The golden age of jokes, tricks and gags in this country began in 1904 with Soren Adam Sorensen, a salesman who discovered that one of the ingredients in the coal based dye he was peddling caused sneezing. He found a way to extract the material, and opened the Cachoo Sneezing Powder Company. For reasons not completely understood, causing someone to sneeze was thought to be funny.
Ultimately he realized that he needed to expand his product base, and in 1906 he founded the S.S. Adams Company of Neptune, New Jersey. Over the next several decades, he became the godfather of gags. His innovations included itching powder, the snake in can, the dribble glass, and the joke joy buzzer, the later of which he patented in 1928 (one of 40 joke/novelty items he so patented).
Another pioneer in pranks was Alfred Johnson Smith, who founded the Johnson Smith Company catalog business in Australia in 1906 and moved it to Chicago in 1914. In 1923 he relocated in Racine, Wisconsin, then again moved to Detroit in 1936. He was the king of hyperbole, personally writing many of the exaggerated descriptions in his catalogs and comic book ads. The Johnson Smith catalogs were voluminous and wonderfully illustrated, tempting buyers with a wide variety of notions, novelties, and nonsense.
Another forerunner was the Franco American Novelty Company, established by Sam Oumano in 1910, well known as makers of fake vomit, whoopie cushions, and artificial doggie doo
An additional player in this field of fun was Chiam Fishelov who established H. Fishove Company in Chicago in 1914. He passed away in 1924, and his son Irving took over operations. Fishlove is credited with such classics as chattering teeth, the fake hypodermic needle, and a wide variety of joke boxes.
Richard Appel Company was established in 1941 in New York, and became best known for their Jo King line as well as for their Jokers for Smokers.
Another milestone (or perhaps more of a bump in the road) was in 1961, when yours truly, Bernie Shine, at age 13, opened Bernie’s Novelties in an a small store front in Spencer, Iowa. I would order jokes, gags, and novelties from Rich Brothers in Sioux Falls, Gellman Brothers in Minneapolis, and the Oriental Trading Company in Omaha. After school I would open my store and peddle my wares to my chums. On June 11, 1961, a column in the local newspaper entitled TEEN TOPICS, reported “One of the newer members to the teenage group is Bernie Shine. I think this kid will really go far, because he already opened his own business. On the first block of West Second street is a large brick building with a sign over the front door. This sign says “Bernie’s Novelties”, and the door leads to Bernie’s new business, a novelty shop. Like I said, this kid’s going far.”
Today I own Shine Gallery in Los Angeles, where we offer a wide variety of iconic novelties from the past, all rescued from old stores, dusty warehouses, and closed factories. We have an entire section on our website devoted to Jokes, Novelties & Magic. These items were always low brow and low tech, but with the passage of time have become high art. In retrospect these items take on an innocence and charm that is irresistible. The passage of time has served to elevate yesterday’s junk into today’s treasures.
Recommended Reading:
Cheap Laffs, The Art of the Novelty Item, available at Shine Gallery.
Ultimately he realized that he needed to expand his product base, and in 1906 he founded the S.S. Adams Company of Neptune, New Jersey. Over the next several decades, he became the godfather of gags. His innovations included itching powder, the snake in can, the dribble glass, and the joke joy buzzer, the later of which he patented in 1928 (one of 40 joke/novelty items he so patented).
Another pioneer in pranks was Alfred Johnson Smith, who founded the Johnson Smith Company catalog business in Australia in 1906 and moved it to Chicago in 1914. In 1923 he relocated in Racine, Wisconsin, then again moved to Detroit in 1936. He was the king of hyperbole, personally writing many of the exaggerated descriptions in his catalogs and comic book ads. The Johnson Smith catalogs were voluminous and wonderfully illustrated, tempting buyers with a wide variety of notions, novelties, and nonsense.
Another forerunner was the Franco American Novelty Company, established by Sam Oumano in 1910, well known as makers of fake vomit, whoopie cushions, and artificial doggie doo
An additional player in this field of fun was Chiam Fishelov who established H. Fishove Company in Chicago in 1914. He passed away in 1924, and his son Irving took over operations. Fishlove is credited with such classics as chattering teeth, the fake hypodermic needle, and a wide variety of joke boxes.
Richard Appel Company was established in 1941 in New York, and became best known for their Jo King line as well as for their Jokers for Smokers.
Another milestone (or perhaps more of a bump in the road) was in 1961, when yours truly, Bernie Shine, at age 13, opened Bernie’s Novelties in an a small store front in Spencer, Iowa. I would order jokes, gags, and novelties from Rich Brothers in Sioux Falls, Gellman Brothers in Minneapolis, and the Oriental Trading Company in Omaha. After school I would open my store and peddle my wares to my chums. On June 11, 1961, a column in the local newspaper entitled TEEN TOPICS, reported “One of the newer members to the teenage group is Bernie Shine. I think this kid will really go far, because he already opened his own business. On the first block of West Second street is a large brick building with a sign over the front door. This sign says “Bernie’s Novelties”, and the door leads to Bernie’s new business, a novelty shop. Like I said, this kid’s going far.”
Today I own Shine Gallery in Los Angeles, where we offer a wide variety of iconic novelties from the past, all rescued from old stores, dusty warehouses, and closed factories. We have an entire section on our website devoted to Jokes, Novelties & Magic. These items were always low brow and low tech, but with the passage of time have become high art. In retrospect these items take on an innocence and charm that is irresistible. The passage of time has served to elevate yesterday’s junk into today’s treasures.
Recommended Reading:
Cheap Laffs, The Art of the Novelty Item, available at Shine Gallery.
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