Bikes are very very popular here in Toronto and well basically anywhere these days. With so much closed due to Covid and not reopening for the summer, everyone is looking for alternative ways to get around and have some fun. This also includes myself who has been trying to get a bike for several weeks now, with no luck. Soooooo…..
In honour of my inability to get a bike of my own, here are vintage Bicycle Advertisements from 1920s to 1960s (plus a couple of vintage photos). Enjoy!
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
1930s vintage photo of a bicycle built for 3!
Source: Etsy
Vintage Bicycle Advertisements
1920’s – 1960’s
1920s B.S.A. Cycles ad featuring a stylish man and woman.
Source: Flickr
Cycle Trades of America, April 20, 1929 vintage ad. “Ride a bike…over the campus trail”.
About Cycle Trades of America: Hoping there would be a resurgence of interest in bicycling after World War I, bicycle makers formed The Cycle Trades of America to promote their products (Source).
Source: Saturday Evening Post
Royal Enfield Bicycle, “For Lasting Fitness”. 1930s Vintage Ad.
Source: Etsy
1930s Vintage Ad: “Every 4 mintues some lucky boy gets a new HAWTHORNE”, April 19th, 1930.
1946 Columbia Bicycle Ad. “The Open Road Is Calling You!”
Source: Etsy
Columbia Bike 3 Styles as seen in this vintage ad from 1947.
“Leading The Parade In Back-To-School Safety – AMF Roadmaster!” Year: 1953 Vintage Ad.
Source: Etsy
1950s Vintage ad for Schwinn Fair Lady Girls Bicycle.
Source: Pinterest
1950s French Vintage Bicycle Poster, Peugeot.
Source: Etsy
1960s Vintage Ad for Raleigh published in local newspapers in 1961, just a few years before Sierra Leone’s independence from Britain; bike riding is being promoted as a quintessential modern, progress activity.
Source: Paulgmunro.com
Vintage Schwinn Bicycles, 1960s Vintage Ad.
Source: Pinterest
Question Time: If you ride (or have rode), do you remember what kind of bike you had? Share in the comment section below!
I joined a Facebook group a few weeks ago called “I break for Breeze Blocks” and I can’t tell you how happy it has made me! Every time I see someone post a photo of someone’s house or a wall outside of a building that has that Mid- Century detail, I just can’t help but smile. They are just so darn cool!
So for today’s post I wanted to devote a little love to these MCM Blocks.
Source: La.Curbed.com
Mid-Century Cool: Breeze Blocks
Brief History of Breeze Blocks
Breeze blocks are the patterned concrete blocks you may have seen covering the sides of a building or stacked upon each other to form a wall. Breeze blocks provide shade, circulation, protection and privacy to buildings all over the world and became a very important part of Mid-Century Design.
Breeze blocks–sometimes called screen blocks– were inspired by sun-reducing screens in Asia and first used in America in the 1930s. They continued to grow in popularity in the following decades, especially when used in houses and apartments. They were widely used in Mid-Century Modern design up until the 1970s, when they began to fall out of style.
They are typically made from the ashes of coal, bonded together by Portlandcement and used especially for walls that bear relatively small loads.
To continue reading the FULL but super cool history of Breeze Blocks, please click HERE to visit the Atomic Ranch Website.
Breeze Blocks in the wild (aka photos and vintage ads)
Mid-Century Ad for Evco Solar Screen Blocks-“That’s the way to screen your pool!”.
Source: Pinterest
Retro Restaurant Sign & aqua bricks – Farmington, New Mexico USA.
Source: Moderncharlotte.com
I love a good Tiki Bar and the Tahitian Fire Room not only has a super cool sign, but a ridiculous amount of cool Breeze Blocks on that wall.
1960s Vintage Ad for Simmons Hide-A-Bed featuring a Breeze Block Decorative wall behind the couch.
Source: Pinterest
1959 Mid-Century Modern Jack Meiselman built home at the Racquet Club East, Palm Springs.
About the Racquet Club Estates:
The Racquet Club East is comprised of the Racquet Club Estates, which has 550 tract mid-century modern homes Designed by the respected architect William Krisel A.I.A., and built by the famed Alexander Construction Company. A sub-section of the Racquet Club East neighborhood also has a small set of tract homes built by Alexander’s competitor, Jack Meiselman (who actually started building in Palm Springs before Alexander).
Source: pshomes.com
Jack Meiselman, Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern Property featuring those beautiful Breeze Blocks again.
Source: paulkaplanrealtor.com
A William Krisel Las Palmas Estates, 1957 Mid-Century Modern home Illustration (rendering).
Source: psmodcom.org
Vintage Mid-Century Ad for Superlite Concrete Blocks-Q BLOCK. “Accents for your Home”.
Source: Pinterest
Mid-Century Design: Laboratorio Neon Sign And Perforated Concrete. I love the signs typography. So very cool!
Source: Flickr
“Concrete Blocks are Anything but Flat”. Ad for Kaiser Permanent Cement Company that ran in the September 1962 edition of Sunset magazine.
Edward Durell Stone Townhouse, New York, New York, 1957. That Townhouse sure does stand out.
Source: wikiwand.com
Breeze Blocks at the Front Entrance is a great architectural detail for that Mid-Century Modern Look.
Source: Geoffreymoore.com
Shopping for Breeze Blocks
Want to own your own Breeze Block but can’t afford to buy a whole brick wall? Here is a section on fun Breeze Blocks products you can buy online!
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Mid Century Modern Breeze Blocks, Brick Wall Decals (avail HERE).
1950s style breeze block necklace by Glitzomatic. They too have a fun collection of Breeze Block Jewelry. Check it out HERE.
Source: Etsy
Breeze block iPhone case is a must-have for the breeze block or Mid-Mod obsessed person! (no longer avail but you can search for similar items online).
Source: Etsy
Now…are you looking to buy Breeze Blocks? The website, Retro Renovation based out of the US has created a resource of companies that do just that. Check it out HERE.
Question time! Do you love Breeze Blocks? Or is this a Mid Century Decor feature you could live without? Share in the comments below!
