Meyercord Decals
Vintage style out of a Chicago factory
I follow Atomic Age Vintage, a local seller who vends GREAT stuff1. While on a road trip, she posted a photo of vintage Meyercord decals on her Instagram stories:
According to The Antique Advertising Expert, George Meyercord started the company in 1896 in Chicago, IL. It started out as a decal manufacturer and eventually made advertising signs.
The decals did not start out as the stickers we know. They did not have sticky backings until later in production, but rather were soaked in water before application.
In 1952, Meyercord sales were expected to hit $10 million, and kids were apparently calling the decals “cockomamies” (what the heck) and pasting them to their arms as tattoos.2
I can’t find when they shut down, but the designs were gorgeous and I’m happy to share them with you.
The following are from Arlene Taylor’s papers with the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. She was an interior decorator. Her bio notes that she “introduced the decal and plastic tiles as decorating elements”.
Meyercord Co. Decal advertising, ca. 1939, from the Arlene Taylor papers, [ca. 1938-1965]
Meyercord Co. decal brochure, 1940 Oct. 1, from the Arlene Taylor papers, [ca. 1938-1965]
Meyercord Co. decal catalog, 1946, from the Arlene Taylor papers, [ca. 1938-1965]:
The Meyercord Co. Decal catalog, 1952, from the Arlene Taylor papers, [ca. 1938-1965]
There is a wide variety of vintage deadstock in the usual online places.
Here are a few of them. They aren’t all dated with years, but sometimes the price is a giveaway.
I even found an Etsy user that offers digitally restored imagery, specializing in decals. Emmaline’s Vintiques - Meyercord collection.
Could we see a Meyercord sticker book in our future? I hope so.
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