The Sharples Tubular Company based out of West Chester, PA and Chicago, IL was famous all world around for their patented cream separator machines. Dominating in a time where the population in the United States was more rural than urban, it was tough to find a farm which did not employ one of their cream…
Featured is a beautiful self framed tin sign from the Sharples Tubular Separator Company, which had factories in both Chicago, Illinois and West Chester, Pennsylvania around 1900. I have always loved this sign, as the image shows a young girl standing by her mother I would assume just wanting to help with the chore. Of…
The small town of Waterloo, Illinois is known primarily as a bed room community to the St. Louis metropolitan area. The simple proximity to the large city allowed many residents to commute daily to their jobs for years. However at one time Waterloo was known for their primary employers which were a couple of milling companies…
Featured here is an amazing wooden outdoor sign which would have hung proudly outside a late 1800’s confectionary. The use of wood signs in the mid to late 1800’s was the most commonly used advertising mechanism for early business’s. Wood was cheaper than metal at the time, and the German lithographic process was still in…
In 1883 A. J. Roach started a business producing butter known as the Fountain Creamery, which quickly became a cooperative for local farmers who brought their cattle into the small town of Waterloo, to sell their cattle’s output. Shortly after the business started three different Seeber family members joined the business as a principal owners…
The Gail Borden Condensed Milk Company originated in Burrville, Connecticut, but eventually moved to both upstate New York and to Elgin, IL. The Gail Borden Condensed Milk Company was famous for their Eagle Brand of condensed milk, which still today remains the best selling brand of condensed and evaporated milk. This particular 1895-1910 era lithograph has a Halloween theme,…
THE DE LAVAL CREAM SEPARATOR COMPANY One of my favorite advertising pieces is from the De Laval Cream Separator Company and features a young mother with her child using the DeLaval Cream separator to get her milk. This particular scene was used on both small tip trays as well as the larger self-framed metal lithographic…
One of the familiar sites in the city of St. Louis years ago was the Pevely Dairy delivery wagon which would go from neighborhood to neighborhood delivering the companies dairy products. On the side of the wagon was advertising for their products. In many historic photos, it shows the company’s slogan “Baby First” was on…
45th Annual Antique Bottle Show, St. Louis, MO, Sunday, March 15, 9am – 2pm Stop by the 45th Annual Antique Bottle and Jar Show this Sunday to see thousands of colorful antique glass and stoneware bottles. Over the past 20 years, I have found hundreds of historic bottles at this show which I’ve added to my…
A Colorful Pastel Lithograph for Waterloo Milk Company, 1922 This rare advertising lithograph is from the Waterloo Condensed Milk Company, Waterloo, Illinois, 1922. I acquired this unique advertising piece in 1995 at the estate of a former officer in the company, Mr. A.J. Koenigsmark. After more than 70 years, this vintage keepsake had been preserved…