Monday, November 12, 2012
Salesman Samples
I was visiting a site, when I came across something called a "Salesman Sample". Naturally I was curious, and investigated. It turned out that these samples were actual scaled-down exact replicas of real-life and life-sized merchandise such as farm equipment and cast-iron stoves. It took me a while, but I did find someone who has sold these items. His name is Larry Meeker, and with his wife, Carole, have the website below.
I'm only going to present the farm implements that used to be pulled by horses, but Carole and Larry have also photos of sample ovens. In my other post on James D. Julia, I surmised that these models were probably taken by salesman on the railroad. You have to realize that the USA of the late 1880's - 1920's were very rural. The magnificent highways of today's America are far different from a century ago. The Transcontinental railroad of the USA was completed in 1879. There were still Indian wards, the Great War of North and South had finished just 14 years earlier, and many states were still "territories. Mass car production would not start until 1908 with Henry Ford and his Model T, and most roads were dirt roads.
When my parents would take us from Montreal to the "country" in the mid 1950's, we'd go to a place called Mississquoi Bay. Mississquoi Bay is on the Canadian side of Lake Champlain. Mr Gordon Roy was a farmer who was changing to become a fishing outfitter. He'd built his own wooden boats, and rented motors, and sold bait. He was still doing some farming, and the machines above and below were still around!
This item was used to cut hay, and was pulled by a team of horses.
From the 1860's - 1980's America was the largest producer of wheat and other grains in the world. It still ranks high, but you now have South American countries like Brazil who compete now. Brazil even is able to grow 2 crops of corn in 1 year. When you think of how much food was produced, you can't even imagine how much farm machinery by companies like John Deere were manufactured for all of the American farmers. Furthermore, you'd have to imagine how important horses were to the sowing and harvesting of hay for cows, and food for humans. Those times are long since gone, but the salesman samples still provide us with a glimpse of what once was.
Thanks for dropping by,
and have a great part of the day wherever you may be.
Stacey
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