Atlas Cooler Information

About Atlas Coolers

Atlas was a highly-competitive company in the chest-type cooler niche from the 1930s to the late-1950s. They focused a lot on quality, so you can find machines from the brand in great shape even today. Atlas mostly made embossed machines for Dr. Pepper, one of the big five brands of drinks of the time, the reason being it was one of the closest cooler manufacturing companies, having their headquarters in Dallas, Texas. They manufactured at least 8 different chest-type cooler models, most of them for Dr. Pepper, though they also made machines without embossing so other companies could add their brand in the form of decals.

Atlas Cooler Models

• Atlas Cooler: The Atlas Cooler was a galvanized icebox without mechanical or electrical components first made by the company in the 1930s until the 1940s. This was a very smart cooler that could be used to sell product for any company. After removing the top, you could slide a branded tin sign between the sides of the cooler – that’s also why you can find them for almost any company and in any color. They are coolers with a great capacity – they can hold up to 105 bottles and of course, it has space for ice to cool them all.  They are 31″ tall, 30″ wide, and 22″ deep and weigh 95lbs without anything inside.

   

• Atlas Junior: This was a smaller, more standardized version of the Atlas coolers called the Atlas Junior – it was also produced along with the Standard and Senior models from the 1930s to the 1940s. It’s an icebox made out of galvanized metal. It has very noticeable details such as the classic “clock dial” embossed in several parts of the machine, the chromed corner guards on the four corners at the top, and even porcelain details. You can usually find them in the classic mint green used by Dr. Pepper at the time. They are 32″ high, 24 ½” wide, and 18 ½” deep.

   

• Atlas Standard: Slightly bigger than the Atlas Junior, the Atlas Standard came in with a very similar design. It’s one of the most common Atlas coolers. It measures 32”, 36 ½” wide, and 24 ½” deep. Aside from the size and the porcelain details being a little bigger, most other details about it are almost the same as the Junior.

   

• Atlas Senior: This was a machine introduced in the 1940s and produced until the 1950s, which makes it a rather modern machine. It’s not as popular as other similar chest-type slider machines, like the ones made by Glasco or Ideal, yet their design is very similar.

   

• Atlas 1015: This is one of the more obscure models produced by Atlas in the 1940s. They had an odd shape and weren’t as popular because of that – apparently, they resembled a coffin. It has beveled lids at the top and rounded corners. It’s refrigerated, the tank is made out of stainless steel, and it can hold up to 120 bottles.

   

• Atlas Junior Electric: The new and invigorated Junior Electric was the solution used by atlas to compete with other companies in the refrigerated chest-type coolers niche. They can hold up to 200 bottles between pre-cooled and ready-for-service. Even though it was called Junior, it was a very big machine standing at 39 ½” high, 39 ½” wide, and 19 ¼” deep and weighing 280lbs. It was produced from the mid-1950s until the late 1950s. It also had a stainless steel top lid and porcelain details.

   

• Atlas Senior Electric: This machine was basically a bigger version of the Junior Electric. It had space for 270 bottles, but it could hold more if they were corded. It measures 37″ high, 45 ¾” wide, and 29″ deep and weighs 350lbs.

   

• Atlas 8”: The Atlas 8 was an Atlas Senior Electric that was adapted in the 1950s to work as a slider machine that could vend 8 different flavors, thus its name. It’s the same size but it’s heavier at 440lbs