It’s Beech-Nut

This sweet food advertising image dates back to 1905. They used to call pieces like this trade cards. They were used to advertise everything from baby food to cigarettes. In this case, they were advertising canned food for small children – orange marmalade and sliced bacon.

The title of this trade card is “It’s Beech-Nut.” Beech-Nut was founded in New York and originally sold a smoked ham product. Their engineers designed the first vacuum jar that used a gasket and top design that made for easier transport and would become the industry standard.

I don’t know if anyone can make good use of this piece but I just thought it was so darn cute. One child appears to be telling another a secret – that the wonderful orange marmalade they are all enjoying is made by BeechNut. That child is apparently licking a bit of marmalade off of one of his fingers. The third child is sneaking a bit of marmalade out of the jar for himself with his fingers. And a chubby baby sitting on the table munching on a piece of toast, presumably spread with the marmalade, is licking his lips in anticipation of a bit more orange marmalade from his friends. Each of the children, except the baby, are wearing bibs to protect their clothing from getting food on them.

I suppose if one were clever, they could isolate either the pair of secretive boys, the boy reaching for a bit more marmalade or the baby with his slice of toast. With the black background and brightly colored clothing, someone with a steady hand shouldn’t have too much trouble separating the boys.