The 'Stock' Exchange
H.D. Beach Co. No. 15-B - Girl in Straw Hat
H.D. Beach Co. No. 15-B - Girl in Straw Hat
Date: 1906 - 1910
Size: 13.5" x 16.5"
Type: Inverted Pie
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Value: $$$$ to $$$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Size: 13.5" x 16.5"
Type: Inverted Pie
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Value: $$$$ to $$$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Stock
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Arizona Brewing Co.
Prescott, AZ
Confirmed Brewer used Stock Trays
Non-Beer Related & Non-Tray Uses
General Comments
In its early years, H.D. Beach seemed to alternate between some elaborate stock designs and some simpler ones. Although as collectors we associate trays with breweriana, in the early days it appears that stock designs were targeted at a broader audience and were marketed as “tea trays.” Perhaps that accounts for some of the early designs, such as this one, using young children.
In its early years, H.D. Beach seemed to alternate between some elaborate stock designs and some simpler ones. Although as collectors we associate trays with breweriana, in the early days it appears that stock designs were targeted at a broader audience and were marketed as “tea trays.” Perhaps that accounts for some of the early designs, such as this one, using young children.
Click the Picture to Return to Meek & Beach Stock Catalog Page
Hats feature in a number of stock designs from Beach and their cross-town rival, but less so for the designs that feature children. Her straw hat (especially in the condition its in) seems to indicate a rural or farm setting. There is a long history of straw hats with a variety of functions from practical to fashionable; this one generally seems to fall into the category of a “sun hat” whose primary purpose was to provide shade to rural laborers. Perhaps this is the influence of some of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters who had begun featuring common and lower-class subjects in their works. Van Gogh, in particular comes to mind; there is even a self-portrait of him in a straw hat.
This design sports another of Beach’s elaborate rims, this one with white and yellow daisies; like many early Beach trays, this rim was unique to this particular design. Daisies typically symbolize purity and innocence, as well as often being associated with children, which seem appropriate to the child in the design. Daisies are also associated with rebirth and new beginnings which seems appropriate to the rural/farm theme that the design seems to imply.
To modern sensibilities it seems odd that young children were commonly depicted in advertising for products not particularly targeted toward children. Apparently this trend is alive and well in today’s advertising, as represented in the Love's ad on the left. Like other early Beach trays, this design does not carry a title or an artist’s signature.
To modern sensibilities it seems odd that young children were commonly depicted in advertising for products not particularly targeted toward children. Apparently this trend is alive and well in today’s advertising, as represented in the Love's ad on the left. Like other early Beach trays, this design does not carry a title or an artist’s signature.
Size, Shape and Message Placement
The few times we’ve seen this design it has been as a full-size oval tray with an elaborate white and yellow daisy rim. Beach reused a number of these elaborate rims on different designs, but we’ve never seen this one on any design but this one. It didn’t lend itself well to advertising text so that appears on the face of the tray (and we would not be surprised to find examples with advertising printed on the back either).
Hager & Price
The design is neither discussed nor included in Hager’s catalog; we suspect he never encountered one. We’ve only seen sale prices for stock samples which do surprisingly well, ranging from upper double figures to mid-triple figures. We imagine that the prices for the few brewery examples would be very competitive.
The few times we’ve seen this design it has been as a full-size oval tray with an elaborate white and yellow daisy rim. Beach reused a number of these elaborate rims on different designs, but we’ve never seen this one on any design but this one. It didn’t lend itself well to advertising text so that appears on the face of the tray (and we would not be surprised to find examples with advertising printed on the back either).
Hager & Price
The design is neither discussed nor included in Hager’s catalog; we suspect he never encountered one. We’ve only seen sale prices for stock samples which do surprisingly well, ranging from upper double figures to mid-triple figures. We imagine that the prices for the few brewery examples would be very competitive.
