New York, NY – Historic printing press plates of well-known corporate logos used in the process of producing early and mid-20th century advertising and marketing materials and stock certificates will be offered in a public auction conducted on July 27 and 28, 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland by Stack’s (www.Stacks.com) of New York City and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The unique, intricately engraved plates and printing rollers are from the legendary archives of the American Bank Note Company.
Among the famous logos and advertising symbols and trademarks on the mirror-image plates are: the (RCA) Victor Talking Machine dog, “Nipper;” Green Giant Food Company’s “Jolly Green Giant;” the Proctor & Gamble “man in the moon” logo; the Dutch Boy Paint “kid” holding a paint brush in the air; the apples, grapes, currants and leaves logo of Fruit of the Loom; the winged-foot of the Roman god, Mercury, logo of Goodyear; and “the Quaker Man” of Quaker Oats. There also are printing plates depicting “vignettes” for American Airlines, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and other companies.
The engraved steel plates are consigned to the auction by Archival Collectibles of Far Hills, New Jersey, which acquired the huge American Bank Note Company archives in 2005.
“We recently discovered these particular advertising and corporate logo plates among the thousands of one-of-kind, engravings in the archives. It’s exciting to look at these original pieces of art that were so skillfully handcrafted, some of them nearly a century ago,” said Steve Blum, president of Archival Collectibles.
Now located near Philadelphia in Trevose, Pennsylvania, American Bank Note Company was formed in 1858 in New York City by a consolidation of eight leading bank note engravers and printers. Over the years, the firm acquired other companies and their archives.
The July auction also includes engraved plates and rollers used for printing various documents with portraits of famous people, such as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Kennedy and Confederacy President Davis.
There also are engravings of historical events such as the landings of Columbus and the Pilgrims; images of landmark structures including Independence Hall, the Brooklyn Bridge, Stone Mountain and the U.S. Capitol Building as it appeared in the 1850’s; plates for printing 19th century “obsolete” paper money for private banks; and printing plates for admission tickets to national political party conventions: Republican 1892 in Minneapolis, 1920 Chicago, 1924 Cleveland, 1928 Kansas City, 1936 Cleveland; and Democrat 1896 Chicago and 1960 Los Angeles.
For additional information about the auction, contact Stack’s toll-free at either (800) 566-2580 (New York office) or (866) 811-1804 (New Hampshire office), or visit online at www.Stacks.com.
