10,000 Presents!

60

By Lidian

There Was Never Something For Nothing, Not Even in 1888

Here we have an intriguing little ad in which a baking powder manufacturer claims to know exactly what would be an "appropriate gift" for you - as long as you're either a maiden, wife, mother or cook (wait, I have a cook? I didn't know! In that case, I'd like tofu teriyaki for dinner).

But you have to send in the red circle from the label. Oh, and you also have to write a letter stating your "honest opinion" of Breadmaker's Baking Powder. Like hell they want my honest opinion! As long as I flatter them and tell them Breadmaker's solved all my problems, as well as making the best bread ever seen in the Dominion of Canada. Or anywhere.

I like how the maiden in the picture is ready for the golden almost-freebies to start dropping into her apron. She thinks she is getting all 10,000 of those appropriate presents, I reckon.

Advertisement is from the Canadian publication Dominion Illustrated , from July 1888.

For much, much more fun with old ads and all else kitsch and retro, please visit Kitchen Retro...

Comments

GoRetroGirl 3 years ago

Cute...hmmm....wonder what the present was?

Lidian profile image

Lidian Hub Author 3 years ago

I have been wondering that too - I know it was over 100 years ago but this is the sort of thing i think about, LOL...Maybe something kitchen-related? I think that there were 4 kids of present, depending on if you were a wife, mother, cook or maiden (but what if you were more than one of those things, did you get extra prezzies?)

Bill 3 years ago

I knew that Poor Little Match Girl was going to have to lift her skirts eventually to make money on the streets.

Lidian profile image

Lidian Hub Author 3 years ago

Bill - I just want to know how she got a box top from the baking powder!

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