M&B Stock No. 21

General
No. 21 appears in M&B Catalogue No. 14 (1902) as Fish Design, Tea Tray No. 21 and is described as “A most attractive work of Art, and one that appeals to all localities and people. Every color and shade of the fish are brought out natural to life.” They cost the standard $25 per 100 of full-sized trays. It also appears in catalogue No. 16 where it is described as “Tea Tray No. 21 is another design suggestive of good eating and adapted to dining room usage. As a Work of Art it is one that appeals to all localities and people. Every shade of the fish is brought out natural to life.” The fish species are not identified but appear to be a red snapper, a bluefish and a mackerel.

This tray shows up most frequently as an unmarked stock sample suggesting they were popular as premiums. It was also used by quite a number of small retail establishments, but only by a handful of brewers (and a few distillers). The Fairgrave’s example has ad text that includes 1902 date on it; one of a handful of trays that self-dates itself.

Shape & Rim & Ad Text
Known tray examples are all oval with the low pie shaped rim and rolled edge. All sport a blue drape rim design, but not with the ornate rim shown in M&B catalogue No. 14. Advertising text (and sometime symbols or logos) appear both on the rim and on the face of the tray. There are also a few examples of narrow SFT signs featuring a faux woodgrain “frame”. Similarly, these have examples with advertising text on the “frame” and on the face. There are also examples printed on the backside of the tray with an ornate rim (like that pictured in catalogue No.14) which may be marked “20th Century Art Studios”.

Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss nor include “Fish Design” in his catalog, although he does include its partner “Game Design” in a discussion of drape rim trays from the same timeframe. The few brewery examples tend to go for some pretty heady prices. Prices are low, even for examples in good condition, for the stock samples and most non-brewers.