The Coca-Cola cooler in this photo is the Hemp 9022. It resembles a fishing or tackle box and is a fairly rare cooler. The 9022 was the smallest in the series of 9020-series Hemp coolers. Originally these coolers were painted with white tops. This example has been restored with a solid red color scheme.

Hemp and Company was a division of the American Thermos Products Company. The first thermos, or “vacuum flask” was manufactured in 1892 by the scientist, Sir James Dewar. In 1907 the American Thermos Bottle Company of Brooklyn, New York purchased the Thermos trademark. They began manufacturing insulated picnic jugs and coolers in 1955 and many of them were for the Coca-Cola Company.

This ad features four models of the Hemp line of coolers: the 9022, 9023, 9024 and the 9025, all manufactured in the mid to late 1950s. These have all been embossed with the Coca-Cola Company logo. They are insulated and have galvanized aluminum liners with places to attach bottle openers and ice picks in the lid.

Manufactured by:

Hemp & Company
Macomb, Illinois

This 1950s picnic cooler was manufactured by the Progress Refrigerator Company of Louisville, Kentucky. It was produced for the Grapette Company, makers of Grapette Grape soda in Camden, Arkansas. Grapette Soda was first created in 1939 and is still being made today.

This picnic cooler has an enameled steel exterior and a galvanized liner. It would have had a sandwich tray originally, but it’s had to find one of these with the tray. Progress also manufactured the A1 cooler for the makers of Squirt, Canada Dry, Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper and Barq’s. The cooler has two handles that lock together for carrying and a bottle opener mounted on the side. A drainage spout is positioned on the front to drain off the water after the ice has melted. This cooler could hold up to 24 bottles, in addition to storing food on the sandwich tray above.

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

These are a series of brochures for some vinyl Coca-Cola picnic coolers with dates ranging from about 1939 to 1957. The dates are determined by the slogans used. “Whoever you are, whatever you do…” was used by the Coca-Cola Company beginning in 1939 until about 1942. “Sign of good taste” was slogan used in 1957.

These coolers were made of plastic, or what we refer to now as vinyl. Some of the brand names of these products are “Ideal”, “Werner-Freeman” and “Nappy”. These must have made super picnic coolers, since they were insulated to keep food and drinks cool and the waterproof plastic could easily be wiped clean. The Coca-Cola Company promoted these coolers in order to make it more convenient to have cold Coke on hand, no matter where you happened to be going. These also served as an additional mode of advertising for their soft drink. All the coolers look as if they were made to accommodate two six-packs of Coca-Cola bottles: either side-by-side or with them stacked one over the other.

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.

There is a great blog at Retroplanet.com about Coca-Cola coolers being used in various establishments in Southern California in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The photos included with the blog are literally snapshots of a way of life that is no longer with us. Head over to Retroplanet.com and the Blog heading of Vintage Vending Archives. Scroll down to “Coca-Cola Coolers”, and enjoy a trip down Memory Lane and remember what it was like when there were neighborhood grocery stores and filling stations, and of course, coolers of ice cold Coca-Cola.

Pepsi-Cola Mexican Mini Cooler

Here is a very interesting Pepsi cooler. Because it is a double-dot we know it is from the 40’s. We also think it is from Mexico because of the decals on the side of the original. It looks like more of a mini-fridge icebox than a cooler, and is definitely an original because it is embossed. We restored this many years ago and it is in the home of a private collector. We are showing the before and after but for additional photos, please visit the Retroplanet Museum at Retroplanet.com. If you have any information about this piece’s origin please blog-in and let us know.

It is a fairly small piece measuring 33”H X 18.5”W X 15″D

Paint code PPG DCC 18431 Light Blue
A sign painter applied all the other colors by hand.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

Glascock Countertop Cooler

In 1929 the first officially approved retail cooler for dispensing bottles of Coca-Cola was introduced. It was a Glascock cooler. This particular Glascock countertop cooler was introduced in 1931. This open-top cooler was both the smallest and least expensive cooler made by Glascock. It hit the market priced at $5.95. It held 36 chilled bottles, with no additional storage space. Galvanized metal was used for its sturdy construction. Essentially, it was the same as the Junior model offered in 1930, but without legs. It was designed to sit on a countertop in a retail environment. As with other soft drink coolers of the time, it was based on an honor system, where the customer selected a bottle of Coke and paid the store clerk.

Filling the cooler up with ice chilled the bottles. There was a faucet at the base to drain excess water from the cooler after the ice melted. The cooler is painted a “Moroccan Green” in addition to the standardized red and white. The embossed logos on the cooler sides were panels that could be pulled out and changed. Glascock coolers are considered the “Grandfathers” of all Coca-Cola vending machines that were to follow. This particular Glascock cooler is rare and very desirable to collectors.
For more photos of our restored Glascock cooler, visit the Retroplanet Museum and look under “Chest Coolers”.

