M&B Stock No.37 "Lady in Red Dress"

General
No. 37 also does not appear in any M&B Catalogue we possess, although it likely already existed by the time M&B catalog No. 16 was printed, as Jasper Meek himself referenced some later trays in the catalogue sequence in a 1903 article in Printers Ink. This design is listed in the 1903 M&B price list as “Lady in Red Dress.”

Initially we did not known if the woman was meant to portray a personality of the day or is simply an ideal as in some of the other early stock designs. We thought she did bear a resemblance to a young Lili Lehmann, a late 19th/early 20th century German soprano. Ms. Lehmann performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1885–1899 and was responsible for popularizing Wagner operas in the US and would have been familiar to the many European artists who worked for M&B. However, Ms. Lehman would have been would have been in her mid-50s by the time this design was produced. The heavy, ornate dress does resemble an operatic costume more than fashions of the day.

Whether she benefited from them or not is unclear, but she was also featured on a various advertising items of the day, most notably "cigarette cards" a type of trading card issued by tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise cigarette brands. Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible cards with their packages of cigarettes. Cigarette card sets documented popular culture from the turn of the century, often depicting the period's actresses, costumes, and sports, as well as offering insights into mainstream humor and cultural norms. Combined with her residency in New York at the time, she would have been incredibly recognizable to most Americans.

After some searching, we found a "cigarette card" of Ms. Russell from Gremio de Fabricantes (Spanish government monopoly for the manufacture and sale of matches and match boxes) probably from the mid-to-late 1890s, featuring her in the exact same outfit (presumed to from an operetta or theatrical production). Clearly the inspiration for this stock design. Unfortunately, we have not found any additional information regarding either the particular operatic production or the role she played.

Size & Shape
Like a number of other M&B tray in this range known tray examples are all oval with the low pie shaped rim and rolled edge. Most tray versions show up sporting the faux marble with the exception of the example from John Wagner & Sons which is a light green; we have not encountered any sign versions of this image. Advertising text usually appears on the rim usually in black text with some occurrences on the back of the tray.

Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss this design but does include a picture of it in his catalog. Examples of this tray seem to be few and far between and surprisingly unmarked stock samples are not often seen. Most examples are for non-brewers and do not command much in the way of price. Even the lone brewery auction example we have to date (John Wagner Sons Brewing) scored a surprisingly weak price given its excellent condition and this design’s relative scarcity.

In the summer of 2023 we obtained access to some early Meek & Beach, Meek & Co, and American Art Works production logs. As we began digitizing them we ran across an entry for "(stock) Lillian Russell." Although not indicated as a tray, most other items in in production at this time were clearly indicated as signs (based on the dimensions noted). One of our nicknames for this design has long been "Red Opera Lady," so we immediately thought of it and start researching Lillian Russell.