This ad for Scotties Tissues gives us a glimpse inside a car from the 1950s. A charming mom is sitting in the drivers seat using a tissue to wipe her baby’s nose. The baby is sitting in an early version of a car seat. This was the days before seat belts and other safety-related vehicle standards. Here, the car seat was for the comfort of the child, but not necessarily for safety. The ad comes from the September 1952 edition of McCalls magazine.
Curious about early car seats sold in the 1950s and 1960s, I searched through my collection of mid-century women’s magazines. My search lead me to a few ads and articles about car seats and seat belts.
Here is a product marketed to mid-century parents called a Trav-L-Seat by a company called Kantwet. Like the car seat shown in the Scotties Tissues ad above, it holds the baby upright. It does not securely fasten the child to the car seat. The seat is attached to the car with a bracket on top of the seat cushion. This ad was found in the May 1961 edition of McCalls magazine.
Another mid-century car carrier for kids is a product called Car-Baby by Bunny Bear. Like the version above, it also attaches to the back cushion of the front seat. The carrier converted from a bassinet to chair to accommodate the needs of a growing baby.
The image makes my 21st century heart skip a beat. Seeing an unsecured baby traveling in a convertible car looks horribly unsafe. Safety then and safety now are miles apart. However, it was thought to be safe in the 1950s.
Safe and Comfy as Baby’s Own Crib
Bunny Bear Baby Bed – August 1953
Here is another look at kids sitting inside a mid-century convertible. Here, a baby and a little boy are just sitting on a bench seat next to their mom. I don’t see anything strapping them in. An interesting detail is the toy steering wheel next to the young boy.
The picture comes from an article title, “The Truth About Women Drivers” published in the February 1954 edition of Today’s Woman magazine. I have included a link to download the article in the section below.
By the mid 1950s, seat belts were becoming more mainstream. The following article from Good Housekeeping January 1956 discusses seatbelts and how they should be used for children. By this time, seat belts could be purchased through the car dealer, or as an accessory installed by the car owner.
One final article comes from the July 1963 edition of Good Housekeeping. It discusses specifics rules for seatbelts and car carriers for babies and children. In addition, car passenger behavior and car safety locks are discussed.
Mid-Century Page 
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