Thanksgiving in 1919 Showed National Advertising, Probable Decline of Corner Store

The advertising for Thanksgiving in 1919 is a little different from that in years past.

November 27th, 1919

In particular, there aren't the features for neighborhood grocery stores that we have seen previously, and I think this means that a number of corner stores had closed and that shopping patterns were shifting with the rise of the automobile. Clearly there were changes with the post-war economy and culture.

• Thanksgiving in 1914 and early autoism
• Thanksgiving in 1916 and grocery store ads
• Thanksgiving in 1917 and threats to corner grocery stores

And just in 1919 several interesting transportation stories and the rise of autoism:

• Portland's first Jaywalking law enacted
• Plans for Salem's first auto show and a dedicated auto section in the paper (auto advertising remained strong, but the section did dwindle out after a couple months)
• Harry Scott reopened his bike shop at the current location
• Watt Shipp and other partners form Valley Motor Company for Fords; later in the year they announced an expansion

As deep background, the red scare and summer of race riots probably informed the way Thanksgiving was understood and celebrated, but I don't have a reading of that yet. (But see Rigdon's poem arguing for a purge.)

After World War I, the industrial capacity of the nation needed to switch back to peacetime production and to find the demand for all that production capacity. There's also emphasis on new electrification and driving demand for electricity, and on the objectivity of scientific management.

Electrically toasted, scientifically managed
November 26th, 1919

This ad for rolled oats is intensely up-to-date on these measures, so much so that it's a little laughable today.

Rolled oats are a Staple that Builds up and Holds up a Splendid Vigor....Through long and searching tests made in our laboratories, every detail required to produce Superior Rolled Oats was completely and originally determined.

Salem Electric started to sell washing machines
(But not the modern coop!
See notes on Frank and Clara Barton here and here)
November 29th, 1919

Advertising was being professionalized and nationalized. All year there was a funny campaign that was essentially training consumers to follow and buy from advertisers, and to trust the information in advertising, as if advertising offered up objective fact, and was not primarily to stimulate appetite and demand. It might also signal the start of consumerism as pop culture, brands as conversation starter. At least here in Salem, this campaign was new.

Advertising, nationalized brands, and patriotism
February 15th, 1919

Advertising as trustworthy information
October 22nd, 1919

More specifically for Thanksgiving, our tastes and notions of what is "special" for a feast have shifted. Prepared foods we take for granted as very secondary today were novel and centered then. (There's that celery, too.)

Many of these foods are no longer special or prized
November 25th, 1919

The newspaper industry was so different. Capital Journal fed their newsies and sent them to a show at the Bligh.

November 28th, 1919

And advertising for Christmas had already started mid-November. This was a couple of days after Thanksgiving.

November 29th, 1919