A while back I bought this little tour guide because I thought I was going to get to visit the zoo in Paignton. I never did get to visit the zoo, but I've still got the book.
It sat on my shelf for a while, until the other day I finally opened it up. It was published in 1946 and is often different from a modern tour guide. Newer guides rarely have sections entitled "Geological note" for example. Or page after page of B&Bs and their prices per night.
The best thing about this book though, are the adverts. Pages and Pages of them. And below I've included just a few:
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| I can only begin to imagine what horrible chemicals might have been in this. |
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| Top and left: Daddy says you wont be able to find a better hotel in Torquay than abbey court wether you come in the summer or winter becorse the food is the best you can buy anwher Right: It has hot and cold water in all roomers with central heeting too. It has its own cinema with talkies. Bottom: And the Hotel overlooks the bay with wunderful views all round. there is a private tent on the sands. And they only charge from five guineas and its less in winter. You will like it very much. |
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| A good deal if it includes loss of limbs or eyes, surely. |
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| This child looks distraught - not happy. |
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| Anyone who has actually been to Ulster can tell you it isn't the best place for a summer holiday by the sea. |
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| The man on the right is actually wearing a cravat. |
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| This man is wearing a genuine Burberry! |
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| Not an advert, but a nice little find. A very small page bound into the book as usual. It's a note from the editor apologising in case the book is not up to date, and urging readers to write in with corrections. |
I love old books like that! :) It just goes to show how much adverts have changed over the years... These days adverts offer so little text compared to the adverts above.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through Goodreads, I really like the look of it.
ReplyDeleteI find old adverts interesting, I guess Burberry is the only one which can still be bought today.
I possess a fair few books sim. to this - not from second hand bookshops from my own life:) my father never threw anythting away neither do I pack-rats all of us - old travels guides - maps-theatre programmes ect - I was born at the end of second world war and we had stufff like that when we went on holidays - a blast from the past - thanks for that:)
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