Tuscarora Stock

General Comments
The few examples we’ve seen of this design have not carried any manufacturer attribution or other identifying information. Nor have we found this design in any other medium that might carry a design title like we have for “Health & Beauty” (No.T-1). Our belief that this is a pre-catalog Tuscarora tray stems mainly from the unique stamping of the tray and some of the colors used on the rim which were typical of Tuscarora and are discussed in the following section.

In the absence of any clues from advertising text, design title, or date information it’s difficult to determine whether the design represents a specific woman or is an artist’s conception. Later designs (including from other manufacturers) include famous actresses of the day (Julia Marlowe, Sarah Bernhardt, Evelyn Nesbit), singers (Geraldine Ferrar as “Carmen”, No. 95), or characters from literature (Evangeline, No. 124). We considered that this might have been meant to be actress Lillian Russell, an American actress and singer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty and style, as well as for her voice and stage presence. Numerous pictures show Ms. Russell in similar elaborate outfits; however, we eliminated her from consideration after we learned she had blue eyes. If the woman in this design is meant to represent a famous woman from the time period, it’s currently lost to us whom that might be.

There is no entry in Sahling’s workbook that we could associate with this design; all of his early entries before July 1900 indicate they are for specific companies. Nor does the design carry the signature of a particular artist from whom Tuscarora might have acquired this design; in these early days it does not appear to have been standard practice to attribute the artist like it did later under Meek and American Art Works.

Size, Shape and Message Placement
The only examples we’ve seen have been large rectangular trays which have a similar two step rim as the pre-catalog oblongs with a short initial wall that transitions into a concave section and then finally into a wide, flat edge which we understand is the product of the specific stamping machines used. The only versions we’ve seen have stock samples with a holly leaf and berry design on the rim; obviously, none had advertising. Interestingly, the rim design doesn’t really lend itself to advertising text with no “windows” for text placement like some of the other early Tuscarora stock designs. It seems that they were still figuring out the “formula” for stock designs at this point. Elements of the rim use pink and blue colors in shapes found on other early Tuscarora trays.

Hager & Price
Hager does not discuss this design or include it in his catalog; therefore, he also does not include it in his date of introduction table. The couple of sales we have seen ranged from the mid-double figures, to low triple figures.