Stock
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Peter Bub Sugar Loaf Brewery
Winona, MN
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Burlington, WI
The 'Stock' Exchange
Meek & Beach Co. No. 32 "Wild Rose"
Meek & Beach Co. No. 32 "Wild Rose"
Date: 1902 - 1904
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
General
For No. 32, the M&B 1903 catalog description says: “In calling your attention to this first floral design, known as Tea Tray No. 32 or Rocky Mountain Wild Roses, we wish to explain in a general way the original history of the five designs here shown. (NOTE: only four designs are included in Catalouge No. 16). In 1901 a Mr. Frank S. Thayer, of Denver, Colo. Believing that a certain love of Nature’s handiwork lurked in every true American heart, set about the reproduction of a few noted flowers, which are found only in the region of the Rocky Mountains. These reproductions sold on a subscription at ONE DOLLAR EACH, and were only paper prints at that. We knowing, from experience, how much our customers appreciate the truly artistic, set about the purchase of these designs exclusively, so as to give them only to our own customers. After much negotiating we bought the copyright ownership and then after unusually heavy expense, succeeded in reproducing each design on our now famous ART METAL TEA TRAYS.” In the 1903 price list it appears as “No. 32, Wild Roses of the Rockies.”
Shape & Rim & Ad Text
Only tray examples are known, all of which are oval with the low pie shaped rim and rolled edge. The rim features a basic leaf pattern that is far simpler than contemporary Beach rims. Advertising text (and sometime symbols or logos) appear both on the rim or on the face of the tray, usually in black text. Sometime advertising text is on the back side.
Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss No. 32 (or any of the affiliated Thayer flower trays) but does include a picture in his catalog. We have only encountered a few brewery examples. For the stock samples and most non-brewers prices are at best modest for examples in good condition.
For No. 32, the M&B 1903 catalog description says: “In calling your attention to this first floral design, known as Tea Tray No. 32 or Rocky Mountain Wild Roses, we wish to explain in a general way the original history of the five designs here shown. (NOTE: only four designs are included in Catalouge No. 16). In 1901 a Mr. Frank S. Thayer, of Denver, Colo. Believing that a certain love of Nature’s handiwork lurked in every true American heart, set about the reproduction of a few noted flowers, which are found only in the region of the Rocky Mountains. These reproductions sold on a subscription at ONE DOLLAR EACH, and were only paper prints at that. We knowing, from experience, how much our customers appreciate the truly artistic, set about the purchase of these designs exclusively, so as to give them only to our own customers. After much negotiating we bought the copyright ownership and then after unusually heavy expense, succeeded in reproducing each design on our now famous ART METAL TEA TRAYS.” In the 1903 price list it appears as “No. 32, Wild Roses of the Rockies.”
Shape & Rim & Ad Text
Only tray examples are known, all of which are oval with the low pie shaped rim and rolled edge. The rim features a basic leaf pattern that is far simpler than contemporary Beach rims. Advertising text (and sometime symbols or logos) appear both on the rim or on the face of the tray, usually in black text. Sometime advertising text is on the back side.
Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss No. 32 (or any of the affiliated Thayer flower trays) but does include a picture in his catalog. We have only encountered a few brewery examples. For the stock samples and most non-brewers prices are at best modest for examples in good condition.
The Rocky Mountain Flower Trays
The next four trays in the M&B catalog (No. 32 to No. 35) draw from a 1901 work published by Denver publisher Frank S. Thayer that contained 12 chromolithographs by Percy W. Franklin recreating the work of Oscar Achleitner, with accompanying text by Sarah Bennett Walker.
The 12 lithos are of wildflowers native to the Rocky Mountains and include: Wild Rose; Rocky Mountain Aster; Fairy's Torch; Tiger Lily; Gaillardia; Pentstemon; Gilia; Sand Lily; Rocky-Mountain Thimble Berry; Rocky Mountain Columbine; Fringed Gentian; and Evening Primrose.
This folio was a first-rate affair with “each within an original oval mount with a blindstamped border, and an accompanying tissue guard printed with the botanical and/or common name of the flower, a note of when it is in flower, three or four lines of appropriate poetry, and a short descriptive text "Large folio. Publisher's khaki-green morocco-grained cloth portfolio with wallet-style flap, cover stamped in gilt, red moiré restraining bands.” Copies of the original folio (only 1,000 copies were made) are highly collectible and go for several thousand dollars on the rare occasion they come up for auction
The next four trays in the M&B catalog (No. 32 to No. 35) draw from a 1901 work published by Denver publisher Frank S. Thayer that contained 12 chromolithographs by Percy W. Franklin recreating the work of Oscar Achleitner, with accompanying text by Sarah Bennett Walker.
The 12 lithos are of wildflowers native to the Rocky Mountains and include: Wild Rose; Rocky Mountain Aster; Fairy's Torch; Tiger Lily; Gaillardia; Pentstemon; Gilia; Sand Lily; Rocky-Mountain Thimble Berry; Rocky Mountain Columbine; Fringed Gentian; and Evening Primrose.
This folio was a first-rate affair with “each within an original oval mount with a blindstamped border, and an accompanying tissue guard printed with the botanical and/or common name of the flower, a note of when it is in flower, three or four lines of appropriate poetry, and a short descriptive text "Large folio. Publisher's khaki-green morocco-grained cloth portfolio with wallet-style flap, cover stamped in gilt, red moiré restraining bands.” Copies of the original folio (only 1,000 copies were made) are highly collectible and go for several thousand dollars on the rare occasion they come up for auction
No. 32
RM Wild Roses
M&B
RM Wild Roses
M&B
No. 33
Evening Primrose
M&B
Evening Primrose
M&B
No. 34
Wild Tiger Lily
M&B
Wild Tiger Lily
M&B
No. 35
RM Thimble Berry
M&B
RM Thimble Berry
M&B
No. 68
Asters
Meek
Asters
Meek
No. 67
Columbine
Meek
Columbine
Meek
Known Trays Meek & Beach and then Meek made using images from the Rocky Mountain Flowers Portfolio
Confirmed Brewer used Stock Trays
Non-Beer Related & Non-Tray Uses
Click the Picture to Return to Meek & Beach Stock Catalog Page
