This is a 1952 ad for the engine-driven BN52 model Mobil Directo air raid siren, which used a 25HP Wisconsin air-cooled engine to drive both the chopper (the noisemaker) and two belt-driven pulleys to spin the siren around. Later BN44E models would switch the engine to an electric motor. It was one of the first rotational sirens, and would later redeveloped into the “Allertor” and “Penetrator” electric sirens.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppetEnglish
    6•8 months ago

    Who is the target demographic for this ad? This is the sort of equipment that would be implemented at the government level, but it seems aimed at consumers. Would this be for the preppers of the era? The people building fallout shelters in their backyards?

    • @mkwt
      8•8 months ago

      From the copy it’s “civil defense directors”. So presumably, those were local officials in at least a quasi-governmental capacity with a budget to buy stuff like this.

    • ArxCyberwolfOP
      4•8 months ago

      Civil Defense contractors who work with municipalities to install systems of sirens to their desired spec. There are still companies that do this today such as W.S. Darley and Edwards. City civil defense officials would also look at these ads when deciding which company to go with for a siren system.

    • BoscoBear
      2•8 months ago

      There are many magazines that had ads for bomb racks, targeting systems, mortors that were the same way. They look like ads for a blender.