Murray's Jewellers wanted to be known for more than just fine jewellery- this slide (seen at the cinema) highlights their expertise in watches and clocks. The clock pictured was a popular mantlepiece design from the 1940s and 1950s, as is the ladies watch.  

A fine timepiece was an expensive purchase so when they wore out they were often repaired rather than replaced. MAVtech has cinema advertising slides from quite a few clock repairers which shows the demand for this service. 

If you look closely at the watch in the ad you'll notice that the hands are set near ten minutes past ten. Most ads for analogue watches show this time as it looks like a smiley face. Studies have shown that it makes people view the product more favourably- and it was first widely used in the 1950s! Was this ad one of the first in New Zealand to use this trick? You can find out more about the effect via the link below...

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/science-says-1010-hands-in-watch-ads-are-a-subliminal-soft-sell

No details can be found at the time of writing about Murray's Jewellers but their address suggests they traded in Levin- as does the fact that this slide was found amongst others from the town. This is one of many slides MAVtech has from Murray's Jewellers so they must have either been very popular or wanted to be! 

This slide proclaims that Murray's were specialists in diamond rings- and another one of their slides (searchable on Kete) is advertising them.

Interflora is a worldwide organisation which transports flowers. Founded in the 1920s, they now handle seventy five orders a minute for 58,000 shops in around 140 countries! The Interflora name has been around since 1953.

In 1954 shop was built in Levin's Oxford Street for florist Jean Findlay and she was still occupying it in 1981. According to an old jubilee publication, Jean Findlay's shop was recessed back from the street in anticipation of road widening. This slide was shown in cinemas (usually at the end of intermission) and it looks like Interflora made a generic florist's slide with a space at the bottom for details of the local business. Quite a few organisations (such as cosmetics companies) did this. 

This slide probably dates from the 1960s judging by it's 'widescreen' format. Sending flowers anywhere in the world from Levin must have been quite the news back then! Compared to many of the slides in MAVtech's collection this one does not make use of colour. However, that may have helped it stand out when it was first screened.

A 1950s advertisement (also on Kete) for Findlay's shop has the Interflora logo.

Print advertisements for Langtry's Pharmacy date back to the 1950s and they were in the government Register of Pharmacies in 1960 (although at the different address of 281 Oxford Street at that time).  Langtry was at one location on Oxford Street (probably 177) between 1962 and 1967. MAVtech has another Langtry's slide from a similar era as this one which advertises Kodak photographic film (also searchable on Kete). 

Shiseido was founded in Tokyo by  Arinobu Fukuhara in 1872. At first it was a pharmacy chain, but it started producing cosmetics in 1916. It began selling products outside of Japan from 1957.  A similar slide from Langtry's advertises Shiseido's 'Koto' perfume which was launched in 1967 and it is likely that this slide is from around the same time. 

The model in this slide looks to the side and away from the viewer. This is an 'objective' pose which minimises a 'connection' with the viewer and her eyes lead toward the text and it's 'promise of beauty'.  In this slide Langtry's is merely a stockist- it is Shiseido which is the main product here.

In the late 1960s there were a lot of films which featured a (very stereotyped!) version of 'the mystic East'- with the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice' being a notable example released in 1967- the same year as 'Koto'. A nice bit of marketing from a local business- or just a coincidence? Either way, products which offered a slice of the 'life' seen on screen were bound to be big sellers.

 

According to a 1980s Levin Jubilee publication, the first sports centre at 313 Oxford Street opened around 1937 and passed through various owners until Rex Cederwall bought it in 1962. He in turn sold it in 1969. In 1981 the business was still trading, but in a different location.

A common saying in 1960s New Zealand was that the country was build upon 'Rugby, Racing and Beer'. The number of pubs and sports centres in 1960s Horowhenua seems to support this assertion and MAVtech holds an old music record based around these three 'past-times'. 

Little surprise that rugby was one of the sports pictured (along with soccer) with other sports having a bullet point only.

While this slide is for a Palmerston North business, Leader & Watt have since opened branches in both Levin and Foxton. But what makes this slide more interesting is what it says about how the Kiwi idea of 'home' was seen.

In postwar New Zealand home ownership was booming. In fact, owning a home was seen as a rite of passage and if you didn't own one by the time you were forty you were seen as rather suspect. Owning a home also meant maintaining it- the Black & Decker portable drill was invented in 1916 and has since gone through many different versions. This slide suggests that it would make a perfect gift for someone who has their own home (a young family starting out in their first home would need power tools- and fast!).