Dimensions: 14” high x 18” wide x 26” deep

Capacity: 36 bottles plus 20 lbs. of ice

Manufactured by:

Glascock Bros. Manufacturing Co.

Muncie, Indiana

The Cavalier Coca-Cola Office Cooler

The Cavalier Corporation produced this machine in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s. This Coca-Cola cooler was designed to be much smaller than the standard soda vending machines so it could be used in an office for use by employees, customers or patients. In other words, Coca-Cola was also interested in being in places where they would make low-volume sales in addition to more high-profile locations.

This 2-case cooler is powered by a Frigidaire motor and was not coin-operated. The cold bottles of Coke either would have been offered as a courtesy, or there would have been an honor system in place.

Cavalier Corporation

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Cavalier began making Coke coolers in 1935, and closed in November of 2000. Perhaps you’ve seen a Cavalier cooler? Let us know. Blog-in using the form below.

The Coca-Cola VIP Cooler

This VIP cooler was made for Coca-Cola who directed their marketing for this product toward smaller venues, like offices, social clubs, hair salons, waiting rooms and hotels. It could fit 120 6.5-ounce bottles of Coke, was equipped with two ice cube trays and had additional space for “party fixings”. The VIP was available with either a Coca-Cola design or with walnut-clad sides.

Dimensions:
22” long x 26” wide x 38.5” high

Beverage-Air Company

700 Buffington Road

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Founded in 1944 by Herman Buffington, the Beverage-Air Company is still in business today.

The Coca-Cola Vendo 6-Case Vertical Cooler

I like this machine, but this upright cooler never really caught on with collectors. I would guess that’s because of its size. I refer to it as a cooler because there is no coin mechanism. Therefore, it’s not fair to call it a soda machine, even though it looks like a Vendo 81 except for the glass door on the right side. Vendo did make a version of this machine with a coin mechanism and it was called the Vendo 110. But if you have the space and are looking for a machine to restore, this is a good candidate. There are no coin or vending mechanisms to mess with and because they were self-service coolers and not vending machines, they were usually kept indoors so you can still find them in pretty good shape. The shelves inside are adjustable so it will hold different size bottles, including longneck beer bottles. Judging by the name I’d guess it holds 144 bottles; 110 ready to vend and 34 pre-cooled. I don’t recall us ever restoring one at Vintage Vending but we did own quite a few over the years.

Vendorlator also made this machine in Pepsi, Royal Crown, Dr. Pepper and (not 100% sure, but would assume) 7-up.

Size:
63” high
32.5” wide
18” deep

Weight: 200 pounds

Produced from the late 40’s to mid 50’s

Manufactured by:
Vendo Company
7209 N. Ingram Ave.
Fresno, CA

If you have ever restored one of these, please ad to the blog with some restoration tips.

1951 Vendall Candy Vendor

The Belvend Manufacturing Company produced this Art Deco styled vending machine in 1951. As the ad says, it is “streamlined for smart, modern merchandising.” The ad also reflects the modern trends of the 50’s. The “candy” sign was illuminated on a sleek, chrome banner. Candy was displayed at eye-level to allow the customer to make their selection, and then a handle was pulled and the candy dropped into the delivery tray.

Manufactured by:
Belvend Manufacturing Company, Inc.
122 South Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL

I seem to recall using machines like this when I was a child in the 60’s, so they must have been very durable. Did you come across these as well? Let us know where you’ve seen them displayed.

The Coca-Cola Company used many different manufacturers for their dispensers and coolers. The 1930’s Moss Cooler is one that does not seem to have withstood the test of time. Its main competitor was the Glascock cooler. Moss coolers are very rare today, where the Glascock are easier to find. Vintage Vending was fortunate to have owned a Moss cooler.

The Moss bottled beverage cooler was made of durable metal construction. It was painted in a dark green, oven baked crackle finish. The hardware was nickel and cadmium plated. There was a bottle opener and a cap catcher for the customer’s use. It had casters so the heavy cooler could be moved more easily since these weighed 44 and 55 lbs. without the ice and bottles. The bottler supplied the signs to be inserted on the sides of the cooler. One, two or four signs could be installed. The coolers came in two sizes: 2-case and 4-case.

Manufactured by:
J. Moss Equipment Co., Inc.
78 19th St.
Brooklyn, NY

It is interesting to note that the reverse of this brochure was used by someone who typed a story about Dizzy Dean, the pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1930-1937. Perhaps this copy was to be used for a news broadcast or was a rough draft for a newspaper story.

Blog in and let us know if you’ve ever seen one of these or have anything interesting to add.