William Royal Greer

The L. A. Vitorie Company has issued a catalog of its product line written by William Royal Greer with sepia-toned photos and lovely embellishments to each page by illustrator Charles Calder. Each named product has a serial number for ease in ordering and a listed price. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the company name should make all clear. "The gems of American architecture" are outhouses, some very nice and some, how should I say it, a bit ramshackle. The publisher issued this in 1935 as an advertising giveaway for local companies, my copy being from a local lumber company.

The photos are interesting and at times hilarious, the text and names given even more so. For instance, the Billiken Twins was improved by staff engineer, I. F. Oolthebois. The Leaning Tower disturbs any sense of equilibrium; I wonder that it stands at all. It has a foolproof door. (It’s actually a stick that holds the door closed!) There is a portable model that fits on the back of a houseboat or RV, a two-story model, a Sportsman on wheels, and a Tropical with no sides for maximum ventilation. Modern “job johnnies” just can’t compete.

This is definitely a slice of American humor for those that can appreciate it.… (mehr)