But this drill was sold to men- with the vision of the 'man of the house' being responsible for fixing and extending the home then accepted as normal. Until a couple of years ago a powertool retailer had a radio jingle saying that their stores were '...a man's world' showing that these outdated ideas have lingered.....

'Shop Local' campaigns are not just a modern thing! Long before the internet made your computer a virtual department store, the motor car was quite literally driving people away from the local Main Street and into the big cities. Small cinemas often carried ads for local shops and in this Ashhurst example, a slide screened before these ads had a general 'shop local' message.

Who paid for this slide? The local business owners? The cinema manager- who got commission on every cinema advertising slide bought? Or was it a local business association who convinced the cinema manager to make a 'free slide' for the good of the town? We may never know. But we do know that by the 1970s many local cinemas had closed down as a night out became a night out of town. Many Horowhenua towns did not escape this trend.

According to a 1981 Jubilee Issue of the 'Horowhenua Chronicle', Lambles Ltd. had a shop on Oxford Street between 1960 and 1968, which looks to be the era of this slide. The house in the picture would have been very trendy in the 1960s with a large fireplace surrounded by interior brick.

Levin's Regent Theatre was also on Oxford Street, so it was just a short walk from the screening down to Lambles for the latest in carpet and furnishings! 

 Print advertisements for Langtry's Pharmacy date back to the 1950s and they were in the government Register of Pharmacies in 1960. Online records suggest that Langtry's shop was demolished in 1975 (however, they moved at least once based off Kete documents) MAVtech has another Langtry's slide from a similar era as this one which advertises Kodak photographic film (also searchable on Kete) as well as one advertising perfume. 

The 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand stated that a pharmacist had two years of academic training followed by a two year apprenticeship- but the University of Otago was about to launch a bachelors degree which would cut the apprenticeship down to one year. This combination of a degree and a one year internship is still used today- although the University of Auckland also offers a relevant degree.

This is one of multiple cinema advertising slides on Kete Horowhenua from Barnao's Music Shop.

Barnao's Music Shop was trading in Levin from 1962-1988. It was the passion of Giuseppe Antonio Barnao whose love of music began when we was gifted a clarinet in 1942. He worked in a music shop the following year and his talents saw him join dance bands and serve as an Army Bandsman. He was a member of Levin bands for decades. A web search will reveal lots of archived interviews and articles about Mr. Barnao. Barnao's shop printed advertising sleeves for the records they sold. The reference to 'the swinginest music store in town' would date this slide to the 1960s/very early 1970s! This slide would have been used to advertise the shop during a film at the cinema. 

Foxton's Busy Bee Dairy was a fixture of the town on State Highway One. In late 2022 it moved from the highway to a building in Foxton's Main Street. 

The old dairy was full of advertising and has been photographed many times by travellers passing through. Local photographer Jacob Brookie heard about the dairy's relocation and wanted to take a photograph of the Coca-Cola bottle painted on the side of the building before it was demolished. The photograph was taken in August 2022.

It is a strange combination of advertising for a massive global company which was probably made by a local painter!

Jacob used a 1957 Lipca Rollop Automatic camera to take this photograph. This camera takes twelve photographs per roll of 120 format film, with the photographer composing the photograph by looking down into a hood on the top of the camera. 

A feature of Foxton for many years, the 'Foxton Trading Post' second hand shop closed in Winter 2022. Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photo of the shop's front entrance just before it closed down for good in an effort to preserve this part of the Main Street.

Jacob used a 1934 Rolleicord to take this photograph. The Rolleicord was the budget version of the Rolleiflex camera and was made for amateur photographers. Nonetheless, it was well built and had a quality lens and shutter. 

This is one of multiple cinema advertising slides made for the Sharon Beauty Salon.

This local Levin business appears to have a long history. There is a record of it existing as early as the 1940s, run by a Mrs. Weir. In 1981 the business was still there (but there is no record of who owned it by that stage).This cinema advertising slide would have been screened during intermission- but only for a few seconds to avoid the projector's heat cracking the glass! In the era before television, going to the cinema was a frequent past time and if you paid extra to be seated upstairs in the 'dress circle' you generally dressed in nice clothes. What better audience to advertise hair tinting and razor cutting! Imagine this ad stretching over a cinema screen- now that would be impact.... 

