Bidspirit auction | Walter Baker and Co. Ltd.

Walter Baker and Co. Ltd. La Belle Chocolatiere Advertising Sign and Cocoa Tin - A two-piece set of antique American advertising materials for Walter Baker and Co. Ltd. of Dorchester, Massachusetts. The lot includes a large framed advertising display sign and a matching consumer product tin, both featuring the iconic La Belle Chocolatiere trademark. The sign is a lithograph on metal or heavy cardstock, depicting an 18th-century waitress in a pink cap, yellow bodice, and blue skirt carrying a tray with a chocolate cup and water. The image field is printed with REG. IN U.S. PATENT OFFICE in the lower right, and the inner frame border is printed with LA BELLE CHOCOLATIERE. WALTER BAKER & CO. LTD. in black capital letters. The sign is housed in a deep-profile wood frame with a metallic gold-toned finish and a simple wire hanger on the reverse. Accompanying the sign is a rectangular lithographed tin for Baker's Breakfast Cocoa. One side features the chocolate girl trademark with the printed text LA BELLE CHOCOLATIERE and Walter Baker & Co. Limited. An adjacent side displays a complex graphic layout including BAKER'S BREAKFAST COCOA, Absolutely Pure NO CHEMICALS, and WALTER BAKER & CO. LTD. DORCHESTER, MASS. The tin features a crest containing two medallions and a WB monogram. Below the directions for preparation, a printed guarantee statement reads: GUARANTEED BY WALTER BAKER & CO. UNDER THE FOOD AND DRUGS ACT JUNE 30, 1906. SERIAL NO. 90. Framed Width: 28.25 inches Framed Height: 22.25 inches. These are antique items and show age-appropriate wear. The advertising sign displays several linear scratches and white scuff marks in the upper left and center fields of the image (photo 1). Small spots of surface loss and foxing are visible on the white apron (photo 2). The gold-toned frame shows minor nicks and dust accumulation consistent with age. The lithographed tin exhibits significant oxidation and rust, particularly on the lid and base (photo 4). There is widespread fading to the lithography and several areas of paper or lithographic loss near the top edges and seams (photo 5).