Brookville Bros. Ice Cream
Unknown
Johnson's Ice Cream
Unknown
Peerless Ice Cream
Dodge City, KS
Sanitary Ice Cream
Unknown
Yuengling Ice Cream
Pottsville, PA
P. & H. Brewing Co. (Metal Sheet)
Lebanon, PA
P. & H. Brewing Co. (Metal Sheet)
Lebanon, PA
The 'Stock' Exchange
American Art Works: No. 156 Waitress with Tray
American Art Works: No. 156 Waitress with Tray
Date: 1928 - 1933
Size: 13" Round
13.5" x 13.5" Square
Type: Pie
Scarcity: Common
Value: $$$ to $$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Size: 13" Round
13.5" x 13.5" Square
Type: Pie
Scarcity: Common
Value: $$$ to $$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Kalispell Malting and Brewing Co.
Kalispell, MT
Lexington Brewing Co.
Lexington, KY
Lexington Brewing Co.
Lexington, KY
P. & H. Brewing Co.
Lebanon, PA
Walter Bros. Brewing Co.
Pueblo, CO
General Comments
No. 156 is the highest known stock number from American Art Works and the last of the formally acknowledged stock designs. There are two variations of this design which are generally acknowledged to be a prohibition and a post-pro version. The prohibition version features a uniformed waitress carrying a tray with an ice cream sundae dish, while the post-pro version features a slightly more elaborately uniformed waitress carrying a tray with a glass of beer. While the substitution of a glass of beer for the ice cream dish is within the limits of variations that occurred in other pre-pro designs, there are a significant number of differences between the prohibition and post-pro versions to make us question if this should even be considered a different design (essentially No. 157). These include:
No. 156 is the highest known stock number from American Art Works and the last of the formally acknowledged stock designs. There are two variations of this design which are generally acknowledged to be a prohibition and a post-pro version. The prohibition version features a uniformed waitress carrying a tray with an ice cream sundae dish, while the post-pro version features a slightly more elaborately uniformed waitress carrying a tray with a glass of beer. While the substitution of a glass of beer for the ice cream dish is within the limits of variations that occurred in other pre-pro designs, there are a significant number of differences between the prohibition and post-pro versions to make us question if this should even be considered a different design (essentially No. 157). These include:
Prohibition - Ice Cream
Post-pro - Beer
- Ice cream dish
- Plain collar, cuffs and apron
- Artist signature
- Wavy hair with neat cut edges
- Flip of hair sticking out on the left side of her head (right side for the viewer)
- White-ish, inconsistent background
- Beer glass
- Ruffled collar, cuffs & apron
- No Artist signature
- Wavy hair with curls at the edges
- Bangs on her forehead almost touching her right eyebrow (the viewer’s left)
- Solid light bule background
In addition to these comparable details, there are some overall differences such as the shading and tone which are more distinct and redder on the pre-pro (ice cream) version versus the paler, less distinct look of the post-pro (beer version). In addition, the image is “zoomed in” on the post-pro, meaning that the woman is closer and takes up more of the frame. And finally, all of the pre-pro versions have a yellow band at the edge of the image where it meets the rim; inside is the stock number (156) © symbol and American Art Works, Coshocton, Ohio test. The yellow band does not consistently appear on post-pro versions and none of them carry any manufacturer information.
The pre-pro (ice cream) version carries the signature of artist Haskell Coffin. William Haskell Coffin (1878 – 1941) was a painter and commercial artist who flourished in the early decades of the twentieth century. His work appeared on the cover of leading magazines in the United States and on posters that the US government commissioned.
The pre-pro (ice cream) version carries the signature of artist Haskell Coffin. William Haskell Coffin (1878 – 1941) was a painter and commercial artist who flourished in the early decades of the twentieth century. His work appeared on the cover of leading magazines in the United States and on posters that the US government commissioned.
When he was young, his family moved to Washington, D.C, where he attended the Corcoran School of Art. After a brief stint back in Charleston, where he painted portraits of society ladies, he went to France in 1902 to complete his training as an artist. Coffin returned to the New York area, where he spent the formative years of his career, winning critical acclaim painting portraits of the chorus girls from Ziegfeld’s Follies, some of whom modeled for his Post covers.