This is the second slide from Rachelle Gowns, and they both seem to follow a seasonal theme. The first slide (searchable on Kete, just type in 'Rachelle Gowns' in the search bar) had an autumn theme- but the daffodils on this slide seem to symbolise a spring collection.

The New Zealand Companies Register shows that Rachelle Gowns was incorporated on the 26th of November, 1962 and was dissolved in 1990. Going to the cinema was a lot less formal in the 1960s than it was decades earlier- but you didn't want to be scruffy! 'God Save The Queen' still played before each screening and stayed that way until the end of the decade. Newsreels also gave the cinema a more formal atmosphere of education as well as entertainment.  That, and the overseas fashions in 1960s films would have made the cinema the perfect place to advertise. 

Rachelle Gown's slide would most likely have been screened during the end of intermission. Kete Horowhenua also has a 1981 print ad from this business which can be seen here https://horowhenua.kete.net.nz/item/7ca73eeb-f726-4eb7-bdaf-94015d0f92d8 

Print advertisements for Langtry's Pharmacy date back to the 1950s and they were in the government Register of Pharmacies in 1960 (although at the different address of 281 Oxford Street at that time). MAVtech has another Langtry's slide from a similar era as this one which advertises Kodak photographic film (also searchable on Kete). 

However, we know that this slide was later than the film one due to the product it advertises. The 'Koto' fragrance was launched in 1967 and you can still buy it today. According to a perfume website, the scents of 'Koto' are  Aldehydes, Green Notes, Spices and Citruses; middle notes are Narcissus, Orris Root, Gardenia, Rose, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are oak moss, Leather, Castoreum, Patchouli, Amber and Vetiver. 

In the late 1960s there were a lot of films which featured a (very stereotyped!) version of 'the mystic East'- with the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice' being a notable example released in 1967- the same year as 'Koto'. A nice bit of marketing from a local business- or just a coincidence? Either way, products which offered a slice of the 'life' seen on screen were bound to be big sellers.

Advertising certainly has changed! Homecraft Furnishers has a range of cinema slides uploaded on Kete and most of them have some rather offensive (and in one case sexist) depictions of Native Americans.

Homecraft furnishings had a store in Foxton in 1987, located on Main Street a few doors down from Clyde Street. The store was not present in 1985, so this is one of the 'newest' cinema advertising slides in MAVtech's collection. 

The company's Levin branch seems to have been present in 1981.

By the time this slide was made, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased to function as a cinema and wouldn't be re-established until it became home to the MAVtech Museum. It is almost certain that this slide was screened in Levin only.

Advertising certainly has changed! Homecraft Furnishers has a range of cinema slides uploaded on Kete and most of them have some rather offensive (and in this case sexist) depictions of Native Americans.

Homecraft furnishings had a store in Foxton in 1987, located on Main Street a few doors down from Clyde Street. The store was not present in 1985, so this is one of the 'newest' cinema advertising slides in MAVtech's collection. 

The company's Levin branch seems to have been present in 1981.

By the time this slide was made, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased to function as a cinema and wouldn't be re-established until it became home to the MAVtech Museum. It is almost certain that this slide was screened in Levin only.

Advertising certainly has changed! Homecraft Furnishers has a range of cinema slides uploaded on Kete and most of them have some rather offensive (and in one case sexist) depictions of Native Americans.

Homecraft furnishings had a store in Foxton in 1987, located on Main Street a few doors down from Clyde Street. The store was not present in 1985, so this is one of the 'newest' cinema advertising slides in MAVtech's collection. 

The company's Levin branch seems to have been present in 1981.

By the time this slide was made, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased to function as a cinema and wouldn't be re-established until it became home to the MAVtech Museum. It is almost certain that this slide was screened in Levin only.

This business is somewhat difficult to place in Foxton. Kete records show that 'Homecraft' was present on Foxton's Main Street in the 1970s before disappering in the early 1980s. However, the business was at the same location in 1987 (with a coffee bar in the location in between times). It is unknown if this is the same business owned by the same people, new ownership or an entirely new firm altogether. Both 'versions' of the company advertise locations in Foxton and Levin. The name of the company is slightly different from the 1980s version.

The style of this slide shows that this was the earlier, 1970s 'Home Craft'. The later slides can be distinguished by their printing and were made in the late 1980s. Unlike the simple interior scene shown here, the later Home Craft slides have some very different designs which wouldn't meet standards today! They too can be seen on Kete. 

