Johnson Smith Company
Encyclopedia
The Johnson Smith Company is a mail-order company officially established in 1914 by Alfred Johnson Smith in Chicago, Illinois, USA (but originally began in 1905 in Australia
) that sells novelty and gag gift items such as x-ray goggles, whoopee cushion
s, fake vomit
, and joy buzzer
s. The company moved to Bradenton, Florida
in 1986 after having been in the Detroit, Michigan
area since 1935 (and Racine, Wisconsin
before that).
The company would normally put ads in magazines devoted to children and young adults such as Popular Mechanics
and Science Digest
. Their ads appeared on the back cover of many historically significant comic books, including Action Comics
#1, June 1938 (first appearance of Superman) and Detective Comics
#27, May 1939 (first appearance of Batman).
In 1970, humorist Jean Shepherd
wrote the introduction
for the reprint of The 1929 Johnson Smith & Co. Catalogue.
In 2004, the company marked its 90th anniversary.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) that sells novelty and gag gift items such as x-ray goggles, whoopee cushion
Whoopee cushion
A whoopee cushion, also known as a poo-poo cushion and Razzberry Cushion, is a practical joke device, used in a form of flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling a raspberry or human flatulence. It is made from two sheets of rubber that are glued together at the edges...
s, fake vomit
Fake vomit
Fake vomit is a flat plastic disc with indentations and protrusions designed to look like mucus or vomit. It is a practical joke often used by pranksters to disgust victims....
, and joy buzzer
Joy Buzzer
A joy buzzer is a practical joke device that consists of a coiled spring inside a disc worn in the palm of the hand...
s. The company moved to Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
in 1986 after having been in the Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
area since 1935 (and Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
before that).
The company would normally put ads in magazines devoted to children and young adults such as Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
and Science Digest
Science Digest
Science Digest was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1986. It initially had an 8 x 5 inch format with about 100 pages, and was targeted at persons with a high school education level...
. Their ads appeared on the back cover of many historically significant comic books, including Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#1, June 1938 (first appearance of Superman) and Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#27, May 1939 (first appearance of Batman).
In 1970, humorist Jean Shepherd
Jean Shepherd
Jean Parker Shepherd was an American raconteur, radio and TV personality, writer and actor who was often referred to by the nickname Shep....
wrote the introduction
Introduction (essay)
An introduction is a beginning section which states the purpose and goals of the following writing. The introduction is usually interesting and it intrigues the reader and causes him or her to want to read on. The sentence in which the introduction begins can be a question or just a statement...
for the reprint of The 1929 Johnson Smith & Co. Catalogue.
In 2004, the company marked its 90th anniversary.
Johnson Smith Timeline
- 1885 – Alfred Johnson Smith is born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
- 1887 – Alfred and his family move to Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. As a young man, Alfred began a small mail-order business selling a complete line of rubber stamps through ads in popular magazines and by mailing circulars. - 1906–1907 – Marries Alice Elizabeth Evans. Moves to Sydney and starts a mail-order business selling rubber stamps and imported novelties of all kinds through a catalog.
- 1914 – Alfred Johnson Smith moves to ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to make his mark in America. He sells masks and whoopie cushions out of the trunk of his automobile, then through a 64-page catalogue of surprising novelties, puzzles, tricks, joke goods, and useful articles. Alice and their two young children (ages 6 and 1) follow in a few months. Johnson Smith Company still sells whoopee cushions, rubber chickenRubber chickenA rubber chicken is a prop used in comedy. The phrase is also used as a description for food served at speeches, conventions, and other large meetings, and as a metaphor for speechmaking.-Comedy:...
s, joy buzzers, and x-ray glasses today. - 1922 – Johnson Smith Catalog grows to 400 pages, employing more than 150 people. The company is moved to Racine, WisconsinRacine, WisconsinRacine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
after Alfred fails at publishing a magazine that competed against The Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening PostThe Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. - 1923 – The catalog grows to 576 pages, with 100,000 copies being printed.
- 1923–1935 – Throughout the Depression, sales were minuscule. However, the catalog was still compiled and printed, providing a light-hearted diversion for thousands of families. Full-page ads showing new items were run in science, outdoor, detective, Western, and boys' magazines.
- 1935 – Alfred's son, Arthur, joins the business, followed by his other son Paul, the following year. Comic magazines become popular — Johnson Smith Co. becomes one of the first advertisers. Cartoonist H.T. Webster regularly copies Johnson Smith Co. items and descriptions from the catalog into The Katzenjammer Kids comics. Alfred moves the company to Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, hoping to market the catalog in Canada and British Colonies, but World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ends that dream. - 1941 – The last full-size catalog was published as the U.S. enters the war years. The company goes on a hiatus through 1946 due to lack of merchandise, personnel, paper, etc.
- 1948 – Alfred Johnson Smith dies at age 63.
