NATIONAL BISCUIT CAROUSEL Destroyed

Above Carousel Horses For Sale       Carousel on display Christmas WH.

 

NABISCO CAROUSEL shown here, built in the late 50’s in the Nabisco machine shops, displayed in world headquarters at holiday time, has been sold for scrap, what a shame. Above is a picture of a little girl, obviously from a person who bought these two horses at auction after being removed from the Carousel. They were listed online on ebay in New Jersey For Sale $700.00 each. I talked with the gentleman in World Headquarters about two years ago about the Carousel, he told me that the piece was in storage, it had not been used for several years. I told him that piece is too beautiful to lose, he told me, it was too heavy to move. Knowing now it was cut up for scrap, (this is my opinion), why could it not have been given to a Children’s Hospital or Children’s museum? To think it was made by Nabisco employees & the time & labor involved, just to be scrapped, WHAT A SHAME! Not a bit of thought of what that beauty was, I hope the collection stored in NJ does not meet the SAME FATE, DESTROYED! SO SAD!!

HE IS YOUR UNCLE TOO! Spring 2019

Uncle Sam

THE HISTORY OF UNCLE SAM!! HE’S YOUR UNCLE TOO!

On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the United States nicknamed War of 1812.Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.

In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today. The German-born Nast was also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans. Nast also famously lampooned the corruption of New York City’s Tammany Hall in his editorial cartoons and was, in part, responsible for the downfall of Tammany leader William Tweed.

Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flagg’s version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words “I Want You For The U.S. Army” was used as a recruiting poster. The image, which became immensely popular, was first used on the cover of Leslie’s Weekly in July 1916 with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” The poster was widely distributed and has subsequently been re-used numerous times with different captions.

ADVERTISEMENTIn September 1961, the U.S. Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as “the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.” Wilson died at age 88 in 1854, and was buried next to his wife Betsey Mann in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York, the town that calls itself “The Home of Uncle Sam.”

NBC’s UNCLE SAM Circa 1918

HE IS YOUR UNCLE TOO! UNCLE SAM Spring Colophon 2019

On the cover of our Spring Colophon, you see what we teased you about in the Winter 2018 Colophon. HE IS YOUR UNCLE TOO! Uncle Sam, one of three things which have come to represent the GREATEST COUNTRY God has envisioned, AMERICA. The three things which come to mind when we think of America is, not necessarily in this order, OUR FLAG, UNCLE SAM & the AMERICAN EAGLE all three bearing the test of time & resulting in OUR FREEDOM! Freedom of speech, Freedom of Religion & Right To Bear Arms. This brings me to Uncle Sam & The National Biscuit Company. Throughout National Biscuit Company history, they have stepped up to support this Great Nation in times of need. In all the wars we, as a nation have fought, National Biscuit Company has furnished our Government with Food, in the form of Rations & men & women from their work force. National Biscuit Company has been the BEST Corporate Citizen America has ever had. So, needless to say, National Biscuit Company did their part, in the time of need, to make sure America stayed Free & STRONG, like with War Bonds. They also used this opportunity to Show Case our Favorite Uncle in some of their advertising. The Amazing thing to us is, as far as we know, they only used Uncle Sam, as we know he looks, in two pieces of advertising. The most famous piece was placed in the 1918 Green Book. Developed in their own print shop, Uncle Sam was shown holding a variety of their products. This BEAUTIFUL WINDOW POSTER showed him holding twelve boxes of their cookies & crackers, MADE as Uncle Sam wanted them made. The products were, Lotus Wafers, Lemon Snaps, Fig Newtons, Graham Crackers, Tokens, Uneeda Biscuit, Anola, Nabisco, ZuZu, Social Tea Biscuit, Peanut Sandwich & Oatmeal Crackers. He is shown standing in front of some of their Brass “Q’s”. A stunning poster which to this day, remains one National Biscuit Company’s HARDEST pieces to find. Since we have been collecting, in 45 years, we have only seen two of these beauties. We saw one in the early 80’s at the Indy. Ad Show, sitting on the floor, in an old picture frame & not in the best of conditions. If I had to give that one a grade, it would be a 5, a lot of tears & cracks. The dealer at that time, having the poster in a plaster fame & Uncle Sam in a poor condition wanted $400.00. Now, over 45 years later another Uncle Sam in near “MINT” condition showed up at auction. This one was contained in an auction from a collector who collected “HIGH END ADVERTISING”, in other words “NEAR MINT EXAMPLES”. We were excited to see this Rare Uncle Sam show up, but not prepared to pay the price. After spirited bidding, the Hammer fell on Uncle Sam, He sold to an avid collector for $4000.00. Someone got a beauty, but they paid the price. The only other Uncle Sam advertising piece we have seen , from National Biscuit Company was a “Hang DOWN” from NBC Bread, showing Uncle Sam riding a loaf of NBC Bread. We have that RARE piece & it is shown below. So, now you have it TWO pieces we know have been released showing our Uncle Sam. What History we have, Good Collecting, Prissy.

