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A firecracker package label, "Lei-On-Ground" brand, from Spontoon Island Independencies, early 1930s, North Pacific. This packaging may have been intended more for the amused business traveler or tourist trade, or for international export. It is certain that local amateur fireworks displays were also popular with adults during celebrations, such as May Day, or Speed Week.
Basic background on 1930s regional fireworks manufacture and export is here, at the Spontoon Island website: http://spontoon.rootoon.com/SPwFiWo1.html
Basic background on 1930s regional fireworks manufacture and export is here, at the Spontoon Island website: http://spontoon.rootoon.com/SPwFiWo1.html
Category Artwork (Traditional) / All
Species Wolf
Size 480 x 720px
File Size 58.8 kB
Listed in Folders
I love this!!
I used to collect Fireworks labels, many for the neat art, descriptions and style.
Richard Konkle and I used to joke over one called "Silver Spiders" that was a fountain style firework. "Little Silver Spiders that climb up your legs and bite you until you die Happiness Fountain"
Some of the various names were great plays on 'Bad Engrish' Names like "Raging Train" , "Huge Big Bang Boomer Bang Crackers" , "Mobster Fun", "Exploding Prigs" (showing an exploding pig, roughly M-50 crackers) and my favorite, I need to relocate the label and scan it to prove it exists , "Darkie Explosives" featuring a generic Robert Crumb style black guy with a stick of lit dynamite between his teeth like a cigar holding up a stereotypical cartoon whiskey jug with XXX across it. I acquired it back in the 80s in Missouri. Yes, A chinese brand of firecrackers...go figure.
I appreciate the digital work you are doing here. I've got to do this myself!
I used to collect Fireworks labels, many for the neat art, descriptions and style.
Richard Konkle and I used to joke over one called "Silver Spiders" that was a fountain style firework. "Little Silver Spiders that climb up your legs and bite you until you die Happiness Fountain"
Some of the various names were great plays on 'Bad Engrish' Names like "Raging Train" , "Huge Big Bang Boomer Bang Crackers" , "Mobster Fun", "Exploding Prigs" (showing an exploding pig, roughly M-50 crackers) and my favorite, I need to relocate the label and scan it to prove it exists , "Darkie Explosives" featuring a generic Robert Crumb style black guy with a stick of lit dynamite between his teeth like a cigar holding up a stereotypical cartoon whiskey jug with XXX across it. I acquired it back in the 80s in Missouri. Yes, A chinese brand of firecrackers...go figure.
I appreciate the digital work you are doing here. I've got to do this myself!
I would find it surprising if a Chinese company would be ironic in Robert Crumb style art, but 'fine artistes' in China could be ironic, too. Even more likely, is that the manufacturer would do labels to order for local small fireworks distributors ("Badger Bombs!"). A small USA distributor might take a risk on doing something for local appeal. Cynical or sincere.
"The Mildendo Island Quality" are kind of snarky that way.
I'd be happy to supply you with freebie sets of the 3 label templates. The templates are 960 x 1440 pixels per inch, but are only in black & white. You could work on hard-copy printed copies, or work in digital to color the lettering. In fact, I'll post them up here for freebies, and then move them to scraps.
"The Mildendo Island Quality" are kind of snarky that way.
I'd be happy to supply you with freebie sets of the 3 label templates. The templates are 960 x 1440 pixels per inch, but are only in black & white. You could work on hard-copy printed copies, or work in digital to color the lettering. In fact, I'll post them up here for freebies, and then move them to scraps.
Thats likely true, I've seen 'regional' names on packs of fire crackers in various parts of the country. Labels like "Dixie Crackers" (showing crossed confederate flags) "Rebel's Revenge" (Showing Confederate Soldiers in a bayonet charge) "Yankee Boomers"(Crossed American Flags), "Yankee Bombs", "Sherman's March" (Showing General Sherman on horseback and a exploding Confederate flag behind him), "Texas Bombs" (Showing the Alamo on the label) "Al Capone Crackers" (Showing Capone , hat at an angle with a wide grin and a Thompson Machine Gun) and "BIG NUKES" (Got those in New Mexico, shows a Nuclear explosion) And "Hillbilly Party Poppers" (showing a stereotypical Al Cap style Hillbilly in overalls and a jug and straw hat , bare feet and bad teeth, Saw these in Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee).
I should check the nearby permanent Fireworks store a few miles away and see if they have Regional labeled fireworks and fire crackers. I'm curious now!
I should check the nearby permanent Fireworks store a few miles away and see if they have Regional labeled fireworks and fire crackers. I'm curious now!
I've got an amusing story about about old fireworks. My father had kept old firecrackers he'd bought before marriage (circa 1950s) stored in an old cigar box. It's likely he obtained them in the Far East when he was a merchant sailor. I remember him setting one off as a prank to startle relatives arriving on a visit, and blew a patch of paint off the porch railing in the process.
They'd been hidden well enough that I never laid eyes on the box until after his passing and mother was sorting out his posessions. I wanted to keep the nearly 60 year old relics as antique collectibles for the packaging alone - I'd transfer them to a steel ammunition can - but mom insisted on disposing of them. Most of what were left were probably duds after having spent 30 years in an unsealed container in a musty basement.
Dutifully, mom called the local fire department for advice on how to best dispose of them. This resulted in both the fire department and police department visiting her home that day as if she had genuinely dangerous explosives on the premises. All she had to do to safely destroy them was to soak the boxful in a pail of water.
They'd been hidden well enough that I never laid eyes on the box until after his passing and mother was sorting out his posessions. I wanted to keep the nearly 60 year old relics as antique collectibles for the packaging alone - I'd transfer them to a steel ammunition can - but mom insisted on disposing of them. Most of what were left were probably duds after having spent 30 years in an unsealed container in a musty basement.
Dutifully, mom called the local fire department for advice on how to best dispose of them. This resulted in both the fire department and police department visiting her home that day as if she had genuinely dangerous explosives on the premises. All she had to do to safely destroy them was to soak the boxful in a pail of water.
I would have simply just cut the labels and saved those. Though I fondly remember a National Lampoon "Whats in Dad's drawer?" back in the early 70s. And it too showed loose firecrackers and a few whole packs of 16 crackers. Those older packs had great artwork on those labels in the 50s and 60s.
And when my dad passed away, sure enough, he too had a couple packs of 16 Blackcats in his drawer. I've since done the same, a couple packs of firecrackers in my drawer.
And when my dad passed away, sure enough, he too had a couple packs of 16 Blackcats in his drawer. I've since done the same, a couple packs of firecrackers in my drawer.
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