Figure 1.--Sears here offered hand cars and Irish Mails in its 1919 catalog. The boys pictured with the cars are shown wearing kneepants outfits with long stockings. |
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The Sears catalog for 1919 contained advertisements for push cars and Irish Mails. The ads picture boys in kneepants outfits, mostly sailor suits. We are not sure how popular the hand cars were. We don't notice a lot of family snapshots with them. The name Irish Mail is interesting.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement
1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane te first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.
We notice American boys playing with push cars in the early 20th century. The rider on these push carts sat on a bar or more comfortable pltform. The cart was moved forward by pushing forward and pulling bacl on the handle. It was steered with the feet. We use the term "push cars", I think at the time these vehicles were popular, the term "Irish Mails" was more widely used. We use the term "push cars", I think at the time these vehicles were popular, the term "Irish Mails" was more widely used. They seemed to have been called Irish Mails. They seem to have evolved from vehicles used on early railroads and called at first velocipedes. The orogin of the term "Irish Mail" is not fully understood. Sears offered various models in its 1919 catalog. Most of our information is American. We know that they were popular with American children in the early 20th century. We are less sure about Europe.
This is an interesting advertisement with boys' clothes from the 1919 Sears catalog (p. 848) showing toys that appealed to boys at the time. We note the advertisement labeled "Hand Cars and Irish Mails". We are not sure how popular the hand cars were. We don't notice a lot of family snapshots with them.
The ad coipy read, "$4.98. Very large car for the price. Not as painstakingly constructed as the genuine Irish Mail cars, but still a good, big car for the money. Nicely painted and decorated. Length over all about 39 inches. Front wheet, 8 inches; rear wheels, 12 inches in diameter with 1/2 inch rubber tires. Suitable for child from about 6 to 12 years. Unmailable. Shpg. wt. about 25 lbs. Price $4.98. 79T8812 1/4.
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Genuine Irish Mail. $5.98. There is only one original "Irish Mail" hand car. This is it. Comes in two sizes. Without ball bearings. Nicely painted and decorated and substantially built of good grade materials. Has 1/4 inch rubber tires. Unmailable.
Genuine Irish Mail. Length over all about 41 inches.
Front wheels 8 inches, rear wheels 12 inches in diameter. For child 6 to 12 years old. Shipping wt., 32 lbs. 79T8802 1/4 -- Price $5.98.
Irish Mail Jr. for Smaller Children. Length over all, about 35 1/2 inches. Front wheels 8 inches, rear wheels 10 inches in diam. For child up to about 8 years. Shpg. wt. about 22 lbs. 79T8811 1/4 Price $5.47."
The ad copy read, "This hand car is built of heavy timber. Very susbtanially constructed throughout. Nicely painted and striped. Equipped with ball bearings and 3/4 inch rubber tires. Measures about 42 inches long over all. Front wheels are 10 inches and rear wheels 12 inches in diameter. Suitable for child from about 8 to 14 years old. Unmailable. Shpg. wt. about 33 lbs. 79T8813 1/4 -- Price $9.67."
Two of the boys are wearing sailor suits with knee pants and long stockings although it is interesting that already in 1919
the tan long stockings have begun to replace the older-style black stockings. Two of the boys wear tan stockings while only one boy wears black ones. The boy at the extreme left seems to wear a quasi-military outfit with two breast pockets, a belted blouse or jacket, and a neckerchief. The knee pants don't seem to have the usual buttons near the hem, but I could be mistaken about
this.
There was also `tricycles offered in the 1919 Sears catalog. Like the boys here, the boy in the tricycle ad wears a knnepants outfit with the lighter color of long stockings that were becoming popular.
A reader writes, "Many of the Irish that came to America worked on the railroads. They played a mjor role in building America's railway netwoerk. Many worked as labors laying track. The railroad handcar on one line became known as the “Irish Mail.” It may well be one of those casually derogatory terms. Like "paddy wagon". Except in that case it's not clear whether the "paddy" is the Irish cop who
drives it, or the drunken Mick riding in the back."
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