HAPPY SECRETARIES WEEK

This is one happy secretary!

(Now respectfully called Administrative Professionals Week.)

The Efficiency Station by Remington Rand…Just one of the hundreds of desk arrangements available with REMINGTON RAND ARISTOCRAT Modular Furniture.

SECRETARIES WEEK — DAY 5

This card advertises Cobey’s Clothing store in Melrose Park, Illinois.

At first glance, the boss almost looks like Rock Hudson.

SECRETARIES WEEK — DAY 4

The new MODERNAIRE model

Yes, modern. Yes, he appears to have airs.

Here’s what’s printed on the back:
“You’ll have admirers, too!
We can’t guarantee a beautiful secretary, but admiring glances will be cast your way when you step out in one of our fine custom-made suits in the season’s new patterns…and tailored just as you want it. Come in now and make your selection. You’ll like our moderate prices, too!
MAXHAM’S INCORPORATED, Windsor, Vermont”

Most companies using a beautiful woman (or women) to sell their product wouldn’t be admitting to the inability to guarantee that she’ll appear out of the ether if you buy.

This secretary seems mesmerized by her boss and is about to stab herself in the cheek with her pen.

SECRETARIES WEEK — DAY 3

“It’s Custom Tailored, Of Course”

Of course!

The Text:
“Printed on verso: “Our Custom Tailored suits – individually hand cut to your measurements – show the difference — Smartly Styled — Perfectly Fitted.
Hundreds of new Fall Fabrics have just arrived from the world’s finest Mills.
Expensive – Only in looks. Actually the cost is no more than better grade Ready-to-wear.
Yet we promise you the finest suit you ever owned!
SATISFACTION COMPLETELY GUARANEED”

I’ve taken this word for word from the back of the card—with capitalization and punctuation as it was printed! The mix of EN-dashes and EM-dashes makes me nuts! All of this publisher’s editors were out that day. In fact, there is no publisher name on the card and NO reference to any garment company. It’s just a generic postcard that any store can imprint with their information.

The Image: 
Here we have the classic strong, confident, well-traveled boss wearing the suit. The secretary in the background, armed with steno pad and pencil, establishes the relationship with the boss. Her dreamy-eyed gaze is directed at the level of the boss’s chest (that she might only ever see covered). She bites the eraser-end of her pencil. (I could have used this card for sexual innuendo theme week as well. Coming soon, btw.)

This postcard would have to be a vertical view to emphasize the contrast of the importance of boss to secretary. You will notice that the cards in my next 2 posts also show this boss/secretary relationship—one, another artist view; the other, from a photograph.

SECRETARIES WEEK — DAY 2

SPEEDWRITING SECRETARIAL SCHOOL
Registrars’ Office
55 West 42 St., N.Y. 36, N.Y.

Obviously staged. Everyone looks frozen in time. 

HAPPY SECRETARIES WEEK!!!

Morris Spray Kleen Type and Platen Cleaner

Text on verso: “For over twenty years there has been no change in the method of cleaning type and platens on typewriters, rubber stamps, duplicators, etc. Here at last is the most modern way, the easy way, the last word in efficient ways to clean type, recondition platens and at the same time free sticky keys or gummed parts.”

The easy way?  They make it appear like that. She looks pretty and nice and clean in this picture, but in real life she’d probably be covered with smudges of black ink.

Think about this the next time you complain about your computer and be very thankful.