Inkblots and Clouds

The Rorschach test, used for interpreting "ambiguous designs" to assess an individual's personality, goes back to Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. However, Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach (1884-1922) was the first to establish a systematic approach to a psychometric examination in 1921. Rorschach's art education helped develop a set of patterned inkblots to determine an individual's perception of objects, shapes, or scenery into meaningful things. During testing the individual describes what they see in each one with a therapist interpreting the person's answers appropriately. The most common being faces or other pattern forms in nature that are not obvious at the outset. Trained artists or graphic designers may find it easier to guess a "hidden" picture. The interpretations of cloud formations might yield additional results of personality or creativity traits. Appropriate as weather permits.

The Rorschach test is best used for subjects aged five to adulthood. There are ten ambiguous inkblots, each printed on a separate white card, each near-perfect bilateral symmetry. Rorschach experimented with both asymmetric and symmetric images before choosing the latter. While symmetry has a disadvantage in that it may result in stereotypical answers, it also makes conditions the same for right and left-handed subjects and it facilitates interpretation for certain blocked subjects. Symmetry makes possible the interpretation of whole scenes.

Today, the Rorschach is merely a relic of psychology's past, simply pseudoscience, and its usefulness is debatable. Different psychologists might draw different findings from the same data suggesting the results are subjective rather than objective. Certain United States courts deem the test inadmissible. The controversy regarding the Rorschach test may center on the word "appropriate." Trained and skilled professionals must utilize the test in an appropriate manner, in the appropriate settings, and to answer appropriate clinical questions. It is still most useful for diagnosing schizophrenia, Hermann Rorschach's original intent.

See all 10 RORSCHACH inkblots.

Give 'Em The Ol' St. Louis Shoe

The Brown Shoe Company began in 1878 as a partnership among three St. Louis businessmen: George Brown, the lead partner, Alvin Bryan, and Jerome Desnoyers. St. Louis was the midwest hub of the shoe manufacturing business and with new rail lines through the city, shipping could be done to all parts of the country. Buster Brown shoes were made from the thickest, most durable leather resulting in weeks to break them in. Many parents just hoped the higher cost paid off by the end of the school year. 

At the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the Brown Shoe Company built a model of their factory so visitors could witness how shoes were made. An employee came upon Richard F. Outcault, the cartoonist famous for his new comic strip, "Buster Brown," featuring an ornery child with a blonde pageboy haircut and a dog. Outcault was paid $200 for licensing rights to use the Buster Brown name and image on the insoles of children’s shoes. The company adopted the mascot almost immediately. The Brown name was purely a coincidence but the destiny proved fruitful. For the girls, the shoe was Mary Jane, the sister of Buster. Other brands from the World’s Fair began competing in children's footwear including Red Goose Shoes and Poll Parrot.

After several decades of acquisitions and divestitures, in 2015 the Brown Company was rebranded as Calares. In addition to the family brands that sell in stores and online via their Famous Footwear name, Caleres groups their footwear into two other categories—shoes for healthy living, including Naturalizer, Dr. Scholl’s Shoes, LifeStride, Bzees, and Rykä. The second category caters to fashion—Sam Edelman, Franco Sarto, Via Spiga, Vince, Diane von Furstenberg (DVF), Carlos by Carlos Santana and Fergie Footwear. The company is one of the largest shoe companies with worldwide annual sales of nearly $2.5 billion. I have yet to discover whether the Buster Brown name still exists.

Perhaps you were fitted for Buster Brown shoes as a youngster using a Brannock  foot measuring tool. Once placing the foot on the high-tech-appearing device, the salesman would slide a "nob" along the inner side of the foot. It usually tickled when it slid by my foot. Designed in 1927, the Brannock Device remains the standard for the footwear industry.

Note: Speculation suggests the "Buster" name came from the popularity of Buster Keaton (1895-1966) while a child actor in vaudeville with his parents in the early 1900s. Though notable for his physical comedy even then, the Keaton legend was anchored some twenty years later. Roger Cushman Clark (1899–1995) may be the "original model" for the Buster Brown character, however.

They Call Me Speedy

Alka-Seltzer is an antacid and pain reliever. Its effervescent "fizzing" tablets release active ingredients when dissolved in water. Developed by head chemist Maurice Treneer, it was first marketed by Dr. Franklin L. Miles of Miles Laboratories fame in Elkhart, Indiana in 1884. Print advertising was used immediately, and by 1932 the radio show Alka-Seltzer Comedy Star of Hollywood began, along with many more. The radio sponsorships continued into the 1950s, with the Alka-Seltzer Time show airing from 1949 to 1957. Miles Laboratories was purchased by Bayer in 1979.

Alka-Seltzer's "Speedy" character was introduced in 1951. His body was made of one Alka-Seltzer tablet, while he wore another as a hat. It was conceived by Chicago's Wade Advertising Agency (1909-1966) and designed by illustrator Wally Wood. Originally named Sparky, the name was changed to Speedy to align with that year's promotional theme, "Speedy Relief". Speedy appeared in over 200 television commercials between 1954 and 1964. Actor Buster Keaton (above) assumed various occupations for a series of commercials with the mascot. The ads through the 1970s were among the most popular of the 20th century in the United States. Adding to the success was Speedy's jingle, "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is" with an adult providing a child-like cartoon voice. Speedy was resurrected a few times over the coming decades. In 2008 Alka-Seltzer began a series of new commercials featuring the character using modern computer graphics.

First In Color. With Help.

Admiral Corporation Inc. is best known worldwide for its home appliances and electronics. The company was originally known as the Transformer Corporation of America and by 1929 it was the biggest supplier of radio parts in the world. The Great Depression took its toll and Ross Siragusa, founder, was forced to declare bankruptcy. Later in 1934, he purchased the “Admiral” trademark, which officially became Admiral Corporation America Inc. in 1936.

Admiral’s global operations started in 1946 with the opening of its factory in Toronto, Canada with subsequent region entities in Mexico, Italy, Taiwan and India. By 1966 the company had a staff of over 14,000 with operations in 110 countries. In 1952 the U.S. National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) set a goal of creating an “industry color system.” At the end of 1953, Admiral introduced their first electronic color television system, the C1617A (pictured above) using a 15-inch tri-color 15GP22 CRT and other components by RCA. Sales were understandably dismal at a cost of $1,175 ---over $13,000 today--- a limited production run, and no color broadcasting. It would take about a decade for color sets to become profitable. Admiral’s overall sales revenue sky-rocketed to $414 million in 1966.

Acquired by Rockwell International in 1973, its appliance division was sold to Magic Chef, Inc., which was then acquired by the Maytag Corporation in 1986.  Whirlpool Corporation acquired Maytag in 2006. Under Whirlpool, the Admiral brand became exclusive to The Home Depot. During the 1990s, the Admiral brand name was being used on Zenith products, and for Montgomery Ward as well as VCRs made by Sharp. The television business continues with AOC International, originally Admiral Overseas Corporation, an international brand of LCD and HDTV display devices.