This picnic cooler is most likely from the 1960s. This is based on the logo design, as I was unable to find another cooler like this as reference. It has a great toolbox design to it, making this durable cooler useful in a garage or as an airline cooler.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Originally the Atlas 18 was available with a sandwich tray. There is a bottle opener and a drain located on the side of the cooler, and interlocking handles on the top. Atlas also manufactured a variety of other items including ice cream vending machines and household fans. These picnic coolers are not only very collectible, but are a lot of fun to use today for picnics or tailgate parties.

Dimensions: 17”L x 9 1/4”W x 15 1/2”H
Capacity: 18 bottles
Produced: 1950s

Manufactured by:

Atlas Tool & Mfg. Co.

5147 Natural Bridge Blvd.

St. Louis, Missouri

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This picnic cooler has an enameled steel exterior as well as a galvanized liner. On the interior there would have been a sandwich tray but it’s had to find a cooler today with the original tray. There are two handles on the cooler (one on the lid, one on the sides) that lock together for carrying. There’s also a convenient bottle opener mounted on the side, as well as a cap catcher on the cart. This cooler holds up to 32 bottles, as well as room for storing food above the bottles on the sandwich tray. This design was great, since it would keep the sandwiches above the bottles and ice, so the food could stay cool, but dry. There is also additional space on the rack below for uncooled bottle storage or empties.

Dimensions: 19”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The Universal Cooler Corporation was a division of the International Detrola Corporation of Detroit, Michigan. Other Detrola-owned companies were manufacturers of radios, washing machines, furniture and machine tools. In 1950 the Universal Cooler Corp. was acquired by the Tecumseh Products Company of Tecumseh, Michigan.

Dimensions: Approx. 11” diameter x 12” high

Manufactured by:
Universal Cooler Corp.
Marion, Ohio

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This picnic cooler for Dr. Pepper was manufactured, we believe by Progress. It appears to be a rare example, since we’ve been unable to locate any in reference books or online. If you can share anything about this cooler, please add your comments.

The slogan, “Good For Life” appears on the front of the cooler and was used on Dr. Pepper products throughout the 1940s. This picnic cooler has a unique fastening clamp to hold the lid in place. In addition, there is a bottle opener positioned on the side of the cooler, and a drain plug on the front.

Produced: 1940s
Manufactured by: Progress?

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is a little German Coca-Cola picnic cooler that we restored. It was small—about the size of a Progress airline cooler and able to hold about 6 bottles. Unlike the Progress cooler, the lid comes completely off and there are no hinges. “Trink Eiskalt” translates as you might guess, to “Drink Cold”. We’re unsure of the manufacturer or the date, but would guess it is a 50’s piece.

This Progress A1 picnic cooler is referred to as the “tall” version. It shares the same dimensions in width and length as the smaller A1 coolers, but this model is 2 ½ inches taller. It has a 38-bottle capacity and is embossed with the Red Rock Cola brand. Red Rock was a soda brand founded in 1885 by Lee Hagan and G. T. Dodd of Atlanta, Georgia. When they started the Red Rock Company their first soda flavor was ginger ale. In 1894 they added a cola to their line that was sold in 12-ounce bottles. In their early days, Red Rock was a leader in soda distribution, but by the late 50’s their business was in serious decline. Today the distribution rights to Red Rock Cola are owned by American West Beverages of Kennesaw, Georgia.

Unrestored Progress A1 Cooler

Dimensions: 19L x 13”W x 21 ½”H
Produced: Late 40’s to 50’s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is a 1950s picnic cooler made by the Progress Refrigerator Company for the makers of Squirt soda. This Progress A1 picnic cooler was made of steel with a galvanized liner. They originally came with a sandwich tray, but today it is hard to find examples with these intact. Squirt is one of the many soda companies Progress produced coolers for. They also manufactured the A1 cooler for the makers of Canada Dry, Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper and Barq’s. Some of the cooler’s features are two handles that lock together for carrying and a side-mounted bottle opener. There’s also a handy drainage spout positioned on the front for dispensing the water once the ice has melted. This model was able to hold up to 24 bottles of soda in addition to the food that would have been placed on the sandwich tray above, keeping is nice and dry.

Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 19”H
Weight: 33 lbs.
Produced: Late 1940s to early 1950s

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

This is a picnic cooler made by the Progress Refrigerator Company in the 1950s. It is embossed with the Canada Dry logo and this model is referred to as the Progress A1. Canada Dry is just one of the many companies Progress produced coolers for. Some of the other soda companies they made coolers for were Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper, Squirt and Barq’s. The cooler is made of steel with two handles that locked together for carrying the cooler. There is a bottle opener mounted on the side and a drainage spout on the front. This model was built to hold 24 bottles of soda. Collectors will be aware that A1s with the Canada Dry embossing are not that easy to find. Some years ago we restored this cooler back to its original glory, but please note we are no longer in the restoration business.

Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 19”H

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

As you can see by the “before” photo of this un-embossed cooler, it definitely was produced as Coca-Cola. This was a great little cooler with a detachable tray on the bottom where you could keep things dry. There also were places inside the lid for a can/bottle opener and an ice pick. This was a relatively small cooler with not much room for more then eight to ten bottles of Coke. Manufacturer is unknown.

I think this little picnic cooler is great. It is a vinyl-clad picnic cooler that is from the early 60’s. I have seen it in two different sizes and have also seen it in white vinyl. I believe the white versions are rare. Usually these are not in great shape as the vinyl tended to crack and peel over the years. You really cannot restore a cooler like this except to maybe clean the vinyl and polish up the stainless accent pieces. As with any of these old picnic coolers, if you have the original box it is much more valuable.

Manufactured by Royal-Mieco Inc.
135 East Frisco Ave.
Clinton, Oklahoma

Here is a picture of a nice assortment of picnic coolers we had restored. Starting from the front we have an Acton Low Boy, Acton Junior and a Cavalier Airline cooler. Also on the floor is a Progress A1 in Squirt and Dr. Pepper and two Hemp coolers—the 9022 “tool box” and the 925.

Lined up behind on reproduction coolerette stands are Progress A1’s in 7UP, Royal Crown Cola, Pepsi Cola, Grapette and a custom Chevrolet. There is also an Acton Coca-Cola cooler.

Picnic coolers are fun to collect. Whether you collect them in original condition or buy them to restore there are hundreds of brands and models to be had so you can always be on the hunt for the next great find.

Custom Chevy Progress Picnic Cooler

We restored this generic Progress picnic cooler as an accessory for a 1957 Chevy show car. Painted the same color as the car, it was set out next to it during cruise nights. This was a fantasy piece; Progress never made a Chevrolet picnic cooler.

The Chevrolet gold emblem was probably purchased from a supplier of reproduction Chevy parts like Danchuk Manufacturing, Inc.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Acton Manufacturing is responsible for some very collectible items. The Acton Standard picnic cooler is fairly common, but finding one in mint condition with the box is hard to do. The Acton Junior or “6-Pack” is probably one of the most desirable Coca-Cola picnic coolers for collectors. Acton also made the “Low Boy”, another hard-to-find and collectable picnic cooler. But without a doubt the hardest to find, most desirable Acton item is the Coolerette stand. It was a stand they manufactured that was made to hold the Standard cooler, turning it into a low volume vendor.

Included here is an old Acton magazine ad as well as pictures of a few Acton items we restored at Vintagevending.com.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Cronstroms Picnic Cooler

Here is a picture of a generic Cronstroms picnic cooler we restored a while back. Picnic coolers are pretty easy to restore, if you find them in decent shape. We painted this one a nice 50’s green and decorated it with original Florida travel decals. Original travel decals are easily available. Do a search on eBay for “vintage travel decals” and you will find them for every state, many cities and tourist spots.

When complete, picnic coolers make a great addition to your vacation home decor, gameroom or to show with your antique auto at car shows.