Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A Merriam-Webster advertisement


[Life, November 15, 1937. Click for a larger view.]

I like the idea of a hat-holding man asking a librarian, and a college president, and a newspaper editor, and a bookseller for dictionary advice, even if the illustration makes the hat-holder look like a representative of the local loan shark. “Time? I’ll give you time — in the hospital!”

I invested in a Webster’s Second (a 1954 copy) a year ago. No loan sharks were involved. I’ve cited this beautiful, dowdy dictionary in at least a dozen posts. I like having both the Second and the Third in the same room. Sparks sometimes fly.

Here are three more Merriam-Webster ads, from 1965, 1966, and 1967.

Related reading
All OCA dictionary posts (Pinboard)

comments: 2

Slywy said...

When I was young and thought one day I might have disposable income, my plan was to dispose some of it on the Oxford compact. Now I have it, but I procrastinated. I should look for used . . .

Michael Leddy said...

It seems to show up at library sales for very little money. It was a long-standing Book of the Month Club selection — there must be many copies floating around. Good hunting!