Description
Rarely encountered circa-1950s pocket conversion guide issued by the German-American Trade Promotion Office in the Empire State Building, New York. This compact six-page accordion-fold reference was created to help American and West German businesses overcome the different currencies, measurements, engineering standards, and time zones of the “Old and New Continent.”
Produced during West Germany’s postwar economic recovery and rapid expansion into American export markets, it is a fascinating example of German-American commercial ephemera from the early Cold War era.
Notable contents include:
* U.S. dollar-to-Deutsche Mark conversion tables using the historic rate of $1 to 4.20 DM
* Mile-to-kilometer and ounce-to-gram conversion scales
* American time zones compared with Central European Time
* Industrial and engineering conversions for weight, pressure, energy, horsepower, temperature, and measurement
* Contact information for trade offices in New York, Toronto, Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich
* Attractive mid-century typography and colorful vertical scale graphics
* Convenient narrow accordion-fold format designed for a businessperson’s pocket or briefcase
This is an especially scarce survival of disposable international trade literature. Its Empire State Building connection, postwar West German context, graphic design, and unusual technical subject matter give it appeal to collectors of business history, German Americana, scientific instruments, engineering ephemera, and mid-century design.
The guide remains complete and presents attractively, with light age and handling wear consistent with original vintage paper ephemera. Please view all the photos for its design, contents, and condition.
