Fern Brand Chocolates, Northwood - The Story Behind The Glass
What could possibly be the connection between linseed oil, chocolates and Carnival Glass?
The title of this article gives the game away! Of course, it’s the wonderful Fern Brand Chocolates “advertising” or “lettered” piece that was made by Northwood. Before we delve into the linseed oil and chocolate (which could get messy) let’s take a look at the glass itself.
Fern Brand Chocolates advertising / lettered pieces (small plates). On the left is a regular plate shape,
and on the right a single handgrip plate, both in amethyst. Courtesy Seeck Auctions.
and on the right a single handgrip plate, both in amethyst. Courtesy Seeck Auctions.
Known only in the small plate form or with turned-up handgrip edges (single and double) this fabulous item from Northwood measures around six inches across. It is marked on the base with the letter N, and it is one of the more frequently reported “Advertising” or “Lettered” pieces.
The exterior design on the Fern Brand pieces is Northwood’s Basketweave, and it’s interesting to note that they were made in only one Carnival colour - amethyst (sometimes also described as purple or lavender). The iridescence can be deceptive, as Northwood often managed to capture a sea-green shimmer in the colours. Some of them may look green but check the base colour and you’ll find it’s amethyst. The Fern Brand Design Detail from amethyst Fern Brand Chocolates handgrip plate
Chocolate boxes and ads are known, featuring the same fern and lettering design that appears on the Northwood plates. So, here’s the question, which came first – the Northwood one – or that seen on the chocolate boxes and ads? Did Northwood copy an existing Fern Brand design, or was the Carnival plate the inspiration for the chocolate company’s subsequent packaging and ads? |
Fern Brand chocolate box probably from the late 1920s or 30s.
Courtesy Roof Top Antiques 1932 ad from the “Burlington Hawk Eye Gazette”
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Our recent research has revealed the answer.
The only dates we can reasonably confirm for the chocolate packaging are a 1913 Fern Brand candy tin, which has the same lettering as that on the Carnival plate, and a 1920 Fern Brand chocolate box, which has both the same lettering and the fern motif as that on the Carnival plate. (Note: the latter is not the box illustrated above, which most likely dates from a little later). The florid, yet rather lovely, lettering is typical of the style of the era.
The only dates we can reasonably confirm for the chocolate packaging are a 1913 Fern Brand candy tin, which has the same lettering as that on the Carnival plate, and a 1920 Fern Brand chocolate box, which has both the same lettering and the fern motif as that on the Carnival plate. (Note: the latter is not the box illustrated above, which most likely dates from a little later). The florid, yet rather lovely, lettering is typical of the style of the era.
The Fern Brand design (both the fern design itself and the “Fern Brand” style of lettering) was registered as a Trademark in 1906 by Gardner & Gould Co., (the makers of the chocolate). It was filed in June, 1906 and registered on 25th December, 1906 (number 58,885). The registration pre-dated when Harry Northwood started to make Carnival Glass in 1908, at his Wheeling plant.
Northwood made a number of advertising / lettered pieces based on a "template" design which had a floral motif placed above and below the actual advertising wording. On the right is an example of the floral motif that was used on some Northwood advertising / lettered pieces.
Note: Fenton also made a number of advertising /lettered pieces - and they used a very similar floral motif which is now called Garden Mums by collectors. For the design of the Fern Brand piece, Northwood replaced the upper floral motif of the floral "template" with the Fern Brand trademarked fern logo, and for the lettering, he used the Fern Brand specific style of font. |
What about the Linseed oil, Chocolates and Carnival Glass? The link is, of course, Gardner & Gould, the firm that made Fern Brand Chocolates. E.T. Gardner and E.C. Gould launched the Gardner & Gould Company on June 1, 1900 to manufacture fine chocolates and sell confectioners' supplies. They quickly outgrew their first facility and moved in March 1904 to larger premises - the former Burlington Linseed Oil Works building (shown on the right) which had been remodelled and equipped to suit their growing needs. The Linseed Oil company had moved out of the building in 1901 when the Burlington Paper Company moved in for a couple of years, before they themselves vacated it for Gardner & Gould.By 1906, their Fern Brand of chocolates was known across the USA with around sixty people employed as well as six salesmen in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas. In 1910 they had an enlarged three-storey premises on the site, and it was considered to be the height of modernity, with offices, storage and a shipping room on the ground floor, chocolate dipping on the first floor and the candy factory above that. The local paper, (the “Burlington Hawk Eye”) in an article entitled “Will Enlarge Plant” in March 1910, stated that the newly enlarged plant was “considered modern in every way” and was “the best that can be procured”. Their Fern Brand Chocolates were of highest quality and were distributed throughout the USA. The company grew into a major regional manufacturer until its acquisition by Fresh Pak Candy Co. of Moline, Illinois, in 1957. Fresh Pak initially increased the local workforce to 125 employees, but soon decided to transfer all manufacturing to Moline. By the end of 1957, all operations of the former candy company had left Burlington. |
The Burlington Linseed Oil Works, from the
“Commercial and Statistical Review of the city of Burlington”, 1882. Public Domain. |
An interesting aside: Pieces from the Gardner & Gould liquid sugar vat have been used in a sculpture entitled “Sugar Free”, situated in the public meditation garden in Burlington. Source, “Burlington Hawk Eye”.
Serving up the chocolates!
Chewing over (!) the idea of chocolates made us think that is probably why the Fern Brand pieces were made in handgrip shaped small plates … plates that were intended to offer and serve the chocolates on.
Above: a double handgrip plate on the left and a single handgrip plate on the right, both in amethyst. Perfectly shaped for offering and serving chocolates! Courtesy Seeck Auctions.
A Final Word About the Chocolates
An empty box of chocolates is a sad sight to behold, and when you look at this picture of the empty Fern Brand box you cannot but wonder exactly what the chocolates inside would have been like. Well, we can help (with a picture) but unfortunately no chocolates. This ad (below) is from a 1913 Iowa newspaper. It shows us inside the Fern Brand box, and on the right are images from Parloa’s popular chocolate recipe book of the early 1900s showing us the mouthwatering temptations that might have been in the box.
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We’ll leave you with some wonderful images of how Fern Brand (and oher sweet goodies) were being advertised around the time the Northwood Carnival Glass Fern Brand plates were being made.
Note: this article updates and supersedes one we wrote in 2015 on this topic.
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