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DuMont Television
The DuMont Television Network began broadcasting on June 28, 1942, the nation's third TV network behind NBC and CBS. Regular network service began on August 15, 1946. It was started by DuMont Laboratories, a maker of TVs. Financial strains and fierce competition from NBC,... -
Columbia House
Penny for your thoughts! Buy 12 CDs or tapes (or LPs), for a penny and buy just four more at "regular club prices." Not many did that last bit. -
Musicland
Musicland was founded in Minneapolis in 1955.?? In 1964, it merged with music distributor JL Marsh followed by merger in 1968 with record label and distributor Pickwick International. In 1977, American Can Company bought Pickwick and a year later, famed New York record store... -
Fotomat
What could be more convenient? Drive up to the little booth, drop off your film, come back the next day and see your pictures. Mail them to friends and family! Established in the early 1960s in Southern California, Fotomat grew to over 4,000 locations... -
Vintage Esso Gas Mascots
Founded in 1912 as Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the larger Standard Oil corporation, Esso gas stations were found all over the Northeastern United States and parts of the South starting in the 1930s. In 1972, most were re-branded Exxon.... -
Wellbee Polio Vaccine Mascot
In the early 1950s, between 20,000-60,000 people a year were becoming afflicted with polio. Jonas Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburgh developed a polio vaccine in 1952. By 1955 a campaign to vaccinate children in the U.S. was launched. ALbert Sabin... -
Woodsy Owl Give a Hoot Don't Pollute
Woodsy Owl first appeared in 1971 and asked Americans to take better care of the environment by disposing of trash properly. This updated version debuted in the early 1990s and helped inspire a new generation to give a hoot. -
It's a Dilly
It's one of the world's most famous ice cream bars. -
Chico's Bail Bonds
Chico's Bail Bonds lets freedom ring! They also sponsor a winning little league team. -
Friday Night Videos
If you didn't have MTV in the early to mid '80s, or even if you did, you were parked in front of the TV to watch??Friday Night Videos??on NBC after??The Tonight Show. -
ON TV
ON TV was an over-the-air subscription TV service that started broadcasting in 1977. With the use of a set-top descrambler, subscribers could watch movies, sports, and other premium content. By 1985, competition from cable TV forced ON TV and similar services out of business. -
Woodsy Owl with Pelican
Woodsy Owl first appeared in 1971 and asked Americans to take better care of the environment by disposing of trash properly. An??updated version??of Woodsy was developed in the 1990s. -
Houlihan's Old Place
It was the place to party on St. Patrick's Day back in the day. -
50th Anniversary WHA
Encouraged by the initial success of his American Basketball Association (ABA), which challenged the National Basketball Association (NBA), Gary Davidson and his cohorts turned their attention to hockey. On November 1, 1971, Davidson announced the formation of the World Hockey Association (WHA) to challenge... -
I.R.S. Records
The International Record Syndicate, or I.R.S. Records, was a label founded by Miles Copeland (brother of The Police's Stewart Copeland) and Jay Boberg. A division of A&M Records, its roster included some of the most important new wave acts of the '80s including R.E.M.,... -
Hot Sam Pretzels Vintage Logo
Hot Sam Pretzels was a fast food??franchise that first opened in Detroit's Livonia Mall in 1966. With franchised locations also found mostly in shopping malls, it was bought by Mrs. Fields, off of cookies, in 1995 and merged with Pretzel Time. Hot Sam is... -
Yell Quietly, I Have a Hangover
Somethings never change. -
Phil A. O'Fish
In 1976, America's largest fast food chain introduced the character of Phil A. O'Fish to help sell their fish sandwiches. In recent years it has become the opposite of an urban legend with many asserting Phil A. O'Fish never existed. He did, but he... -
MicroMagic French Fries
Crispy golden fries in two minutes was the promise made by MicroMagic, a line of frozen foods that appeared in the late '80s. "Give 'em MicroMagic now," went the jingle. -
ShowBiz Pizza Characters
ShowBiz Pizza Place was a pizza restaurant and video game arcade chain??in the '80s and early '90s. It was founded by Robert L. Brock, a Holiday Inn franchisee, who had ended his partnership with the owners of Chuck E. Cheese. In addition to pizza, ShowBiz featured...

