WWII Ethyl Gasoline Advertising Booklet

[Ethyl Corporation]

‘What’s in a Name?’ [1942 WWII Ethyl Gasoline Advertising Booklet] [Illustrated Corporate Ephemera]

A compact and visually engaging example of mid-century corporate advertising, issued during the Second World War by the Ethyl Corporation, a major producer of tetraethyl lead fuel additives.

Framed as a light, educational booklet exploring the meanings and origins of personal names, the publication subtly promotes Ethyl’s role in improving gasoline performance for both civilian and military applications.

The text blends onomastic curiosity with period illustration, while a concluding section shifts toward wartime messaging—highlighting Ethyl’s contribution to aviation fuel and mechanized transport, linking the brand to American industrial strength and military success.

An example of 'soft-sell' advertising, where educational content is used to build brand familiarity and trust, characteristic of 1940s corporate publishing.

SPECS: Stapled wraps; 5 by 6.5 inches; 28 pages; illustrated throughout. New York: Ethyl Corporation, 1942. Second Edition.

CONDITION: The bindings are secure. Text is clean with light, even age-toning. Moderate surface soiling to the wraps and a small upper front corner closed tear near the spine. Remains a solid, complete example.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFNCE —
A desirable piece of WWII-era petroleum advertising ephemera, appealing across automotive, industrial, and graphic design collecting fields.

Genres: Advertising ephemera, corporate publications, wartime print culture
Subjects: Ethyl Corporation, gasoline additives, WWII industrial production, automotive history, name etymology, mid-century graphic design

Item #21766

Price: $20.00