- 1952 – Johnson Smith Co. publishes a 96-page catalog of 2,800 of its most popular items. Company sales and circulation increase, enabling the company to buy and sell merchandise for less.
- 1955 - Mad Magazine runs a zany lampoonParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Johnson Smith ads on the cover of its March/April issue that creates even more business. - 1966 – Paul Hoenle joins the company. Arthur Smith decides to retire as his health declines. Approximately 400 mail-order companies in the U.S. at this time.
- 1967 – Additional space is purchased in Detroit; the company resumes effort to find new merchandise, and comic and science magazine advertising resumes in earnest; the business begins to grow again; professional personnel are hired.
- 1967–1970 – 300,000 to 500,000 copies of the 96-page digest-size, black-and-white catalog are printed annually during this period. New technology and machinery is added to handle the increased number of orders. An IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
accounting computer is installed, updated versions of a coin sorter and paper-money counterCurrency-counting machineA currency-counting machine is a machine that counts money—either stacks of banknotes or loose collections of coins. Counters may be purely mechanical or use electronic components...
are added, a new letter-opening machineLetter openerA paper knife or letter opener is a knife-like object used to open envelopes or to slit uncut pages of books. Electric versions are also available, which work by using motors to slide the envelopes across a blade...
mechanizes opening of customer orders, including equipment to expedite shipping and handling. Mailing lists are placed on magnetic type. - 1970 – Jean ShepherdJean ShepherdJean Parker Shepherd was an American raconteur, radio and TV personality, writer and actor who was often referred to by the nickname Shep....
writes an introduction about the 1929 Johnson Smith Catalog, and suggests that the catalog "might well be the Rosetta StoneRosetta StoneThe Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
of American Culture." - 1971 – Johnson Smith Co. moves into a major new facility in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The company begins accepting telephone orders and honors most credit cards.
- 1971–1985 – Things You Never Knew Existed slogan is coined to describe the Johnson Smith Catalog. The company continues to advertise in Boy's LifeBoy's LifeBoy's Life is a 1991 novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert R. McCammon. It received the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1992....
, but other magazine advertisement is halted due to poor response. By 1980, Johnson Smith Catalog is published in four-color. Hot-selling items during this period include Star Trek PhaserPhaserPhaser may refer to:* Barber pole phaser is an analog synthesizer specially designed to create Shepard tones, an Auditory illusion.* Endosulfan, an organic compound* Phaser , in the Star Trek fictional universe...
Model Kits, The Mystery Top, Put-Put Boat, X-Ray Specs, Pink Panther Mug, and the M*A*S*H T-Shirt. More than one million Midget Bibles are sold in 1979, purchased by carnivals and handed out as an incentive for making a charitable donation. - 1979 – Company launches The Lighter Side.
- 1986 – Company moves to 54000 square feet (5,016.8 m²) facility in Bradenton, FloridaBradenton, FloridaBradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
, where it remains today. A management information specialist is hired to guide the installation and utilization of a "state of the art" mainframe computerMainframe computerMainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
system. - 1997 – E-commerce sites are launched for Things You Never Knew Existed (formerly known as the Johnson Smith Catalog) and The Lighter Side.
- 1998 – Betty's Attic, featuring nostalgic items is launched, along with its e-commerce website.
- 2000 – Clever Gear is launched, along with its e-commerce site. Ralph Hoenle is named President upon Paul's retirement. Paul remains chairman.
- 2003 – Full Of Life is launched, offering gear for the aging baby boomerBaby boomerA baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
s. www.HalloweenOnly.com is launched as a result of strong HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
merchandise sales experienced by the company. Additional 15000 sq ft (1,393.5 m²) of space is rented. - 2004 – A proactive public relationsPublic relationsPublic relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
campaign, The Art of Having Fun, is launched to build consumer awareness of key brands. - 2005 – 40 Below, the company's first outlet storeOutlet storeAn outlet store or factory outlet is a brick and mortar or online retail store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowing customers to watch the production process like in the...
, is opened in Bradenton.
Catalogs
- Johnson Smith Catalog (1907)
- Things You Never Knew Existed (1979)
- The Lighter Side (1979)
- Betty's Attic (1998)
- Clever Gear & Other Smart Innovations (2000) (As of late 2005, Clever Gear catalog is no longer printed. It is strictly online.)
- Full of Life (2002)
- HalloweenOnly.com (2003)
External links
- Official website
- Things You Never Knew Existed
- The Lighter Side Co.
- Betty's Attic
- Full Of Life
- HalloweenOnly.com
- Tribute to the Johnson Smith Company on X-Entertainment
- Johnson Smith Company on Retroland
- Dead medium: Kids' Dead Media 1929: The Mirrorscope, the Vista Chromoscope, the Rolmonica, the Chromatic Rolmonica, some products from the 1929 and 1947 catalogs