Spring starts today, Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:33 in the morning Eastern Daylight Time in the northern hemisphere — and along with the warmer weather, longer days, and budding flora, the renewed popularity of that venerable sweet frozen treat known as ice cream heralds in the season as winter leaves for another year.
Sunday Morning Photograph March 20 2022: Vintage Ice Cream Trucks.
Growing up as a boy in Brooklyn, I did not need to leave the street on which I lived to have my fix of various items. Trucks came down the street all day long every day from spring to fall with assorted rides, beverages, milk — and yes, ice cream.
Three ice cream companies competed for customers. Freezer Fresh would show up in their bright green trucks offering soft ice cream — they no longer exist; but although their ice cream was acceptable, it was considered second rate — but the most sought-after hard ice cream was Good Humor; and the most popular soft ice cream which somewhat resembled what was sold at stationary Carvel ice cream stands and shoppes was the mobile Mister Softee.
The photographs of the trucks which are featured in this article almost exactly resemble the ones which came down the street in Brooklyn on which I lived as a boy: the Good Humor man always rang a series of four or five silver bells — which were located inside the windshield above where the rear view mirror would be — with a thin rope with which he reached from the driver’s seat; while the Mister Softee truck repeatedly played its familiar theme song.
Popular flavors of Good Humor included toasted almond, chocolate éclair, and strawberry shortcake — all of which were offered on a wooden stick…
…while Mister Softee offered vanilla and chocolate soft ice cream in either a cup, a sundae, or an edible cone — as well as milk shakes and floats.
Final Boarding Call
These favorites are still available today — if you can find them and if you do not mind your wallet or purse being lightened by several dollars.
Were they the best ice cream products in the world? Arguably, no — but they certainly served their purposes and remain nostalgic to me to this day.
Enjoy the beginning of the spring season with some refreshing vintage ice cream.
Here’s my money. One ice cream, please.
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate.
All photographs ©2016 and ©2021 by Brian Cohen.
