Hot, stylish, and extreme. Well, maybe not, but in its day this manual reclining wheelchair was state-of-the-art wheelchair technology.

Let’s retro back to 1944 for a peek at this sturdy looking chair.

The Barcalo Reclining Wheelchair was manufactured and distributed by Barcalo of Buffalo, New York. Similar to present day sales strategies, manufacturers put their best spin forward when marketing their products. Here’s one of Barcalo’s hypes:

“Scientific Support And Natural Relaxation with the Barcalo Reclining Chair For Convalescents And Invalids”

“Doctors have long realized the aid to recovery and the speeding up of convalescence which can be accomplished by giving the patient maximum relaxed comfort. The ease with which the position of the Barcalo Chair can be shifted by the patient, and its scientific support in all positions, provide the beneficial relaxation so essentially needed by nerves, heart, lungs and other organs. Hospitals find it not only works to the advantage of patients but helps ease the burden on already overworked nurses and orderlies. Investigate the Barcalo Chair for your use now.”

The 1944 Barcola Reclining Wheelchair came in two models. The C-1 which packed a solid footrest, and the C-4 which had divided footrests. Don’t ask me what became of models C-2 and C-3???

How did manufacturers of wheelchair wonders get the word out back then? Pretty much the same way they do now. Advertising aimed at the general public, trade shows, and trade journals. A Barcola ad of the day stated-

“See The Barcalo Reclining Chair at the American Hospital Association Convention. Cleveland, October 3-4, Space 210″.

It’s a great old wheelchair from the past that makes you appreciate progress, I think?