A.W. Allen made a strong claim to have 'Foxton's Busiest Store'- although I am sure that the grocery shop would have challenged that statement! A.W. Allen Ltd still would have been very busy- it survived on the same Main Street location (right by Clyde Street) for decades. Kete records show it there in 1955 and still there in 1987. Company records suggest it was dissolved in 1991.

A.W. Allen Ltd also had a store in Levin, with newspaper records showing that it was trading as early as 1937. Those ads also proclaimed that it was 'Levin's Busiest Store!'  Did A.W. Allen retire and hand the business over? Or did he just like being very, very busy!

Foxton's Main Street has been trading for well over one hundred and fifty years. During that time businesses have come and gone, with most known today only through saved newspaper clippings and public records. Chung Wah is not one of those businesses. Its name is still boldly displayed on the front of it's original 1905 premises in Main Street (even though the business itself has long since closed).

Records show the greengrocers were in Foxton's Main Street from 1905 and they were still trading in 1960. Kete records do not show them trading after that date- but another greengrocer called 'Soo's' was located in the same shop in 1985.

There were a few mishaps in all those years of trading. A fire in 1912 gutted the shop but it was restored and carried on. In 1934 there was an earthquake and Chung Wah's window was broken and their wares spread around the ground!

For much of the 20th century there was always a specialist greengrocer or grocery shop in the Main Street.

Advertising slides like this one would have screened in the cinema near the end of intermission- just as patrons were taking their seats for the second half of the movie (when intermissions were phased out they sometimes shown before the film commenced). 

These ads were printed/painted on glass and were loaded into the projector for a few moments before the heat from the lamp cracked the glass. Some of these slides were detailed and used prints, photographs and visual humour. Others, like this one from A.M Fox, were basic. Given how briefly each slide was shown to the audience, oftentimes simple was best!

No information can be found online about this business- but based off the design of the slide it would have been made from the 1940s-early 1960s. New Zealanders bought 40 million cinema tickets a year by the late 1950s so this was a prime time to advertise. 

This is MAVtech's second cinema advertising slide from Foxton's Cochran's Cycles. The first slide dates to around the same era and promotes Raleigh bicycles. This particular slide shares the virtues of Hercules brand bikes. The company had a float at the 1955 Foxton Centennial Parade which showed both ranges of product. Funnily enough, this slide tells viewers that Hercules bikes were 'The Finest Bicycle Built Today' while the Raleigh machines were advertised on THEIR slide as coming from 'The Greatest Name In Cycling'. 

I'd assume they weren't shown side by side!

The Raleigh slide and the parade photographs are all available on Kete.

 Records on Kete Horowhenua show the Foxton Shoe Company located on Main Street in 1950 and 1955 (but it may have existed before and after those dates). They were located just to the right of the Whyte Street intersection (from the perspective of Whyte Street). 

For those who think 'back to school sales' are a recent development this slide proves otherwise! The school uniform dates this ad to the 1950s (as does the satchel- no 'school bags' here...). Up until 1952 the Foxton District High School was located near the end of Main Street next to Ihakara Gardens. These buildings were still used for some secondary and primary classes for the rest of the decade. 

The students would not have had to walk far to get new shoes or see a film- Coronation Hall Cinema was located just a minute's walk from the school gates.

With the tagline 'A Lifetime Gift of Quality' this slide may well have been screened near Christmas. It, and slides just like it, were loaded into the projector near the end of intermission or (depending on the cinema) just before the film began. If left for more than a few seconds the heat from the projector's arc lamp would crack the slide. If you look just above the round watch face you can see a small crack on this slide. No doubt the cadet projectionist got a sound telling off about this!

The Levin branch of Parrington's advertised in the local paper in the 1950s (this slide would date to around then). There is no record of the Foxton branch on Kete's "Foxton 1888-1988 - Commerce". 

There is some uncertainty about the location of this business- but we do know something about a 'S.Mattar'. Kete records show an 'S. Mattar' trading on Main Street as a draper in 1930. In 1945 an 'S. Matter' was trading as a hairdresser alongside tobacconist 'L. Matter' on Foxton's Main Street (near the intersection with Whyte Street). By 1950 'L. Matter' was carrying on business as a hairdresser and tobacconist alone.

In the  MANAWATU TIMES, VOLUME LVI, ISSUE 5588, 28 FEBRUARY 1931, PAGE 2  an 'S. Mattar' was part of a team who retained a bowling title.

