Today's wheel isn't really a true volvelle, but it has similar properties that we find attractive. If you were in the market for a Chambers Super Deluxe gas range, perhaps you'd be given one of these little samples to help you decide the color.
Each little stove is about the size of a playing card. The colors are vibrant and the descriptions are delightful. I have to admit, this isn't the most exciting wheel in our collection. This is the Super Scorer. See? I can't even muster the enthusiasm required to put an exclamation mark there. I do like the design and the soft, mint green color. It looks nice on the wall. This wheel is six inches across. And that's about all there is to say about it.
This has got to be one of the the most complicated wheels in our collection. Maybe those in the ciné business would disagree. Part of the difficulty is the size of the type. It is tiny. It must be two or three point type! I can kinda sorta figure out what the front is getting at, but the back is incomprehensible.
This guy is not quite five inches is diameter and is made of a sturdy plastic. It was produced by the good folks at Florman & Babb, a camera equipment company serving the television and film industries. It eventually merged with (wait for it!) Camera Equipment Company to become, I think, F&B/CECO of California. I'm not sure it exists anymore because the CA Secretary of State has suspended its charter. At at any rate, here it is for you to muddle over. You know, you can make a wheel for just about anything. Case in point: the New Idea Manure Dial.
This one is 5 and a quarter inches in diameter and is basically an ad for the New Idea manure spreader. You can buy one of these spreaders on eBay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Idea-3618-Manure-Spreader-540-PTO-/231792637677 (You can also get a New Idea brochure that says this spreader is "plug free", which, I think you'll agree, is a must in any spreader.) I don't like to think of what that stain is, but the wheel is in pretty good shape overall. I really like the cheerful colors and compact size. Its operation is simple and direct. Just wait for tomorrow when you'll see a wheel that isn't! Shreads finer, spreads wider! Excelsior! Behold the magnificent Chart of Knowledge! This is another one of my favorites. Can you guess why? It has a blimp, of course! I love the muted colors and overall design of this one. It's very charming. Everything you need to know about South America is here. What's the capital of French Guiana? Did you know one of the principal exports of Ecuador is Panama hats? This chart was produced in 1931, back when Quito had just 80,000 souls. Today, the current population of Quito proper is over 2,500,000.
This is not an uncommon type of wheel, as you will eventually discover if you check back here. We have a lot more covering continents and states. Wait till you see the one for Africa! I wish I could work for Chart ofKnowledge Co. of America. I promised you an even fancier milkman wheel and I think I have not failed to deliver! It looks like APCO Specialities of Alliance, Ohio, may have been acquired by Jarman Co., also of Alliance. Jarman Co. had the right idea: put the date on their product. This milk bottle instruction device was copyrighted in 1949. And they went the extra mile by giving their device a catchy name: the E-Z-C Signal! The E-Z-C, which is E-Z-R to say than to type, has 23 cards. You can order buttermilk, orange juice, orange drink, and even cream-top milk.
While it may boast a degree of superiority over the Daricraft wheel (the cardboard is a bit sturdier and there's a phone number), the E-Z-C doesn't make it in the style department. I still prefer the Daricraft. What do you think? In case you're curious about the tiny little logo at the bottom of each of these wheels, I'll tell you what it says. I had to use my microscope to read it (really). It says, "Typographical Union Label, Alliance, O." UPDATE! Jarman is still in business in Alliance! And it continues its commitment to design excellence on its website: www.jarmanprinting.com Remember milkmen? We had one in Houston even when I was in high school in the 70s, believe it or not. But we didn't have anything as cool as this Daricraft milkman order wheel. All we had was a little order slip whose master had been photocopied a thousand times over.
This wheel has great wheel action design going for it and is one of my favorites. Just marvel at the classic milkman shield shape! Doesn't it remind you of the hats they used to wear? This wheel is in pretty good shape and still has great color. It's six inches tall and four and a half wide. Is it swankier to say "quality supreme" rather than "supreme quality"? The execs at APCO Specialties couldn't be bothered to put a date on their wheels. I wouldn't call that a "quality" decision. So there you have it. If you think this one is fancy, just wait till you see what I have in store for you tomorrow! What's not to like about the Carnation Space Cruiser? It comes in handy when you need to rocket to Mars real quick. The red part is five inches square. Note there is no center hole. It's the folded edges of the red square that keep the wheel in place. I love these old sci-fi illustrations.
In honor of my mother, who passed away on this day 30 years ago, I bring to you this White's Needle and Thread Dial (undated). I guess it's about four inches across and, like yesterday's wheel, is double sided. Sadly, the other side is missing its interior wheel. I like it that voile and lawn (both very fine, light cottons) take the same needles as plastic film! I would never use a 100 needle on voile and maybe not even an 80. Sheesh. Does anyone even use White machines these days?
This guy was produced by the Government Printing Office in 1942. Nothing fancy here. It gets right down to business! At 12 inches, it's one of the largest wheels we have. As you can see, it offers all kinds of valuable information for identifying tanks and their capabilities. It's double-sided, but the side I'm not showing here is missing it's inner wheel. Plus that side has swastikas.
While this thing is pretty sturdy, I really can't see soldiers in the field fumbling with a wheel this big. Maybe it was a study aid. I don't imagine the guys fighting in Europe would need to identify Japanese tanks (which are on the reverse side). The pictures are interesting, aren't they? Click on each picture to see a larger version. |
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September 2019
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