Daily Photo — “”Broadway Advertising”, 1937″
Use the photos posted in this feature for writing prompts, warm-up activities, drawing templates or as part of a photo analysis.
Here is a fun “then and now” photo, showing a Manhattan storefront in 1937 with the plethora of accompanying signage and distinctive architecture. Today it is a very non-descript, generic Starbucks (See below) [GOOGLE MAPS]
May 7, 1937. “William Goldberg, 771 Broadway, Manhattan.” 8×10 gelatin silver print by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Art Project.
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THEN:

NOW:

Tags: 1930s, advertising, architecture, business, history, New York City, then and now, warm-ups, writing
Famous People’s First Jobs
We all have to start somewhere! Before they were famous, all these people had some rather un-glamorous jobs. Remember that it is extremely rare to start off as the CEO of a major company, or even in a private office at one, but through lots of hard work and dedication, anyone can succeed and become whatever they dream of becoming! [VIA]
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Happy Holidays!
Tags: business, careers, economics, infographic, insiptation, jobs, success
Daily Photo — “Soap Shopping, 1943”
Use the photos posted in this feature for writing prompts, warm-up activities, drawing templates or as part of a photo analysis.
May 1942. “Greenbelt, Maryland. Father and son shopping in the cooperative store.” Photo by Marjory Collins for the Resettlement Administration.
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Tags: business, father and son, history, home life, homefront, shopping, soap, warm-ups, World War II, writing, WWII
Daily Photo — “Diamond Battery, 1919”
Use the photos posted in this feature for writing prompts, warm-up activities, drawing templates or as part of a photo analysis.
This is another one of those fun “then and now” photos that make history come alive. I love the old storefront for a new type of business in 1919, electric motor batteries. It’s also interesting to see how the buildings across the street reflect in the windows. The building is still there, but the storefront has changed quite a bit. — [GOOGLE MAPS]
Washington, D.C., circa 1919. “Roy F. Carty.” Chief draftsman for the Shipping Board during the war, Roy went into business for himself in 1919 at 1407 14th Street N.W. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.
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Tags: 1910s, architecture, business, history, store, then and now, warm-ups, Washington DC, writing
The Largest Employers in Every State
If you have ever wondered what single business or entity employed the most people in your state, here’s a great map made by reddit user /u/iliadmusic in conjunction with Olivet Nazerene University. Each employer is shown, and where there is no single employer with more workers than active military personnel in the state, that is shown as well. Just look how Wal-Mart absolutely dominates the South!! [VIA]
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Tags: business, commerce, economics, employment, infographic, maps, reference, social studies, united states
20 Famous Brands That Have Undergone Successful Name Changes
Yesterday we took a look at how the logos of some famous corporations and brands have changed over the years, and you may have notices that some, like IBM and Firefox were radically different from their first to most recent logo. This isn’t because of a simple drastic re-design, but because those companies actually changed their names along the line. There are many reasons why companies and their brands will change names, usually because of a merger or sale along the way. In some cases the loss of a familiar name and iconic brand has sent consumers looking elsewhere, but in some cases, as shown here, they become much more successful than ever. [VIA]
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Tags: branding, brands, business, companies, corporations, design, economics, history, infographic, reference
The Evolution of Tech Company Logos
Corporate and company logos have been around for a long, long time. It’s how we are able to identify trusted brands, or to catchour eye to entice us to try something new. Technology is always evolving, as are the logos of some of the most established and recognized technology company logos. Today’s infographic takes a look at several well known and instantly recognizable logos and how they arrived at their current designs. [VIA]
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Tags: business, companies, corporations, design, graphic design, history, infographic, logo, reference, technology
Daily Photo — “People’s Drug, 1922”
Use the photos posted in this feature for writing prompts, warm-up activities, drawing templates or as part of a photo analysis.
I love photos like these that are a snapshot of a place at a moment in time. Even better, now that we have Google Maps and street view, we can see what they look like today and now much (or little) has changed. In this case, much has changed as the building seems to be completely gone, but still the property is used in the same way (almost) as a Vitamin Shoppe.– via Google.
What’s also very interesting here is how the merchandise is displayed and advertised, as opposed to drug stores/pharmacies today where you see more insurance and vaccination information in the windows than product.
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. “People’s Drug Store No. 8, 14th Street & Park Road.” National Photo Company Collection glass negative.
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Tags: 1920s, business, city life, drug store, history, pharmacy, retail, shopping, urban life, warm-ups, Washington DC, writing
Hand-Made v. Factory-Made
We live in an industrialized, automated, consumption society today, there’s no way around it. However, there has been a recent trend to try to lower your costs and expenses by buying hand-made products over those that are mass-produced. This infographic takes a look at some relative costs between similar hand-made items over those that are factory-produced. I know I will buy some things hand-made as boutique purchases, and they are generally higher quality, but you can’t deny the cost-effectiveness of the mass produced products either. [VIA]
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Tags: business, cost of living, costs, economics, history, industry, infographic, money, purchases, reference
The Oldest Businesses (continually operating) in Each State
Most businesses in the US had their start when the areas were first settled, if not when the state itself entered the Union. While many have closed for a variety of reasons over the years, come have survived for well over three centuries. This list hits jsut about every industry, so the term business is used in a general way here, so it’s also interesting to see that variety as well as the ages of the businesses themselves.
New Jersey’s entry, the Barnsboro Inn, is right in my backyard and I have eaten there many times! What’s your state’s oldest surviving business? [VIA]
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Tags: business, economics, history, industry, infographic, reference, sociology, us history, US states