed with avocado and guinea hen, or eggs stuffed with caviar and pheasant, then this book is for you.

This cook book was actually written by ‘Ruth Cheir Rosen (but her husband was given the credit) who was a very popular cook book writer during the mid-century. Learn about Ruth and see her cook books & some recipes in my blog post, ‘Dig That Dish-The Coolest Vintage Recipe Book Around‘

Barbecue party planning ideas.

1950s vintage cook book showcasing party planning for your next outdoor barbecue

Source: Etsy-fabfunkyfunvintage

Vintage photo of a happy man grilling in the backyard.

1950s vintage photo of a man grilling steaks in his backyard

Source: eater.com

Stylish 1950s barbecue party.

1950s vintage illustration of well dressed men and women in 1950s fashions having a barbecue

Source: Pinterest

“It’s Cookout Time Start with SPAM for “Kabobs Neapolitan”” 1950s vintage ad.

1950s vintage advertisement for SPAM for a barbecue in the backyard with the family

Source: Vintage-ads.livejournal.com

1950s beach barbecue.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of people Having fun at the Beach

Source: eBay

1957 “How to Cook Outdoors, Easy as 1-2-3”. “Charcoal Grilling, Spit Barbecuing, Hickory Smoking, Sauces and Seasoning”. Vintage cookbook is from Montgomery Ward.

1950s vintage recipe for how to cook round steak on the barbeque from a vintage cook book from 1957

Source: Etsy-CopperPraire

“Time to flip the sausages!” 1950s photo of a woman barbequing with a makeshift grill stand out of concrete blocks.

1950s vintage photo of a woman having a barbeque and flipping sausages outside of her house.

Source: Etsy-RenascenceVintage

1950s Fashion: 1950’s “Kenrose” Cotton Sundress edged in Black-White Gingham. Front Pockets have Pixie-Type Girls poised at the Barbecue Grill dressed in Matching Gingham Dresses which actually have Pockets which MIRROR their images!