Signs of the Times No.58

1941
Sound
4m

A curious blue lake, a wonder tablet, a river boat and a picnic essential - sounds like the beginning of a story!

At the height of WWII, focusing on a blue lake in Switzerland which is a haven for trout seems a slightly odd topic for a Home Front news magazine - but Signs of the Times specialised in very short points of interest exactly like this. Other items include a mention for Elasto, the wonder tablet for joints, a variant of which is still available today. A tall mast on a river barge has a novel way to tackle low bridges - and the narrator doesn't hold back with the puns. Finally, audiences are reminded that it's essential to get the most out of wheat during the war, so ask your baker for National Wheatmeal Bread!

Cinema Advertising Comes of Age

The 1930s saw screen advertising find its voice. That wasn't just down to the arrival of the 'talkies', but to the increasing professionalism of ad agencies and production companies.

Through WWII and the postwar austerity years and into the 'never had it so good' 1950s - when it had to compete with the new commercial television service - cinema advertising offered a bigger bang for your advertising buck.