Did 'S. Mattar' have a shop of his own? Or was this watch part of a family business? At this stage that is uncertain. 

While the notion of a watch which can wind itself 'better than you can' may seem somewhat insulting at first, you cannot deny the convenience! There have been references to self winding watches dating back to the 1770s- wrist watches had this innovation from the late 1920s. 

Given the uncertainty around the business, the date for this cinema slide is very approximate.  

Not many people in Horowhenua may have gone to Raumati to buy a radio- but some will remember the PYE PZ69! This model was on the market in 1954 and had luxurious sound quality provided by six valves. Most radios only had five and budget models had to make do with four! This PYE also had the versatility of eight wave bands.

It cost thirty nine pounds, seventeen shillings and sixpence- the equivalent of over $1000 in today's inflation adjusted money. On top of that the owner had to pay an annual licencing fee to listen to their radio. This remained in place until 1971. However, cheaper radios at less than half the price were also available. 

PYE only started selling their radios in New Zealand the year before the PZ69 went on sale. These early models were based off English radio sets- but before long PYE NZ was designing their own and were buying a large share in their local partner AKRAD radio (based in Waihi). PYE even started selling televisions here in 1959. A bold move- given that the first public station was still a year away!

 There is some uncertainty about the location of this business- but we do know something about  'S.Mattar'. Kete records show an 'S. Mattar' trading on Main Street as a draper in 1930 (in 1932 identified as the 'Kosy Cash Drapery'). 1937 saw him selling golfing supplies on Foxton's Main Street. In 1945 an 'S. Matter' was trading as a hairdresser alongside tobacconist 'L. Matter' on Foxton's Main Street (near the intersection with Whyte Street). 

By 1950 'L. Matter' was carrying on business as a hairdresser and tobacconist alone. In the  MANAWATU TIMES, VOLUME LVI, ISSUE 5588, 28 FEBRUARY 1931, PAGE 2  an 'S. Mattar' was part of a team who retained a bowling title. Did 'S. Mattar' have a shop of his own? Or was he part of a broader family business? 

This is one of multiple slides from this business searchable on Kete. This one advertises Gillette razors. The 'Blue Blade' razor was introduced in the early 1930s- however this slide looks to be a lot later than this. The date is only a vague estimation on this one!

This business is somewhat difficult to place in Foxton. Kete records show that 'Homecraft' was present on Foxton's Main Street in the 1970s before disappearing in the early 1980s. However, the business was at the same location in 1987 (with a coffee bar in the location in between times). It is unknown if this is the same business owned by the same people, new ownership or an entirely new firm altogether. Both 'versions' of the company advertise locations in Foxton and Levin. The name of the company is slightly different from the 1980s version. 

This slide has the later logo design but the earlier 'style' of slide- so could have been a transition between the two eras for the company. The lady in green looks to be showcasing a very striking 1970s design which would suit a racetrack quite nicely! Homecraft knew how to advertise- they have many slides in MAVtech's collection.

However, few of them would have been shown in Foxton. By the late 1970s, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased being a regularly used cinema so they most likely would have been seen in Levin.

 W. Stuart Donnelly was a stalwart of Foxton's medical services. He began his career in the town working for pharmacist  Thomas Crotty  before buying his business. For a time an optician called at his chemist shop once a week- the only optician service the town had. Kete records show Donnelly's shop on Foxton's Main Street from 1960-1970. Records do not  show where his shop was before that time (records show that Donnelly owned a shop in 1952). He also appears to have owned a pharmacy in Levin. W. Stuart Donnelly was also the Mayor of Foxton Borough from 1972-1978. A photograph exists of him standing in his shop (this can be found on Kete by searching 'W. Stuart Donnelly'). 

The 'Gala' range of cosmetics seems to have been a popular line for Donnelly's business. This is the second cinema advertising slide featuring their products!

Who says cinema advertising had to be complicated? This slide, screened at the end of intermission, is as simple as can be! The Foxton Beach Store seemed to be the 'go to' place for everything- but in April 1928 it burned down in a fire. It is not known when this slide was made, but it could easily have been around this date given how simple it is!  A 1950s advertising guidebook stated that the screen advertising business was quite new in New Zealand.

One thing the slide does not mention is where the store was located (neither does the report on the fire). However, given how small Foxton is it was probably assumed that everyone knew anyway!