Inner_Seal Club membership Information

Want information about the Inner-Seal Collecting Club/National Biscuit Company/Nabisco? We are all about bringing to each of our members, the fantastic Country Store History of an American Icon, The National Biscuit Company. The Company who “Took The Crackers Out Of The Barrel & Put Them In A Box, UNEEDA BISCUIT. Founded in 1898, Nabisco has made their mark on the baking Business, they are #1. Their collecting history is second to none, Trolley Cards, Truck & Wagon Posters, Store Furniture, Store Jars & Racks, Toys, Bread, Candy, Buttons, Cereals, Dolls & MORE, all marked National Biscuit Company. Our Club was founded in 1994, we have our newsletter, The Inner-Seal Colophon, published three times a year. Some of the above articles are but a minute example of our letter. Recognise any of these names, OREO, CHIPS AHOY, RITZ, LORNA DOONE, PREMIUM SALTINES, FIG NEWTONS, BARNUM’S ANIMALS, HONEY MAID GRAHAMS? All part of Nabisco. If you want information, just send a SASE TO:INNER-SEAL CLUB 6609 Billtown Road Louisville, Ky 40299. Our Fall Colophon is being released early August 2015. or contact dolphgreen@aol.com or prissyannb@aol.com

“Want to Join us in Kentucky in august 2016”

Inner-Seal club convention planned for the weekend of august 5^th, 6^th & 17^th in Louisville, ky. Our national convention is in the planning stages, it will be held in a hotel & convention center at 1-64 & blankenbaker pkwy in Louisville. Set up room, member show & tell, buffet, continental breakfast, auctions, silent & live, best of show & Sunday morning tour of our collection. Mark your calendar & be a part of national biscuit company history in the making. If you never have attended our convention, you are in for a treat. You don’t have to be a club member to attend, but either a current or retired employee. If you plan on attending email us at dolphgreen@aol.com prissyannb@aol.com

“Want to Join us in Kentucky in August 2016”?

Inner-Seal club convention planned for the weekend of August 5^th, 6^th & 7^th in Louisville, Ky. Our national convention is in the planning stages, it will be held in a hotel & convention center at 1-64 & Blankenbaker Pkwy in Louisville. Set up room, member show & tell, buffet, continental breakfast, auctions, silent & live, best of show & Sunday morning tour of our collection. Mark your calendar & be a part of national biscuit company history in the making. If you never have attended our convention, you are in for a treat. You don’t have to be a club member to attend, but either a current or retired employee, or Love Country Store Collectables. If you plan on attending email us at dolphgreen@aol.com prissyannb@aol.com

“Lorna doone 1912-1987/ 75^th anniversary”

By Charlie brown

National biscuit company was hard at work in 1912, not only did they release three different cookie at the same time, that being Mother Goose, Veronese Biscuit & oreo biscuit, but later that same year, lorna doone.

The national biscuit company had a real challenge in the early years, coming up with products, with catchy names like “OREo or Mother goose” & for other cookie products which might appeal to American tastes. Their products were flying off the shelves, since the chain stores were beginning to make their debut in the early 1900’s. In fact NBC was so desperate for names for new cookie varieties,  they asked their salesmen to submit names of Pullman Cars for consideration for their new products.

The one cookie which no American baker could produce on a large scale in a large bakery, was shortbread. The small buttery cookie of scottish  origin, seemed impossible to produce by mechanical means on a mass produced scale. However,

this problem was about to change. in Detroit an inventive molder was experimenting with a machine that might do the job. His name was frank Werner, founder & President of Werner machine company. His one obsession was shortbread, so he began experimenting knowing that to make perfect shortcake, the process had to be done with wooden molding blocks, thus resulting in a buttery flaky cookie. eventually inventing a machine which would make quantity shortbread production possible.

Frank Werner Circa 1916

News of the invention reached national biscuit company in new York & Earl babst, a man much like Adolphus Green, arrogant & independent,  The  need for more products was pressing &national biscuit company was interested. Shortbread had been discussed in meetings for several years, the problem was as stated above. Babst gave the word, experiment & find us the right process to make a shortbread cookie.

that they did, the formula was perfected, now to name the cookie. Shortbread was Scottish in origin, thus a Scottish name, seemed appropriate.

This was the era when lorna doone, a nineteenth century Scottish romance by r.d.blackmore, set in Exmoorwas required reading in all schools & popular in cultured households.

When babst visited exmoor, his chauffer pointed to the surrounding countryside & remarked, sir “this is lorna doone country”, upon babst’s return to new York, he wrote a short letter to the operating  department, “gentlemen, I recommend the name lorna doone for our new shortbread biscuit”. Earl babst’s suggestion meant “Do it”, the rest is history.

Now, after 103 years this month(march 1912) lorna doone cookies are still being made & sold, they are still the absolute best & #1 selling shortbread cookie, go out & buy a box, you will see why no one else can make a shortbread cookie like Nabisco.

