Calendar & Year-texts from the past

[jwhess]

Several members asked if I could show some of the past Watchtower Calendars.  They were lightweight cardboard pictures that usually had the yeartext printed on them.  At the bottom or side the would have "tear-off" pages with the months and days on them.  Often when the year was over they were saved for the picture. 

 

While we no longer print calendars, we still have a year text.  While we wait fort the choice of this year's scripture text, enjoy these from the past.

...this one is from 1938 with the year text..."Be Not Afraid: The Battle Is God's"  Chronicles 20:15 King James Version.  If there is a desire to see more, I will search through my collection.  

 

 

[Tortuga]

We are always happy to see anything that you have time to share.

[jwhess]

As I was analyzing the picture and text, I was reminded of the war just starting in Europe.  WW2 was getting underway, our brothers had suffered in Germany for more than 5 years already.  To many of our brothers, the question was...is this the lead-up to Armageddon? The text is talking about God's Battle for a whole year.  the picture shows Armageddon by name. It shows people with Jehovah's Name in the front and a "paradise" glowing in the background.  It shows Jesus and the heavenly army taking on all of Satan's henchmen on the upper left. Religious leaders and Political leaders waiting in the front right side for destruction.

 

There is a lot in the picture and text.  With the world falling apart in the greatest war up to that time...can you feel the excitement of the day?

[More4me2do]

The 1939 Calendar, if they only knew what was awaiting the world for the next few years.

[Misha]

Thank you so much for this topic. It’s very interesting to see the history. Looking forward to seeing more, when you have time to post.

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, More4me2do said:

The 1939 Calendar, if they only knew what was awaiting the world for the next few years.

I loved the enthusiasm in the note on that Year Text.  On pages 197 to 199 of the yearbook for 1939 it said...

Year Text for 1939

"But they shall not prevail against thee."

--Jeremiah 1:19.

Satan has gathered his host to Armageddon. The visible division thereof is made up of religionists, led by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, and with the radical politicians and conscienceless traffickers.

 

Having this full assurance from the Most High, let every consecrated one be diligent now to do his or her full duty. Doing so, deliverance from the enemy is certain. Victory is near!

 

How close we felt the coming end of wickedness.

 

EDIT: is that Goliath leading the crowd at the bottom?

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by jwhess

[Doug]

I see the USSR Hammer & Sickle , the Nazi Swastika , the Imperial Japan Rising Sun.

Is the yellow-ish flag the Vatican ?

[jwhess]

10 hours ago, Doug said:

I see the USSR Hammer & Sickle , the Nazi Swastika , the Imperial Japan Rising Sun.

Is the yellow-ish flag the Vatican ?

It appears to be so.  Here is an enlarged version of the Papal Flag.

 

[jayrtom]

On 10/8/2020 at 11:10 PM, jwhess said:

Several members asked if I could show some of the past Watchtower Calendars.  They were lightweight cardboard pictures that usually had the yeartext printed on them.  At the bottom or side the would have "tear-off" pages with the months and days on them.  Often when the year was over they were saved for the picture. 

 

While we no longer print calendars, we still have a year text.  While we wait fort the choice of this year's scripture text, enjoy these from the past.

...this one is from 1938 with the year text..."Be Not Afraid: The Battle Is God's"  Chronicles 20:15 King James Version.  If there is a desire to see more, I will search through my collection.  

 

 

for the year it's amazing the quality of the painting!

 

But wait... isn't there batman and the penguin?

 

[BLEmom]

That is too funny!!! It does look like Batman and penguin! 
 

What is the whip thing satan is holding and are there some type of claws on the end of his batwings?

[jwhess]

In 1940, the year text was Psalms 13:5b.

 

Psalms 13:5…”But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

 

The calendar shows the saving of the faithful on the right side of the drawing.

 It still shows the bright colors and striking images typical of the time period.  The brothers anticipated Armageddon at any moment.

[More4me2do]

How true about Armageddon being just around the corner. I did ask some brothers that were serving in Bethel when brother Rutherford was there, if he believed that WWII would lead into Armageddon to which they nodded yes. That all changed with brother Knorr's talk "Peace Can It Last" in September 1942.

 

Notice the Nazi flag and the cross receiving a bolt of lightening. Boldness at a most difficult time.

Edited October 11, 2020 by More4me2do

[More4me2do]

I do have 14 calendars before 1938 and will post those with a few select ones between 1941 and 1969. Below is the one from 1935 what boldness our brothers had then.

 

[More4me2do]

Calendar from 1936 same artwork but different message.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by More4me2do

[More4me2do]

Are you on the Lord's side? Then arrange your affairs to participate in the world-wide witness period June 5-13, 1937 "GLITTERING SWORD"

 

[Hinata]

24 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

Calendar from 1936 same artwork but different message.

 

Apparently, the year text were same from 1935 and 1936.

 

[jwhess]

2 hours ago, Hinata said:

 

Apparently, the year text were the same from 1935 and 1936.

 

This is true.  In the 1935 and the 1936 Yearbooks, both list this year text scripture as "For Jehovah and Gideon".  This artwork is the same picture that was used for the 1935 booklet titled Universal War Near... as shown below.

 

 

[jayrtom]

 

On 10/10/2020 at 3:04 AM, BLEmom said:

That is too funny!!! It does look like Batman and penguin! 
 

What is the whip thing satan is holding and are there some type of claws on the end of his batwings?

I just checked and it was DC comics that copied our artwork  - Batman only appeared in 1939 and Penguin in 1941

[jwhess]

By the time we get to 1944, the artwork has changed. Br. Rutherford dies and by 1942 things we getting "modernizes" and there was less of "Religion Is A Snare & A Racket" type of preaching.  The 1944 was focused on the door-to-door preaching and family scenes.

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by jwhess

[M.J.]

So interesting how the artwork reflects a shift in the preaching message. Not so much doom and gloom and what could be perceived as intimidation tactics often used by the Church (Hell and Brimstone) but a warm appeal to the public instead.

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, M.J. said:

So interesting how the artwork reflects a shift in the preaching message. Not so much doom and gloom and what could be perceived as intimidation tactics often used by the Church (Hell and Brimstone) but a warm appeal to the public instead.

Notice the emphasis on the new 1943 book released "The Truth Shall Make You Free"?  I can't tell exactly which of our new Bibles are on the table.  I think it is probably the 1943 King James Bible that we printed and distributed at our Kingdom Halls.  It is possible that it is the American Standard Version that we printed with Jehovah's name restored, but we printed that in 1944.

 

*** yb81 p. 15 1981 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses ***
1942  “King James Version,” with marginal references and concordance
1944  “American Standard Version” of 1901. Features Jehovah’s name

 

Did you notice the brother at the door with TWO book cases of literature?  (or it might be a phonograph, like the brother in the background).

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by jwhess

[More4me2do]

Calendar 1941 and a clear distinction between light and darkness.

[More4me2do]

1942 Calendar by this time the young ones had the book "Children"

[More4me2do]

Calendar 1943 and the shift towards education is very much apparent from the quotation of 2 Tim 2:15 "rightly dividing the word of truth" KJV compare that to NWT "handling the word of the truth aright"

[More4me2do]

Finally as WWII concludes the commission comes front and center into focus.