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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Rayo Incubator Co., Inc., Advertisement, 1914, Ms2024-109, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Rayo Incubator Co., Inc., Advertisement was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in December 2014.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Rayo Incubator Co., Inc., Advertisement was completed in April 2024.
The Rayo Incubator Co. Inc. was established in 1908 by John McKeen, F. W. Arndt, E. S. Beaty, and Lou Vaughn in Blair, Nebraska, for the production of artificial egg incubators to hatch chicks. On May 3, 1910, Louis N. Porter, an assignor to the Rayo Incubator Co., received U.S. Patent No. 0956600 for "new and useful Improvements in Incubators." In 1912, the company built a new factory to produce at least 5,000 incubators per year in Omaha. At that time, C. W. Chestnut was the president and D. M. Davis was secretary and treasurer.
Many advertisement from the Nebraska and regional newspapers similarly advertise the benefits of a Rayo Incubator toward making a profit from incubation and chicken-raising. Generally, Rayo touts its superiority in time and fuel saving, easy egg management, cleanliness, and safety among other attributes.
External sources:
"Incubator Factory Has Moved to Omaha." Omaha Daily Bee. November 12, 1912, page 7, available online from the Library of Congress's Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1912-11-12/ed-1/seq-7/
"Poultry, Eggs, and Supplies."
Advertisement for Rayo Incubator,
Louis N. Porter, assignor to the Rayo Incubator Company, "Incubator", U.S. Patent No. 0956600, United States Patent and Trademark Office, https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/0956600
This collection contains a two-sheet, jumbo-sized letter 1914 advertisement for the Rayo Incubator Co., Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska, during "Hatching Time." The letter details the benefits of the Rayo Incubator, comparing it to other products.
The guide to the Rayo Incubator Co., Inc., Advertisement by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).