Data, compliments of “out of the cracker barrel”.

Now, some nostalgia:

Shown below a set of coasters for lorna doone 1987.

75^th anniv. coasters

Lorna Doone 75th Anniversary

“Lorna doone 1912-1987/ 75^th anniversary”

By Charlie brown

National biscuit company was hard at work in 1912, not only did they release three different cookie at the same time, that being Mother Goose, Veronese Biscuit & oreo biscuit, but later that same year, lorna doone.

The national biscuit company had a real challenge in the early years, coming up with products, with catchy names like “OREo or Mother goose” & for other cookie products which might appeal to American tastes. Their products were flying off the shelves, since the chain stores were beginning to make their debut in the early 1900’s. In fact NBC was so desperate for names for new cookie varieties,  they asked their salesmen to submit names of Pullman Cars for consideration for their new products.

The one cookie which no American baker could produce on a large scale in a large bakery, was shortbread. The small buttery cookie of scottish  origin, seemed impossible to produce by mechanical means on a mass produced scale. However,

this problem was about to change. in Detroit an inventive molder was experimenting with a machine that might do the job. His name was frank Werner, founder & President of Werner machine company. His one obsession was shortbread, so he began experimenting knowing that to make perfect shortcake, the process had to be done with wooden molding blocks, thus resulting in a buttery flaky cookie. eventually inventing a machine which would make quantity shortbread production possible.

Frank Werner Circa 1916

News of the invention reached national biscuit company in new York & Earl babst, a man much like Adolphus Green, arrogant & independent,  The  need for more products was pressing &national biscuit company was interested. Shortbread had been discussed in meetings for several years, the problem was as stated above. Babst gave the word, experiment & find us the right process to make a shortbread cookie.

that they did, the formula was perfected, now to name the cookie. Shortbread was Scottish in origin, thus a Scottish name, seemed appropriate.

This was the era when lorna doone, a nineteenth century Scottish romance by r.d.blackmore, set in Exmoorwas required reading in all schools & popular in cultured households.

When babst visited exmoor, his chauffer pointed to the surrounding countryside & remarked, sir “this is lorna doone country”, upon babst’s return to new York, he wrote a short letter to the operating  department, “gentlemen, I recommend the name lorna doone for our new shortbread biscuit”. Earl babst’s suggestion meant “Do it”, the rest is history.

Now, after 103 years this month(march 1912) lorna doone cookies are still being made & sold, they are still the absolute best & #1 selling shortbread cookie, go out & buy a box, you will see why no one else can make a shortbread cookie like Nabisco.

Data, compliments of “out of the cracker barrel”.

Now, some nostalgia:

Shown below a set of coasters for lorna doone 1987.

75^th anniv. coasters

What’s Rare Spring 2015

“JUST HANGING AROUND” BY PRISSY BROWN

In the beginning, these were known as “hangers”.

The national biscuit company was the first major corporation to use publicity as an educational and selling tool. They knew where a salesman could only speak to one or a few people at a time, advertising in a print source, such as a magazine or newspaper, could speak to millions. At that time in early 1900, many people were shocked to think NBC would spend $5000.00 on a full page magazine insert, Nabisco knew it would take a salesman 100 years to even try and reach AS  many potential customers THAT one magazine advertisement WOULD REACH, He could not do it and the cost would be prohibitive.

The very first advertising done by the National Biscuit Company, was done in Chicago, nbc’s headquarters and was done in a newspaper. The first advertized product was uneeda biscuit. The first ad, do you know uneeda biscuit? Followed by, Yes certainly uneeda biscuit.

The next form of advertising was billboards, which was also the same message, both of these advertising formats were so successful, the advertising went nationwide. No advertising campaign in America gained

as much attention as the national biscuit company’s.The uneeda boy, zuzu clown & Nabisco sugar wafer girl took the country by storm. Following this campaign, came magazine inserts, containing ten to fifteen colors, unheard of at that time. Car cards (1911)were soon to follow, these proved to be even more effective and national biscuit company placed them everywhere, trolley cars, store windows, bank lobby’s, anyplace which could be seen by the consumer.

About this time, there was a young, 18 year old self employed artist in Chicago. He specialized in color display advertising & car cards. His name was a.c. mace and he realized the potential for success with working for a national company specializing in advertising. The national biscuit company was his first choice, so he applied with the nbc advertising agency in Chicago. He was turned down, but not to be discouraged, he reapplied for a job in the packaging department, he got the job. His goal was to be an advertising artist, so he persisted and at night would draw sketches of his work. The ones he worked on were of the zuzu clown. He presented his sketches to his boss, who took them to the head of nbc’s advertising department, they were elated to see them, he was transferred to the advertsing department. The many beautiful zuzu clown advertisements we see today, were the work of mr. a,c.mace. the rest is history.

