Period Picnic Gear

[57plymouth]

I have been thinking about buying a 50's style cooler to go with my 57 Plymouth. The impetous for this folly is a 50's style drink cooler about 1 gallon in capacity. It is a bit rusty, so I am thinking about painting it red and white to match the car.

So, anyone have any period picnic gear they tote to shows with them?

[MCHinson]

I have a picnic basket that my family used since before I was born. I use it to store all of my cleaning supplies that I take to the showfield. The picnic basket looks better on the ground near my Model A than a bucket of cleaning supplies would.

[Rusty_OToole]

Have been accumulating some old camping gear for this purpose. Such as, a Thermos bottle in a leatherette case. An old Coleman cooler, all steel zinc lined. Would like to find a couple of wooden frame sling chairs with the striped awning canvas seats.

And some transistor radios from the 50s and 60s

This stuff not only makes a cool display but it's functional at outdoor shows.

[Joe Block]

I like youre style, for the meets, orginal accessories and camping gear.

[FomocoService]

I've got a Genuine Ford BBQ grill I take out for certain occasions.

I have the normal 1940s era blankets, chairs, cutlery and plates, cups etc...

I haven't had any of it out in a loooonng time.

[Amphicar BUYER]

I have a 1963 Heilite tent trailer and a 1962 California Teardrop camper too. I am looking for vintage equipment for the teardrop.

My favorite vintage "camping equipment" is my Amphicar!

This was 3 weeks ago at Glendo, Wyoming.

Take a look at what can happen at the dock if you're not paying attention! I do know those guys. Be warned, there is some "adult" words are spoken.

[Jan Arnett]

I have a 1920 wicker picnic basket which I have mounted on my running board and in it is a 1920 first aid kit and all the accessories.

[57plymouth]

I like the vintage chair idea. I'm thinking that's a good addition. Question is, would the typical aluminum chair like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Aluminum-Fol...1QQcmdZViewItem

be "period correct" for the late fifties? Are the wooden sling chairs the only correct ones for that time frame?

[Mike Cullen]

That chair isn't very old, the same ones are still available at Wally World. 50s era could be aluminium, but would be more likely to have a cloth insert, possibly attached with loops of cloth around the frame. They could also be "directors chair" style, with wood frames. Seeing this thread makes me think that putting together a 30s picnic set for the Zephyr would be pretty cool, Ford stuff would be close enough.

[Rusty_OToole]

Oddly enough today I saw a pair of the old wooden sling chairs at a thrift store.

But they weren't old ones. At first glance they looked the same. But the wood was skinnier, they had plastic parts, and the canvas wasn't as boldly striped.

I suspect they are still being made, in China probably like everything else these days.

I didn't buy them as they wanted $20 apiece.

[Mike Cullen]

At a swap-meet a few months ago I saw a Ford charcoal grill, small, square edges, embossed logo, it was pretty rough and the guy wanted $200, he probably still has it for that. I've heard that they are rare, I don't need one that bad! My dad said that near the end of T production, Henry sold all kinds of crap, and licensed the name for lots of people to make acessories, including camping equipment. I guess that when production was slowing down, the margins were so low that he had to make some changes to keep the cash flowing.

in re: the chairs, the made in China ones are available at Wally-World, new I don't think that they are much more than $20 or so.

[FomocoService]

Do you know the guy who has the grill?

If he's in Florida I may be interested...... even at a crazy price!

Henry Ford did sell all kinds of stuff from Fertilizer to Food. 99% of this stuff was by products from the plants.

I'm still looking for a Ford Fertilizer bag and a Ford Portland cement bag........

[MCHinson]

Are you talking about chairs (with a back) or stools with no back. I think I have some wooden fold out stools with canvas seats that I know have been in my family from before I was born in 1960. I don't know how old they are but they have replacement off white canvas seats that were put in them about 20 years ago.

[Mike Cullen]

I saw it at the Webster swap meet and show, thats not too far from you. I can't even remember who the guy was, he had mostly junk, a lot of vacuum wiper motors, a couple West-Wind gas heaters, common 50s era hubcaps not in sets, that kind of crap. I don't go there enough to know if he was a regular or not.

