Martin's Fireworks Company. Manufacturers of Real Fireworks Displays

Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1932. Wraps. Very Good. 4to. 32 pp., plus wrap covers. Two leaves -- four pages -- on a glossy paper, the balance on more of a pulp stock. Eleven pages with some illustration, including side or sidebar decoration. Some color illustration. Sidebars -- vertical decorative bands, are monochromatic but beguiling, with such things as an acrobatic monkeyor a descending clown holding up an umbrella. A vast variety of firework products, here on offer with evocative, fun and/or creative names suggestive of how one might perceive the effect, and the illustrations here sometimes seek to actualize the fantasy, with, for instance, the illustration (truncated) for "Daylight fireworks" showing a sky crowded with flags, banners, parachutes and an arm outstretched Uncle Sam. The fireworks are on offer also at a wide range of prices, and some are also on sale at clearance pricing. Other products in the catalogue include such things as a torch holder for cars, holders for canoe pageants, and parade sparklers. And most interestingly, the company also has a roster of clowns and performers one can hire for a "Great Pyrotechnic Circus and Menagerie", with monikers such as Goofy Gus, Susy Robot and the Whoopee Clown. No copies of this exact catalogue found, but two copies found for other years show up on OCLC First Search -- Hagley has a '35 catalogue, Iowa State, a '31. Some color illustrations, on glassy leaves. Moderate soiling and light wear. (Inventory #: 007603)