1890? Four cards displaying The Alden Fruit Vinegar in scenes at least sometimes reminiscent of fables. Each colored picture has the notation "Bufford, Boston & New York" in the lower left corner. All four advertise The Alden Fruit Vinegar at further length on the back; three further advertise John Dykstra Dry Goods, Pella, Iowa, while the fourth advertises Beecher & Peek Groceries, Allegan, Michigan. $2 or $3 each either in Sacramento, Dec., '96, or Foster City, Feb., '97.
1956? Alcoa Aluminum advertisement “The Goose that made an Asp of itself: A Pilferproof Fable.” 2.7” x 10.9”. No date. Unknown source.
This advertisement for Alcoa Pilferproof Closures features a fable about a goose attempting in vain to secretly open a bottle of Glenmore whiskey. The "Pilferproof Fable" illustrates the security of Alcoa's closures, which prevent tampering. The moral emphasizes that only a "silly goose" would try to secretly open a Pilferproof Closure, the slotted band holding the cap securely on a bottle. A quick search finds two other such Alcoa ads on the web.
1956 Alcoa advertisement: “If you remember, the moral of all these fables was the same.” 8.5” x 11.5”. Unknown source.
The message in all five “fables” is “You can’t open an Alcoa Pilferpoof Closure secretly.” Eight different liquor bottles are displayed to help make the point. The fables themselves are, I would say, intentionally ridiculous.
1930 9 trade cards produced by Alcide Picard or Alcide Picard & fils, Paris. 2¾" x 4⅛".
Several of these designs appear on papers and cards listed under "Leopold Verger-Chicoree Haquet" and, among chocolate and chicoree cards, "Maison Salmon." And two listed there actually are identical cards with this set. Bertrand describes them as "Babotte," but I can see indications only of Picard. It is true that our collection includes several cards from "Alph. Babotte," and the images are those of this group. One of my favorite Paris used bookshops is Librairie Picard. I wonder if there might be some connection. The verso in each card is given only to the text of La Fontaine. There is no further advertising
1950? Series of 12 Aesop's Fables. Five blotters 3¾" x 7⅝" including the text "One of a Series of 12 Aesop's Fables." Albemarle Verigood Blotting. All five advertise the Seaman-Patrick Paper Company in Detroit.
Here is a curiosity: the designs on these blotters include the same images and texts as the parallel set from the same firm, but they have a different size and structure, as can be seen by comparing the two examples on the more general Albemarle page. These blotters predate the area-code era of telephone calling. Now I need to hunt for the other seven in this set! As I mentioned in regard to the other set, these blotters present good evidence that Aesop shows up anywhere and everywhere. Notice the effect of using two colors on blotters like BF and "The Fox and the Ass."
1950? Series of 12 Aesop's Fables. Two blotters 3½" x 5 7/8" including the text "One of a Series of 12 Aesop's Fables." TH, a sample of Albemarle Verigood Blotting, from Bermingham & Prosser Company, Paper Merchants, Kansas City, Missouri. $3 from Connie Burtis, Sedalia, MO, through Ebay, Feb., '01. CP, a sample of Albemarle Halftone Blotting, from John C. Streibich Company, Peoria 2, Illinois. $1 from Joel Cotton, West Monroe, LA, through Ebay, Dec., '00. Three blotters -- CP, "Horse and Stag," and "Bald Knight" -- from Shaugnessy-Kniep-Hawe Paper Company, St. Louis, for $4.95 each Roberta Bull, Murphy, NC, through eBay, Feb., 08.
Here is simply more evidence that Aesop shows up anywhere and everywhere. Of course, the fact that I have found four of the twelve blotters in this series means that I have to look for another ten!