[FomocoService]

I was up there last weekend but didn't see it.

I did score big on a couple Dupont Paint chip books one book goes from 1950-1957 and the other goes from 1963-1972 even imports. Paid 20 bucks for the 2 books that contain over 800 pages between them! One still had it's original binder..

I picked up a Ford Cooling system cleanser can from the mid 40s for 3.00 so it was good for me- tho I didn't find any parts. it's all Small Block Chevy stuff up there- with a bit of overpriced Model A parts thrown in.

But things like the paint chip books and Ford can keep me going back up there....

[57plymouth]

So what other chairs besides the sling chairs would be 1950's appropriate? I thought that the aluminum folders with the nylon webbing would be 1950's era correct, as well as the aluminum folders with the redwood slats.

[Rusty_OToole]

Here is the style of chair I was talking about. They are still being made but look at the price!

http://www.wilshiregardenmarket.com/Outdoor_living/LeJardin_sling_chair.htm

[Terry Bond]

I'm especially fond of very early picnic sets. Here is a picture of one from the early 1900s in a wicker basket. They turn up occasionally on ebay. Hard to find a nice complete one though.

Terry

[57plymouth]

I'm digging these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270162916984&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130152034956&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003

Of course now that I have posted them, I'll be outbid.

[TheMoneyPit]

This small set for two is also a very early set. The porcelain is marked Sweeden, the unusual knife & fork sets have "Au Dept" on the handles and the wicker is marked "Manufactured in London England" at one side and "John Wanamaker, Motor Section, New York - Phila." on the other. I assume the original silverware was removed when the other set was added. Somewhere I have a later set which looks like a small suitcase - at one time my wife and I would take it on tour along with a portable record player which made for a fun time.

[stock_steve]

There are some old-VW friends of ours from upstate NY who go all-out with period display accessories for their '56 VW, with items such as vintage snow skis (complete with vintage ski carrier for the VW), vintage cameras, a variety of picnic items, and probably a whole bunch more that I can't think of.

I've also noticed vintage metal *logo'd* Coke coolers (plus coolers logo'd from other competing brands) are also "hot" car show display items.

[Mike Cullen]

I hope you were the winner for those chairs Hiram, they went cheap enough.

[Guest aussie610]

I have a portable gramophone, that I take to some static displays. It tends to go down well with the general public. Take along some swing records and sit by the car and play them. I often end up with a small crowd

[Guest rbl2]

I like that idea.

[57plymouth]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biggarmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I hope you were the winner for those chairs Hiram, they went cheap enough. </div></div>

Are you heading East as well?

No, my management division (the wife) told me my budget was now zero for a month or two...

[old gto]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Biggarmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I saw it at the Webster swap meet .... I can't even remember who the guy was, he had mostly junk, .... I don't go there enough to know if he was a regular or not. </div></div> <span style="color: #3366FF">LOL! Sounds like Cecil! He has a trailer full of stuff tied all over it, and several tarps on the ground covered in junk. If that`s who you saw, he IS a regular at Webster, and Reneger`s in Mount Dora. </span>

[57plymouth]

Just reviving this thread...

I have procured a plaid cooler, a plaid thermos and sandwich set in a plaid bag, a 1957 South Carolina road map, and have a line on a set of aluminum folding chairs. They may not be perfectly 1957, but we'll see.

I am also thinking about poping for a glove box time capsule from JFranklin.

But my flag is really up for what BobT-47P15 did on this thread:

http://plymouthbulletin.com/smf/index.php?topic=1218.0

[old gto]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Amphicar BUYER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a 1963 Heilite tent trailer and a 1962 California Teardrop camper too. I am looking for vintage equipment for the teardrop.</div></div>

<span style="color: #3366FF">Have you heard of "Tin Can Tourists"? Some of them may be able to help you locate some equipment. Try "Vintage Campers" too. </span>

Tin Can Tourists

Vintage Campers