|
A BIG DAY OFF---COMPANY PICNIC, SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1944
The Second World War had a huge impact on the company with it growing from a small business with several dozen employees to nearly two thousand. It was a stressful time for everyone with production lines running twenty-four hours a day seven-days-a-week. Planning for a company summer picnic would be a wonderful distraction. The picnic was held at Erie's Waldameer Amusement Park on the shores of Lake Erie and at the entrance to the 12-mile long Presque Isle State Park. The company rented the entire park. By any measure it was a huge success by any measure. The days activities included picnic food, baseball, amusement rides, swimming, and dancing to a local "big band".
The committee created a memorial brochure for all of the employees and my father took some home movies and edited them into a "polished" film by amateur standards. The film was silent, and features a satirical look at two of the company's first couple of employees drinking away on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie oblivious to the days' other activities, and the amount of food and beer they were consuming. This is a running gag throughout the 13-minute movie. The two "good-ol'-boys" characters were George Wright, vice president of sales, and Bob Schlaudecker, manufacturing/production plant manager.
Several portions of these movies were used by Erie's local public television service (PBS) TV station, WQLN, for a historical documentary on Waldameer Park in 1996 on the park's 100th anniversary. Then president, David M. Bliley, was interviewed in the program regarding the movie.
After all of these years, this old home movie documentary is still fun to watch.
 Picnic Memoir in Print (PDF/5 Mb)
 Frank Dawson Bliley, Founder and President's, Silent Home Movies
- WARNING: These files are very big MP4 movies and may take several minutes to download before playing. Be patient.
|
 Cover of Publication
(Click for Enlargement) |
|
HOW
DO YOU SPELL "BLILEY"?
It seems like everyone has an
opinion the want to share, and that includes Bliley's customers.
 How do you spell
"Bliley"?
Apparently, there are 100 different ways.
|
 |
|
RECOGNIZING
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 1934
"Hear Ye! Hear
Ye!" Here is a bulletin board announcement citing a
major achievement--the first ahead-of-schedule shipment! Read
it over and you will quickly see that employee motivational tools
have definitely change since 1934 when this notice was posted
at Bliley's. It is a mixture of recognition of achievements,whit,
sarcasm, and optimism. It must not have been a bombshell, as
most of the employees of the day worked hung around for more
than 25 years!
 Photo of Announcement
Tour
of the Factory in 1935
(A peak into the production areas) |
 |
|
GOOD
FOOD. GOOD COMPANY. GOOD MUSIC?
The guys and gals working
at the Union Station in 1936 held their sixth "annual banquet"
at a local country club. The menu and song sheet suggests that
everyone was planning on it being a pretty good time. Read the
crystal-flavored menu and employee-written version of "Home
on the Range".
Lyrics and Photos of the Program
WARNING: This
material is suitable for mixed company and young children. Some
of the humor may be lost if you do not know the process of manufacturing
crystals and electronics. If you do, then I guaranty you will
find this tongue-in-cheek humor great. |
 |
|
CHRISTMAS
CARD FOR THE "GOOD OLD BOYS" OF THE 1950s
Passing on Christmas wishes to the company's customers appears
to be a little different in the 1950s than the way business is
done in the 21st Century. Back then, it was fully a male-dominated
industry, and this Christmas card reflects that. Since there
are other cards of this period with a definite business threat,
I am assuming these were selectively mailed to "preferred"
customers.
Details of the card and photos
WARNING: Some
people may find the contents of the card offensive as it contains
nudity. It is presented here as a historical/cultural artifact
and in no way is intended to offend anyone or corrupt the morals
of our visitors. |
 |
|
POST-WWII
COMPETITION FROM SURPLUS CRYSTALS
During the Second World
War, Bliley's trained many future competitors on crystal manufacturing
techniques. Following the war, many of these infant companies
took advantage of the millions of fresh crystal units available
on the surplus market. One of the produced a do-it-yourself kit
for the amateur radio market. They called their product--"Talkie
X-TALS". While this product was not a major competitor,
the surplus crystal market as a whole did eat into the market
for amateur radio sales.
Photos and background
for Talkie X-TALS |
 |
|
MINING
QUARTZ IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BACKYARD
In 1967, young neighborhood
"entrepreneur" and amateur geologist discovered a pile of raw natural quartz in the field
behind the new plant on Grandview Boulevard. The pile was about
three foot high and about ten foot in diameter. Assuming it was
production scrap and waste, he started to "mine it" by the bucket-full.
Considering it a golden opportunity to make a few bucks, he ran
an ad in a local newspaper and in a sporting magazine.
Unfortunately, one of Bliley's employees noticed the ad and turned
him in to management. No, the company gave him a break, and did not insist he
"do time", but asked him to stop "mining".
Actually, the "scrap"
was really crystal stock of marginal value that was kept at hand
in case of unplanned shortage.
Full-Length Story—Updated 2021
(5 Mb) Enlargement
of the Advertisement
|
 |
|
