Stock
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L. Haas & Co,
Carmi, IL (?)
The 'Stock' Exchange
H.D. Beach Co. No. 18-B - Cherries & Pears Still Life
H.D. Beach Co. No. 18-B - Cherries & Pears Still Life
Date: 1906 - 1910
Size: 16.5" x 13.5"
Type: Inverted Pie
Scarcity: Rare
Value: $$$ to $$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Size: 16.5" x 13.5"
Type: Inverted Pie
Scarcity: Rare
Value: $$$ to $$$$
Condition & Brewer Dependent
Click the Picture to Return to Meek & Beach Stock Catalog Page
Confirmed Brewer used Stock Trays
Non-Beer Related & Non-Tray Uses
General Comments
This design continues Beach’s series of still-lifes featuring fruit. It’s a somewhat odd pairing (no pun intended) since the typical picking seasons for cherries and pears don’t overlap. Cherries are a summer fruit; typically harvested in July and usually during a fairly short three- or four-week season. Pears tend to be harvest in late summer and early fall, so one wouldn’t expect to see them together.
There are two types of cherries represented here. The lighter red cherries which are possibly Montmorency, one of the oldest cherry varieties, dating back to at least a hundred years from France. It is also considered as the most widely grown and distributed tart cherry used in classic jams and preserve brands. It is also used for baked goods or can be eaten fresh thanks to its strong tarty taste. They have an even luscious red color, oval shaped, and medium sized. The darker cherries could be a number of different varieties, but a likely contender is the Bing cherry, the most popular cherry in the world. Perhaps the most famous and highly regarded sweet cherry in the world, horticulturist Seth Lewelling created the sweet cherry cultivar in Milwaukee in the mid-1800s becoming the most widely planted cherry variety in the United States. It took until the mid-1990s for other sweet cherry cultivars to break the exclusive hold that Bing had on the industry.
The basket in which most of the cherries are held appears to in the style of traditional white oak baskets that were common for holding produce in the days before paper and plastic bags were common. In the early 1900s, baskets were as commonplace as paper bags and plastic containers are now. Perhaps it was inspired by examples from the Dresden Basket Factory, precursor to the famous Longaberger Basket Company, which was located 16 miles away in Dresden, Ohio. Or perhaps it was inspired by the local Amish who had their own basket weaving tradition.
It is unclear who this design was meant to appeal to. Large grocery stores or supermarkets were just beginning in the early 20th century. Most “grocers” of the era were small and only dealt in “dry goods.” Produce was handled by completely separate “green grocers” who also were typically small, local operations. It’s hard to image them having the excess capital to invest in trays even at the relatively modest cost of stock designs. Perhaps this explains why we’ve only encountered stock sample versions of this design.
Size, Shape and Message Placement
We’ve only encountered this design twice, both of which were oval trays. This design is accompanied by yet another elaborate rim with butterflies that we’ve only seen with this design. It likewise did not lend itself well to advertising text so we would have expected that to appear on the face of the tray (and we would not be surprised to find examples with advertising printed on the back either).
Hager & Price
This is another design that is neither discussed, nor included in Hager’s catalog; again, most likely because he never encountered one. We have only ever seen stock samples of this design, never one with advertising. Both examples we have seen were in excellent condition but only achieved sales in the low double figures.
This design continues Beach’s series of still-lifes featuring fruit. It’s a somewhat odd pairing (no pun intended) since the typical picking seasons for cherries and pears don’t overlap. Cherries are a summer fruit; typically harvested in July and usually during a fairly short three- or four-week season. Pears tend to be harvest in late summer and early fall, so one wouldn’t expect to see them together.
There are two types of cherries represented here. The lighter red cherries which are possibly Montmorency, one of the oldest cherry varieties, dating back to at least a hundred years from France. It is also considered as the most widely grown and distributed tart cherry used in classic jams and preserve brands. It is also used for baked goods or can be eaten fresh thanks to its strong tarty taste. They have an even luscious red color, oval shaped, and medium sized. The darker cherries could be a number of different varieties, but a likely contender is the Bing cherry, the most popular cherry in the world. Perhaps the most famous and highly regarded sweet cherry in the world, horticulturist Seth Lewelling created the sweet cherry cultivar in Milwaukee in the mid-1800s becoming the most widely planted cherry variety in the United States. It took until the mid-1990s for other sweet cherry cultivars to break the exclusive hold that Bing had on the industry.
The basket in which most of the cherries are held appears to in the style of traditional white oak baskets that were common for holding produce in the days before paper and plastic bags were common. In the early 1900s, baskets were as commonplace as paper bags and plastic containers are now. Perhaps it was inspired by examples from the Dresden Basket Factory, precursor to the famous Longaberger Basket Company, which was located 16 miles away in Dresden, Ohio. Or perhaps it was inspired by the local Amish who had their own basket weaving tradition.
It is unclear who this design was meant to appeal to. Large grocery stores or supermarkets were just beginning in the early 20th century. Most “grocers” of the era were small and only dealt in “dry goods.” Produce was handled by completely separate “green grocers” who also were typically small, local operations. It’s hard to image them having the excess capital to invest in trays even at the relatively modest cost of stock designs. Perhaps this explains why we’ve only encountered stock sample versions of this design.
Size, Shape and Message Placement
We’ve only encountered this design twice, both of which were oval trays. This design is accompanied by yet another elaborate rim with butterflies that we’ve only seen with this design. It likewise did not lend itself well to advertising text so we would have expected that to appear on the face of the tray (and we would not be surprised to find examples with advertising printed on the back either).
Hager & Price
This is another design that is neither discussed, nor included in Hager’s catalog; again, most likely because he never encountered one. We have only ever seen stock samples of this design, never one with advertising. Both examples we have seen were in excellent condition but only achieved sales in the low double figures.
