Summary
Folded pamphlet advertising products which could be exchanged for Velvet soap cut-out coupons, or 'crosses' as they were called. The coupons came with cakes (bars) of Velvet soap, used for hand-washing clothes. Crosses came in three different colours, with different values: brown, the lowest value; blue; and black, the highest value.
The pamphlet offered a range of products: bath towels, a glass cloth, a breakfast cloth, a pillow slip, jug and goblet water sets, glass mixing bowls, 'Agee' pyrex casserole and 'entree' dishes, a bread board and knife, an egg beater, glass measuring jugs, a 'hair broom', salt box, 'Empire Ware' crockery, cutlery, handkerchiefs and a billy can. These and other 'gifts' were available for collection from the Lintas Gift Depot, Yoffa House, 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (now occupied by the Adelphi Hotel) on the surrender of the coupons and a 'coupon application' to be cut out from the pamphlet. 'Depots' for goods were also located in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong, or goods could be redeemed by mail. The supply of 'free gifts' as a Velvet soap promotion by J. Kitchen and Sons was advertised in Australian newspapers from the early 1930s (and possibly earlier); as late as 1942 the Argus newspaper was still advertising the free Velvet gifts.
Donated to Museum Victoria with a collection of material reflecting the economic life of the donor's parents, who lived in suburban East Malvern, in south-east Melbourne.
Physical Description
Quarto size pamphlet printed in blue ink with text and line illustrations of domestic items such as tea towels, jugs, bowls, salt and pepper shakers and a 'breakfast cloth'. Folded in four.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mrs Kathryn MacKinnon, 03 Apr 2014
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Date Printed
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Organisation Named
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Organisation Named
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Inscriptions
Printed in blue ink on face of the pamphlet: 'Keep this list for reference / FREE GIFTS / for users of / VELVET SOAP...' VELVET GIFT DEPARTMENT, / J. Kitchen & Sons Pty. Ltd., / Box 10, P.O., Port Melbourne.' Extensive text follows throughout.
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Classification
Commerce & retailing, Direct selling - cleaning goods, Advertising
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
125 mm (Width), 185 mm (Height)
Dimensions of the document when folded
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Overall Dimensions
248 (Width), 369 (Height)
Dimensions of the document when unfolded
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References
Advertising. (1942, May 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 3. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from [Link 1] Damian Veltri, 'Kitchen, John Ambrose (1835-1922)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, [Link 2] published first in hardcopy 2005, accessed online 30 January 2015
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Keywords
Soaps, Advertisements, Commerce, Domestic Economy, Retail Sales, Retailing, Promotional Materials, Pamphlets, Women's Role