The Spickanspan Folks

HERE ARE THE COVERS OF TWO  BROCHURES PROMOTING HOUSEHOLD CLEANING. The first is English and from 1914; the second is an Australian edition painting book

"The Spickanspan folks," a 1914 brochure promoting Old Dutch Cleanser, for shining your pots and pans. Part of Monash Rare Books cookery and household management collection.
“The Spickanspan folks,” a 1914 brochure promoting Old Dutch Cleanser, for shining your pots and pans. Part of Monash Rare Books cookery and household management collection.

“Old Dutch Cleanser”  is an American product. These two brochures for the cleaning agent are published in different places and at different times. The first is from London with a copyright date of 1914; the other is from Sydney and dates from 1941. The English brochure is full colour; the Australian one has a colour front cover but all the rest of the illustrations are in black and white. This later publication was marketed as a colouring-in book.

An Australian version was published in 1941 with a colour cover but the rest in black and white, as a "painting book" for children. The back cover illustration of the product encourages the kids to ask Mum to buy a packet so they can use it to colour-in.

Spickanspan painting book. Sydney, 1941. Full cover front cover only. Stapled pamphlet.

From the Monash University Library Rare Books Collection

Once again these come to us courtesy of the Monash University Library Rare Books Collection. They are kindly sharing items of interest with us (we would welcome the same relationship with any other institutions).

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