This brings us to our spring colophon, “just hanging around”  and nbc’s “hangers”. At first they were simply called hangers. The first one we could find, or the first one shown in the nbc green book was circa 1916. The scene is out of the nbc grEen book and shows a WAITRESS IN A CONFECTIONARY STORE, ON THE WALL IS A NBC SUGAR WAFER HANGER. THIS IS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THE VERY FIRST NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY HANG DOWN SIGN KNOWN. REMEMBER, NBC OWNED THE MARKET FROM ALMOST THE START OF THE COMPANY IN 1898 WITH THEIR SUGAR WAFERS. THEY RELEASED THEM UNDER MANY DIFFERENT NAMES, IN MANY ASSORTED FLAVORS, ALL SUGAR WAFER BASE. ANOLA, NABISCO, RIENTA, ADORA AND MORE. SO, THIS MAKES SENSE, THE SUGAR WAFER WAS THE FIRST.SHOWN WITH OUR ARTICLE (information taken from the Nov.1917 Green Book, The Story Of The advertising Department) IS THE PICTURE TAKEN FROM THE GREEN BOOKS OF The first hanger (sugar wafers), WE HAVE THAT PIECE IN OUR COLLECTION. WE ARE SHOWING YOU IN THIS ISSUE SOME BEAUTIES, MOST RARE, ALL SILENT SALESMEN FOR THE NEW YOUNG NATIONAL COMPANY, KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY. GOOD COLLECTING & START YOUR CHASE. PRISSY.

Whats Rare Fall Colophon 2015

What’s rare, fall colophon 2015

                                  By prissy brown

You think you have covered about everything you can find, rare national biscuit company,  but, as all of you know, we have not scratched the surface yet. This issue is no exception, the piece I am talking about, has almost faded into a distant memory. Let me try and rekindle each of your memories, because we had not thought about this piece being in existence. How many still are in the old bakeries?  Could there be some others waiting to be found? Do you know where one is still located? If you do, let us know, we would love the information, now a little information about what National Biscuit Company called the “Suggestion box.

     The year was 1946, the war had just ended & the national biscuit company was cementing their place in history, of having the absolute best products made, the best advertising this nation had ever seen, the most modern bakeries in existence, some working 24 hours a day trying to keep up with the demand. Nabisco people were the absolute best in the country, dedicated, hard workers & proud to be a part of the Nabisco family. But something was missing, although N.b.c. had all the above, they knew their employees could suggest ways to “make it better”, improvements in packaging, work habits & ways to save money. So national biscuit decided to tap these amazing employees knowledge & expertise, Thus the “national biscuit company  think & suggest campaign”.

            What’s rare, fall colophon 2015

                                          By prissy brown

     So on November 29^th 1946 the think & suggest campaign was founded, but not implemented. No, national biscuit company needed a few more months to work out the details & they did just that. They needed a way for all employees to send in their suggestions & ideas, safe from other employees to see, so the employees knew their suggestions would be seen only by the n.b.c. people who chose the winners.

     In  January 1947 the “think & suggest” campaign was officially launched by Nabisco coast to coast, for every Nabisco employee to use.  Every bakery, branch & location Nabisco had, was made aware of this neat new idea, a way for all the employees, send in their ideas about their company, on how to “make it better”. Forms were made available, pencils furnished, posters & brochures sent out, envelopes made available, all for one purpose  to “think & suggest”. Winners, chosen by Nabisco management would receive checks for their ideas if chosen. Every single suggestion was treated like the “only one” each given hands on reviews, “every single one”

     At first the minimum award  was $7.50 maximum was $2500.00, not bad for 1947 a year before nabisco’s  golden anniversary. This award amount was not changed until 1956 when the award amounts changed minimum $10.00 to maximum $3000.00. finally in 1964 it changed again to 15% of tangible savings, maximum award $5000.00 .

 

       What’s rare, fall colophon 2015

                                   By prissy brown

     By the 25^th anniversary of the “think & suggest” campaign, in 1972, 169,221 suggestions had been made, 27,740 suggestions had been adopted & $588,490.00 had been awarded, wow, what a company, did they love their employees, yes they did, but, we all knew that.

      Now, for the reason ofall the  above. Where were all these suggestions & ideas put, not all were mailed, although a lot were mailed. In a lot of Nabisco locations they had a suggestion box, complete with envelopes & forms to “think & suggest” and place in the slot for security, only being opened by management with a key, all had a padlock attached. Charlie worked for almost 31 years with Nabisco neither of us ever saw or knew about these beautiful boxes & if not for Jeanne & dan lewter’s visit, we would have not known about this beauty. Now we do & now each of you do,  shown here is a picture of this wall hanging suggestion box. So mysterious, because of what was put inside, just like a ballot box.

     We know of two of these in existence, although a few may still be attached in the old locations, no longer used, but part of nabisco’s collecting history. If anyone knows where one is still located, please email me & let us know prissyannb@aol.com

   See you in the winter for more “What’s rare”

                   Enjoy your chase, prissy.