Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 

Ads as a Perspective
on Our Past
I

t is time again for a Looking Back that 
looks back at a few historical adver-
tisements from the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. 
As I cruise through the Archive every 
week, I see hundreds of ads in the Detroit 
Jewish Chronicle and the JN. I select the best 
and save them for future 
columns. 
I must admit, I just love 
the old ads. However, as 
I’ve stated before, I also 
consider them to be reveal-
ing windows into our past 
that speak of the trends 
and events that affected 
American society. 
Advertisements during WWII (1939-
1945) prove my point. For example, con-
sider the ad announcing “Ben Pupko’s 
Big Freeze” in the May 1, 1942, issue of 
the Chronicle. It begins by stating that 
Ben’s prices have already been “frozen 
much below the levels that the O.P.A. 
wants maintained …” The O.P.A. is an 
acronym for the federal Office of Price 
Administration. Established in 1941, this 
agency was responsible for controlling 
prices of all goods but agricultural prod-
ucts and rationing of key commodities 
such as meat, coffee and sugar as well as 
tires and gasoline. 
The advertisement for curtains also 
noted that Pupko always had a “warm-
spot in his heart for low prices.” Moreover, 
since he started his business in 1939, he 
had waged a “little private war of his own 
against high prices.” I’m glad Pupko was 
on our side! 
There were other interesting ads from 
the WWII era. In the Aug. 28, 1945, JN, 
shortly after Japan surrendered, the Grand 
River Chevrolet Co. ran an ad declaring 
“Sorry, We Have No New Autos for Sale 
Now.” It would appear to be a weird ad 
for a car dealership, but not when one 

considers that all of America’s automobile 
companies had shifted to war production 
and had yet to resume making cars for the 
private market. However, this dealer would 
make your old car as good as new.
Two beer ads from the era also caught 
my eye. Before the recent wave of lite-
beers, E&B from Detroit said “Eat, Drink 
and Don’t Worry” (March 27, 1942). A 
few years later, Schmidt’s Beer adver-
tised that its beverage was “dietetically 
non-fattening” (Feb. 20, 1948). The 
fine print in both ads noted that their 
low-calorie claims were relative to other 
“foods on your table.”
One of my favorites was for the “Miracle 
Working, Scientific Discovery” that is 
“Swerl Soap: The Magic Suds” (Jan. 1, 
1948, JN). Folks, this soap could do it all 
— “dishes shine without wiping,” “renews 
the beauty of fine fabrics” and “bubble 
bath with no soap ring.” So, the lesson is: 
whether washing dishes, clothes or the 
kids, use Swerl. And, it was kosher to boot! 
 
An ad showing two tykes staring at the 
screen in the Sept. 22, 1972, JN 
asked: “Do Your Children 
Get Their Thrills From 
TV?” If you would like 
them to read more, then the 
Dorothy S. Orent Reading 
Center could help. Replace 
the TV in the ad with an iPad 
or Tablet, and the quest for 
better reading for children 
might still be relevant nearly 
50 years later.
I’ll close with a very import-
ant advertisement from Sept. 
21, 1984: “The Jewish News is 
Your Window to the World.” 
It still is. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.
org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

considers that all of America’s automobile 
companies had shifted to war production 
and had yet to resume making cars for the 
private market. However, this dealer would 

Two beer ads from the era also caught 

my eye. Before the recent wave of lite-
beers, E&B from Detroit said “Eat, Drink 
and Don’t Worry” (March 27, 1942). A 

tised that its beverage was “dietetically 

fine print in both ads noted that their 
low-calorie claims were relative to other 

One of my favorites was for the “Miracle 

Working, Scientific Discovery” that is 

An ad showing two tykes staring at the 

screen in the Sept. 22, 1972, JN 

them to read more, then the 

the TV in the ad with an iPad 

might still be relevant nearly 

I’ll close with a very import-

ant advertisement from Sept. 

 is 

Your Window to the World.” 

