Went browsing on a Stateside bookstall - online - and picked up this. Front cover ... ... flyleaf illustrations at the front and back of the book Credits and contents Stoves!! Interesting that the caption for the Primus (No.16) suggests priming with kero. With all that soot from the kero priming, no wonder the gassies and white gas stoves were upstaging the brass classics - in this publication at least More stoves in action I like this reference to a Turm as a midget stove no less. Compared to a Coleman suitcase stove, it most certainly is! I've chopped the tank of the Radius off in reproducing this pair of pages, a fine Swedish product lumped in with the acknowledgement to European stove designs Finally, an extract on some fine Cape Cod beach buggies I'm looking out for 'Volume 1' now! John
John, Could you post a photo of the back cover? Do you see an ISBN number somewhere? Looks lke a terrific read. Chef BC/Harold
No, there is none, but evidently ISBN's only originated in 1966 and the book's from 1958 ISBN When I get time I'll post some more extracts. The book can be tracked down as a second-hand item, and there are a number of references on the interweb to the 'Ford Treasury' series, which evidently were to help promote an attractive lifestyle associated with the Ford product, enhancing sales no doubt. Being a top manufacturer with a sound business case for the 'Ford Treasury', they didn't cut back on production values one bit, judging by the quality of photography, printing and production. Web reference Same source has a reference to Volume 1 too Vol 1, Station Wagon Living While searching for those I see there's a reprint (don't know if it's of volume 1, or 2, or both, in paperback from a major online book retailer - er, the one named after a South American river/rainforest eco-system - don't want to be accused of advertising. Also available from that source as what's called a "low quality e-book" for free. John
I was just looking for a picture... ... and yes, I've had it going. A standard 170g butane can, such as you'd use for a gas blowlamp, works very nicely in it. You have to keep an eye on it and turn down the heat as soon as it starts percolating to stop it boiling over, but it is easy to shut it off altogether as you can't see the flame without peering & squinting up through the holes around the bottom.(looking up its skirt! )
Check this out... http://www.archive.org/details/fordtreasuryofst00reckrich The volume shown has Flivver's tent in it.
Ian, you beaut! Might still seek out Volume 1, but that's a great resource to read online. Loved seeing the Porta Perk. Don't suppose the Porta-Loo was a stablemate as the inevitable consequence of drinking all that coffee. Curious thing, when a stove-top perc would do the business. Still, quite something to know that an example now resides in rural Yorkshire. Thanks Ian. John
There is an identical gas-fired percolator in an antique shop near my house. Not sure what they want for it but it seems utterly useless. It keeps me from firing up one of my stoves!
Thanks John, In the Keeping House chapter with the article Stoves for Campers shows item #12 the Porta Flame 1 burner stove that burns fuel at about $0.12 per hour. I would imagine that was quite expensive back then. --Can anyone identify the stove in the upper left hand corner of the chapter of European Stoves? Its a small roarer but it looks like a Primus or Radius 43 that is assembled wrong; what does anyone else think?
Is this the same book? It is on Amazon $42.00 Ford Treasury of Station Wagon Holidays (Station Wagon Living, Volume 2) (Hardcover) by Franklin M. Reck (Editor), William Moss (Editor)
Great stuff, John! I love it. And that Porta Perk is priceless. Not so sure I like the idea of using the fuel canister as a handle. Hate to dislodge that. Ah, the 50's. America was at the top of her game then. We crested in the early 60's and have been in decline since then. Things change quickly now. I wonder how long before America's debt induced house of cards tumbles and the world awakes to the new realities of the 21st century -- a century that for the first time features the east as the center of power. But enough of that gloomy stuff. A lovely post, John, and a lot of lovely stoves. HJ
I have this copy...Volume 2. Very interesting read. There is of course a Volume 1 dated 1957. I found the book I have at the flea market for $1. Great buy! Glenn
that's why i'm learning Mandarin on topic: the archive.org link is a real treasure; and not only for the Ford wagon camping book... i also found some older texts on camping and cooking, too!
Mike, It might be your tent, it might not. As I remember yours is a buff/tan colour whereas this Cool-Camper tent is some sort of silver finish (according to the text on p.53) to reflect the heat. On the lined page there's a rolling thumbnail slide show and I saw the tent on that. When I downloaded the pdf I was able to get a screenshot. The colour pages don't seem to have scanned very well (although it could be my snail drive which is taking its time dealing with them)
