“here’s looking back at you kid

Below are shown the five we know of in existence

United states baking company, leading specialists in fancy biscuits, boston Usa paper label circular metal frame 1.78” round rare/rare. ci

Ask for new York biscuit co.’s famous bread made from the finest material the world can produce. your grocers keep it. Paper label and metal frame, circular in shape. rare/rare. Size 1.78” Circa 1890’s value $250.00+Barnum’s animals national biscuit company. This mirror is the newest we have, plastic cover metal mirror, shows barnum’s monkeys jumping rope. Size is 2” in diameter. Circa late 1980’s. value $50.00+

Left-right: Dale Brown and Dave Johnson Louisville convention 2013

“here’s looking back at you kid”

Fall colophon 2015

The lillibridge-bremner facory national biscuit company Minneapolis. Minn. Trademark lily bridge. Most colorful of all shown, plastic cover metal round frame. Rare/rare. Size 2” circa 1902 value $350.00+

Demand union made bread, pies, cakes, crackers, & candies. The national biscuit co’s goods are not union made. Mirror shows the cracker, cake, and candy label. “journeymen bakery and confectioners international union.” Although national biscuit company did not authorize or release this mirror, it is in high demand. it has national biscuit company on the mirror, it was an anti-Nabisco mirror. Plastic cover, metal frame, mirror on front. SIZE 2” circa 1920’s value $200.00+ whitehead & hoag co. Newark, n.j.

“what’s happening on ebay?” fall colophon

 

rare puppets shipping box 1960. Held 12 puppets PLASTIC figures, Winnie, kanga & ROO, mickey MOUSE AND Donald DUCK. who saved this box?

Here are three late 1800’s N.B.C. (National

“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.

 

 

“Hangers are so beautiful”

“spring Colophon 2015”

A rare lorna doone hanger circa 1920’s  10.50”x11.50”

DEDICATION TO N.B.C.

By Charlie & Prissy Brown

Dedication comes in different forms—working extra hours to get the job done with the same pay, volunteering to do a job which may not be yours for the good of your company, helping out when a friend or coworker is sick and can’t do their job, being a role model for new employees by showing them the ropes and being there for their assistance, loving your career and job, spending time away from the job, and always knowing that you are NABISCO to anyone who knows you. All these things come under the title of DEDICATION. Two such amazing individuals we are talking about in this article, Wesley Schreiner who was a retired sales manager from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Ted Permueler who was a former accounts manager also from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Both of these amazing men worked most of their careers representing the National Biscuit Company and are now deceased. Prissy and I have only met one of these two individuals. That man is Wesley (Wes) Schreiner. We found out about Ted from Wes, who knew him well.

Wes would tell us that he and Ted would spend a lot of time in the company car, traveling around the state, setting stores, calling on headquarters, and building BIG displays. Wes has commented, “We would always find time in our travels to check out the antique stores” in the little towns that they traveled through. Ted, as was Wes, was a big Nabisco collector. Both had large collections. Ted would find an antique wood NBC rack. If it was painted, he would take it home and strip the paint off, exposing the beautiful oak rack, while not disturbing the lettering. Even better, both of their wives also loved the National Biscuit Company collections, spending weekends attending shows and flea markets in their CHASE. Wes’s collection now is in the hands of his son, Richard. Richard and Wes are both club members. Richard works for Little Debbie. He LOVES his dad’s collection and we are thrilled that his dad’s collection is safe in his care, ROOTS!

Wes passed away Thursday, December 3, 2015 in Cedar Rapids. Over the many years that we have had the club and published the Colophon, Wes and his wife Betty were always there. Both of them attended some of our national conventions. Betty passed away in 2007. She was Wes’s rock and strength. They were married in 1943, the same year that I was born. We have learned a lot about this amazing company from dedicated employees like Wes Schreiner. We all have to take the trip, we don’t know when, we just know that we will. If Prissy and I can leave behind the goodwill and love that this amazing couple have and had, we will surely rest in peace. We, as a club, will miss you tremendously Wes. Until we meet again, God willing, LOVE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Charlie, Prissy, and all of the Inner-Seal Club members.