Coffin specialized in images of women, which were reproduced on the covers of popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, The American Magazine, Redbook, McCall's, Leslie's Illustrated, and the Pictorial Review. Coffin created 32 Post covers between 1913 and 1931, each one of an attractive woman. His portraits were sometimes stark, but as he progressed, he added props for contrast and interest, such as a spray of flowers or a feathered fan. Coffin’s special touch was to depict women caught in a minimal action, such as the woman holding her hat against a sudden wind on the March 13, 1915, cover. He was one of the most highly paid illustrators of his era.
Sahling's Design Notes
By this time Sahling had left the Art Department and there are no further entries in his workbook.
Size, Shape and Message Placement
The pre-pro ice cream versions are all 13” pies with black rims and gold advertising text, although a few examples have advertising text on the face (and even one with black text). The post-pro brewery version is most commonly seen as a 13” pie, but 14"x14" squares are not uncommon. We’ve also seen a sign version (from P&H Brewing who hit the trifecta with pie and square versions too). These also have black rims and gold advertising text and with the Walter & Kalispell examples having advertising text (in gold) on the face of the tray.
Hager & Price
Hager had stopped cataloging designs after No. 150, which we find understandable given the scarcity of most of the designs (No. 151 being an exception) or the clear inapplicability to the brewing industry. However, it surprises us that No. 156 did not make his catalog, as the latter version (with the beer glass on the tray) is both brewery oriented and examples from several different ones clearly indicate it is a stock design. Although the highest price example we’ve seen ($1,400+) is a brewery (P&H Brewing, a sign version), this is one of the rare cases where the non-brewery example out-perform the brewery ones on average. Aside from a few outstanding examples, most brewery examples are in the upper double figures to low three figures, depending on condition. On average, the ice cream versions range from the low to mid triple figures, and also features the second highest overall price ($1,200+) for an excellent example by Sanitary Ice Cream.
Coffin specialized in images of women, which were reproduced on the covers of popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, The American Magazine, Redbook, McCall's, Leslie's Illustrated, and the Pictorial Review. Coffin created 32 Post covers between 1913 and 1931, each one of an attractive woman. His portraits were sometimes stark, but as he progressed, he added props for contrast and interest, such as a spray of flowers or a feathered fan. Coffin’s special touch was to depict women caught in a minimal action, such as the woman holding her hat against a sudden wind on the March 13, 1915, cover. He was one of the most highly paid illustrators of his era.
Sahling's Design Notes
By this time Sahling had left the Art Department and there are no further entries in his workbook.
Size, Shape and Message Placement
The pre-pro ice cream versions are all 13” pies with black rims and gold advertising text, although a few examples have advertising text on the face (and even one with black text). The post-pro brewery version is most commonly seen as a 13” pie, but 14"x14" squares are not uncommon. We’ve also seen a sign version (from P&H Brewing who hit the trifecta with pie and square versions too). These also have black rims and gold advertising text and with the Walter & Kalispell examples having advertising text (in gold) on the face of the tray.
Hager & Price
Hager had stopped cataloging designs after No. 150, which we find understandable given the scarcity of most of the designs (No. 151 being an exception) or the clear inapplicability to the brewing industry. However, it surprises us that No. 156 did not make his catalog, as the latter version (with the beer glass on the tray) is both brewery oriented and examples from several different ones clearly indicate it is a stock design. Although the highest price example we’ve seen ($1,400+) is a brewery (P&H Brewing, a sign version), this is one of the rare cases where the non-brewery example out-perform the brewery ones on average. Aside from a few outstanding examples, most brewery examples are in the upper double figures to low three figures, depending on condition. On average, the ice cream versions range from the low to mid triple figures, and also features the second highest overall price ($1,200+) for an excellent example by Sanitary Ice Cream.
Confirmed Brewer used Stock Trays
Non-Beer Related & Non-Tray Uses
Non-Beer Related & Non-Tray Uses
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