Signs of the Times No.58

Signs of the Times No.58

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!

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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.

31 videos in this collection

Symphony in Colour (Persil Advert)

  • 1942

Music Hath Charms

  • 1935

The Warning (Gibbs S.R. Toothpaste)

  • 1941

Every Man His Own Housewife (Persil Advert)

  • 1940

Let's Ask the Ladies

  • 1937

Murder in the Air

  • 1935

Bee Wise!

  • 1946
The key word in the book of fashion is simplicity

Sketchbook of Fashion (Knights Castile Advert)

  • 1940

Aladdin and the Junior Genie

  • 1942

Signs of the Times No.3

  • 1950
"Gee, old age!" Malicious Father Time doesn't stand a chance against a cartoon cupid armed with a big box of washing powder.

Fable of the Fabrics

  • 1942

It all Depends Which Way You Look at It (Solidox Advert)

  • 1941

Signs of the Times No 196

  • 1945

A Thief in the Night

  • 1930

Change for the Better

  • 1949
Use Rinso and help defeat Hitler! Soap brand Rinso deploys some savvy wartime advertising.

Little Miss Muddlehead (Rinso Advert)

  • 1943

What's Missing from this Picture?

  • 1946

Signs of the Times

  • 1948

Signs of the Times

  • 1950

Mousewife's Choice

  • 1948

Mrs Mopp's Birthday

  • 1942

The Trawl in Action

  • St Austell Bay
  • 1950

Signs of the Times No.2

  • 1950

Molar Mischief (Solidox Advert)

  • 1946

Shippam's Guide to Opera

  • 1955

Put Una Money for There

  • 1956
A curious blue lake, a wonder tablet, a river boat and a picnic essential - sounds like the beginning of a story!

Signs of the Times No.58

  • 1941

Says Sirdani

  • 1945

Thief in the Night (Persil Advert)

  • 1944

Changing Hues

  • 1922

Cinema Commercial - Candy Cushions

  • 1920
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