”THE NATIONAL FAVORITE NBC DONUTS”$400+

4-19-96. LETTER FROM MR. NABISCO!!

Dear Charlie I’m sending this book I made up for you today. It is very interesting & very few people that I know of ever heard this side of these people. In writing “OUT OF THE CRACKER BARREL” the author Mr. Cahn wrote out to many, many retired people, who are all dead now & also interviewed many old timers who were still working in the General Office. He had an office assigned to him and a free hand to interview, he did not require the people he wrote to sign their name or identify themselves, however most all of them did. He asked specific questions, some of the people were not familiar with every question, but all of them said about the same thing about Mr. A.W. Green, so we believe it was all true. It kind of “BUSTED MY BUBBLE” about Mr. Green. About 40 years ago, I talked to many people who worked during his(Mr. Green) tenure & while most of them were just young office clerks at the time, none of them really liked him, but thought he was very smart in many ways, but “REAL MEAN” as this book indicates. It’s very interesting, you will note, they answered the questions by the number. Many years after the book was published I ran across a box of mostly hand written pages and notes, I just glanced at it & then I discovered, that it was the original manuscript. I read different parts of the notes, but it was a stack of at least 18″ to 24″ high, so after reading off & on for a week, I gave up. It was just too much, however, I wished I had copied all the important ones. I did have my secretary type just this one, from the hand written letter which was written by a Vice President at that time. I wish now, I had her type many more. Mr Cahn wrote the entire first & only, as far as I know, draft of the book in long hand. By the way, he died only a few years back, he lived in Conn. This will also give you an idea of the politics which were going on, even back then. I don’t know what ever happened to the original box of writings, but I am sure they must have been destroyed, when we moved from Park Ave. to East Hanover N.J. At the time when I saw it, it was in the advertising reading room, I used to go down & read it when the office closed & only took out this one letter to be typed and returned it the next day, wished I had kept them all now. I just ran across in a box in the attic and thought I would make a copy for your collection, regards Wayne.

I can assure everyone, this hand written document by Mr. Cahn was tossed out when Nabisco moved from Park Ave, to East Hanover. I was in contact a few years back with the former Corporate Lawyer at Nabisco who was at Park Ave. when the company relocated. Mr John McGovern who was Corporate Lawyer, contacted me & sent me some pictures black & white, which were in the files, that were used to write “OUT OF THE CRACKER BARREL, he told me the pictures were to be thrown out, along with piles of other advertising which was stored over the years, but he thought the pictures should be saved. We have those important & historic original pictures in our files, we treasure them. They show the whole Green Family at the train depot standing by & on the Nazu.

I think John McGovern is now deceased. NOW, each of you know WHY, we call Wayne, “MR.NABISCO’, he was the essence of DEDICATION. I just wish I could have been with Wayne when he was reading that history. Maybe, in a strange way, all of us have been. Charlie & Prissy.