Liberty Stove Works
Title
Liberty Stove Works, Philadelphia. Iron King Cook improved
Description
Trade card for the Philadelphia stove manufacturer showing an African American house cook showing off the households's new "Iron King" stove to a baker delivering pies. The woman in kerchief, shawl, checkered dress and apron points to the stove and states "No more of your pies. The Missus has one of dem Iron King Stove -Shure Baker" to the baker in a baker's hat, smock, apron, and holding a square basket of pies. A kettle, frying pan, pot, and dutch oven rest on the burners of the stove that is marked "Chas. Noble & Co., Philada." Scene also shows a partial view of the baker's delivery wagon (advertising pastry and bread) outside of the open kitchen door. Founded as Abbott & Lawrence in 1851, later renamed Abbott & Noble in 1858, the stove manufactory was reestablished as Charles Noble & Co. in 1870., Advertising text of distributor on verso: Giersh, Senseman & Co., Manufacturers of Tinware, and Dealers in Stoves, Tinware, &c. An Examination of Our Stock Solicited. Sign: Big Coffee Pot. Agents for sale of the Improved Iron King Cool Salem, N.C., Printed on recto: Centennial Award 1876 Philada., Purchased with funds from the Walter J. Miller Trust for the Visual Culture Program.
Date
[ca. 1876]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - Noble [P.2014.16.1]
Gantz, Jones & Co.'s sea foam. [graphic].
Title
Gantz, Jones & Co.'s sea foam
Description
Series of trade cards containing captioned scenes in silhouette and profile, including racist imagery, that promote and portray the use of the New York firm's baking powder in cooking. "The First Lesson in Cooking" shows a matron-like figure (in the right) holding out a can of "Sea Foam" baking powder to three young woman standing in a row (in the left). The older woman is attired in a long-sleeved dress with a tiered skirt and bustle, spectacles, and an adornment in her hair. The young women wear long-sleeved dresses with tiered skirts and bustles and hair ornaments that resemble pointed caps. The woman closest to the matron also holds a parasol in her right hand and the woman in the far left also wears a long braid that runs down her back. The women look at and lean toward the baking powder can with interest. "Mine is the Best" shows a woman home cook and a professional male cook facing off. In the right, the man, holds his right hand in a fist, and points behind himself to a table on which a can of "Sea Foam" and a bowl rest. In the left, the woman points at him with her left hand and with her right hand points behind herself at a table on which a bowl and two canisters rest. The man wears a mustache, baker's hat, long smock, and pants. The woman wears a long-sleeved dress with an apron. "Missus, We'll Nebber Use Any Odder!" shows an African American man, portrayed with exaggerated features, and holding an extra-large "Sea Foam" can, walking toward a stove at which a woman is kneeled and placing something in the oven. A pot and tea kettle rest atop of the stove across from the stove pipe. The woman wears her hair down and is attired in a long-sleeved dress with ruffles at the bodice and a skirt with bustle., Gantz, Jones, & Co. was originally established as a chemical business in 1849 by Thomas Andrews. George W. Gantz joined the firm in 1853. About 1869 Andrews retired and in 1877 Walter H. Gantz and F. B. Jones joined the business as partners. In 1884 the firm's New York warehouse was heavily damaged by fire and in 1890 the partnership dissolved. Following the 1856 patent of the first modern baking powder, several later 19th-century chemical firms, including Gantz, Jones & Co. attempted to capitalize on the new, very profitable baking powder industry. Baking powder significantly lessened leaving times for baking and cooking, and multiple companies began to market either cream of tartar or alum based powders that required no combining at home. The "Baking Powder Wars" mired in propaganda about the pure and safe properties of various firms' products ended in the early 20th century with alum baking powder companies Clabber Girl and Calumet dominating the American industry., Title from items., Date inferred from attire of figures portrayed and format of advertisements., Advertising text printed on verso of P.2018.6.3.1, "The First Lesson in Cooking": It is a first-class article, and will do more than it claims to do, and never fails to do its work well. Good health makes labor of all kinds easier and prolongs life. Sea foam is warranted to make better, lighter, healthier, sweeter, more toothsome and more [in italics] digestive [in italics] and nutritious bread, biscuits, cakes, puddings, etc., than can be made in any other way. Those who use it say: "We prefer it over all others." "It is A No. 1." "Gives universal satisfaction.", Advertising text printed on verso of P.2018.6.3.2,"Mine is the Best": SEA FOAM BAKING POWDER IS PERFECTLY PURE. Those who have used it once will never use any other. The BEST in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Without an equal. It is the perfection of science in cookery. Your cookery will be always good. You will always have a good cook. It makes every cook a good one. Your bread will never be sour. Light, well-raised bread, biscuits, and cakes digest easily and conduce to good health., Advertising text printed on verso of P.2018.6.3.3, "Missus, We'll Nebber Use any Odder!": Bread is always good. Cannot be beaten. Champion Yeast Powder of America. Every body likes it. Sells like hot cakes. The best customers ask for it. It is A No. 1. The ladies never get tired of telling each other about it. All first-class stores keep it. Gantz's Sea Foam is perfectly pure. Without an equal [in italics]. It is an entirely new invention. Never fails to make light bread. To avoid dyspepsia, use Sea Foam. One can is worth three of any other., Captions printed in all capitals., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Date
[ca. 1885]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - Gantz, Jones & Co. [P.2018.6.3.1-3]
John Weik's (Philadelphia) kochbuecher (cookbooks) [graphic] / Invented & drawn on stone by J. Nissle.
Title
John Weik's (Philadelphia) kochbuecher (cookbooks)
Description
Whimsical publisher's advertisement containing four vignettes in a fanciful border of food imagery surrounding a list of cookbook titles in German and English authored by Marianne Struf and the steward of the Union League, William Vollmer. Vignettes depict three quirky scenes representing agricultural work, hunting, fishing, and fine dining. Also contains a scene depicting four women peeling apples, mincing meat, and baking in a kitchen. Vignettes include an African American man waiter and an African American woman cook. Fanciful border contains stone pedestals adorned with seals comprised of cooking implements, as well as a basket of bread, bottles of wine, a crab holding oranges, a tureen of soup, dead game, ears of corn, plates, a pitcher, a coffee grinder, and mischievous monkeys., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1856 by J. Weik in the Eastern District Court of Pa., Printed above image: Life Preserver., Printed under title in German: All five books can be had here., Not in Wainwright., Philadelphia on Stone, POSP 126, LCP exhibition catalogue: The Larder invaded, aft. p. 9., LCP exhibition catalogue: Philadelphia revisions #32., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1973, p. 44., Top corner and center edge mended., Purchase 1973., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Nissle, J., artist
Date
1856
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **BW - Advertisements [8074.F.1]