In this third exploration of my stack of 85-year-old Baltimore newspapers, I’m posting just advertisements from editions of The Sun and Evening Sun. It’s Memorial Day, a solemn national holiday that has been commercialized with retail sales — and lots of advertising — since 1980. 

Research by Voice of America suggests that Memorial Day sales were not a thing until then. Prior to 1980, Memorial Day was associated with ceremonies to honor the nation’s war dead, not mattress sales. A holiday officially established three years after the end of the Civil War, it was known as Decoration Day until about 1970. 

The ads that I culled from the old papers are all from September 1940 — and, in case you’re wondering, they had nothing to do with Labor Day. When that holiday became associated with sales requires further study.

Here’s a selection of ads and, as a bonus, a Moon Mullins cartoon at the end.

Yeah, once upon a time, guys wore hats.

Please take the elevator to the second floor.

One needs a good foundation.

Deep-fry these cod balls.

2,000 pair: Get them while supplies last.

Looking for a good used car or truck?

Craig’s List dealt the first hard blow to newspapers after the Internet arrived: classified advertising pretty much disappeared in the late 1990s.

The proprietor of 2731 North Calvert prefers a married couple or “two ladies,” and they’ll throw in breakfast.

Frank Willard’s Moon Mullins ran via the Tribune syndicate in hundreds of North American newspapers from 1923 to 1991. Ferd Johnson worked on the strip throughout its long run.

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Published by Dan Rodricks

Dan Rodricks is a former long-time columnist for The Baltimore Sun, winner of numerous national and regional journalism awards, a radio and TV personality, podcaster and fly angler. His narrative memoir, "Father's Day Creek," was published in May 2019 by Apprentice House at Loyola University Maryland.

2 thoughts on “Out of print: In 1940, stores had sales, but not on Memorial Day”

  1. Fascinating, Dan. Thank you for the time machine of memories.

    I can’t help wondering where all these women’s foundational clothing articles were manufactured. It seems unlikely that they were made in China. Perhaps India, England, or in the US? Anyone familiar with that history?

    Everything, absolutely everything, is about being pro commerce and for profit now. Holidays are planned around three day weekend festivities, tourists, and sales sales sales. The results of such unrelenting commerce is floating or sunk in every body of water on Earth.

    Have a Peaceful Memorial Day, everyone!

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