Advertising Thermometer, Reverse Painted Silhouette, Newton Mfg., Antique

• Pattern:  Vintage Advertising Thermometer, Reverse Painted Silhouette - Child Playing with Doll, Collectible
• Made in USA
• Antique:  1900's - Dec 1920
• Details:   This is a wonderful piece of history, an advertising collectible from the early 1900's.  This one features a reverse painted silhouette, and an extremely rare image of a child playing dress-up (note the oversize shoes), serving tea to her doll as the family dog looks on, against a very pretty outdoor scene as background. The use of children in these reverse painted thermometers is very rare, mostly adults were featured.  There was a time when local service providers and large retailers, gifted items to their customers as part of their advertising strategy. Gasoline stations, plumbers, beauty salons, even large companies like Coca-Cola, have all gifted thermometers.  They figured these would not be thrown away as easily as a sign, so the practice continued well into the 1960's.  These became so popular as home decor and collectibles, that in the 1980's some companies made reproductions with a retro-feel.  This piece is a true original, NOT a reproduction.   We dated this piece based primarily on the phone number "48", (see below for details).  This is an advertisement for Costa Mesa Lumber Co. in Costa Mesa, CA, (no longer in business).  It is framed in an orange metal frame and has a hook on back for hanging.  The back reads:  Made by Newton Manufacturing Co, Newton, Iowa.   This piece is a great gift for an advertisement collector, or as part of your silhouette collection.
• Materials:  Metal, Glass, Paper and Mercury (inside the Thermometer)
• Dimensions:  4.5 inches in Diameter 
• Condition:  Vintage - Used.  Very Good Antique Condition. The cardboard backing has yellowed, has stains and discoloration.  There's also a small mark/stain by the company name, we believe this is on the inside of the glass.  All acceptable due to age/use/wear.  Please review all pictures and make sure you love this item before purchasing, we can't accept returns.  Please remember these are ANTIQUE and VINTAGE items, they are NOT new, every effort has been made to show any scratches, wear and tear and imperfections.  

The phone number system was introduced in 1880 with Operators dialing the desired number for the customer.  Older numbers had two or three digits. Later, four digits were used. In December 1920, as the phone company prepared for direct local dialing, all numbers became four digits.