M&B Stock: No. 35 "Rocky Mountain Thimble Berry"

General
Despite the promise of “five designs” in M&B catalogue No. 16 (1903), No. 35 is the last one issued in this group from the Thayer publication. Two others (Asters and Columbine) were release several years later (1905-1906); it is unclear why the other six, which M&B owned the right to were never turned into trays. It may be that they were put to other uses; M&B and later Meek and American Art Works created a whole host of advertising items (eg, trade cards, celluloid mirrors, calendars) on which those designs could have been used but we have not run across any examples.

For No. 35, the M&B 1903 catalog description says: “Tea Tray No. 35, is the Perfect Reproduction of a branch of the Rocky Mountain Thimble Berry. One of the old Rocky’s rarest flowers. Grow high up on the mountain side; blooming from May to August.” It is listed in the 1903 price list as “No. 35, Rocky Mountain Thimble Berry.”

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 the same flower and leaf pattern that appears on No. 34 and with the same green dashed band surrounding the image. In the few examples we’ve seen advertising text appears on the rim or on the back of the tray in black print.

Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss No. 35 (or any of the affiliated Thayer flower trays), but does include a picture in his catalog. Prices are relatively modest for stock samples and most non-brewery advertisers. The one exception is a somewhat higher price for the one liquor dealer (Feisst) example. As stated above, no brewery examples have been encountered so far.