Ann Turner Cook (born November 20, 1926 – Died June 3rd, 2022)

The iconic Gerber baby illustration has been a familiar brand seen throughout the world. The face for the trusted baby food, propelled the Gerber brand forward.

However, not much has been shown on the actual artist/illustrator who was inspired to create the sketch of original Gerber Baby, Ann Taylor Cook. Keep reading to learn about Dorothy Hope Smith.

Ann Taylor Cook: Then and now, 4 months to age 95.

In 1927 when she was about 4 months old, her image was sketched in charcoal by their neighbor and friend artist Dorothy Hope Smith. Dorothy submitted a preliminary charcoal sketch to a Gerber baby contest. The sketch was created from a snapshot of Ann Turner. Dorothy’s unfinished submission was intended more as an inquiry as to what the age of the baby should be and what the ad size would be. Dorothy intended to finish the sketch if accepted. The judges loved it. They preferred the simplicity of the illustration compared to more elaborate entries.

Dorothy won $300 in the contest, selling the rights of her drawing to Gerber.

The drawing wasn’t intended to become the brand ‘face’ for Gerber. It was actually for a marketing campaign, however the public loved it so much that they even wanted to purchase copies of the sketch. Gerber was on to something big and the sketch of Ann Cook by Dorothy Hope Smith became a trademark.

Who was Dorothy Hope Smith?

Although today many may not know her name, her creation is household knowledge.
Dorothy was born October 1st in 1895 and died in 1955 at age 60. She studied illustration at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was a talented commercial illustrator specializing in babies and children. She was one of the “Ivory Soap Baby” illustrators for Procter & Gamble, illustrating children’s books for Putnam and several magazine covers. She married and her husband was also an Illustrator.

Her work represents an era of when advertising was mainly illustration based. She was also one of the few women Illustrators in a time when the industry was dominated by males.

Today you can find copies of the Gerber Baby prints (the same ones that were sold years ago) at auctions.

The post The Gerber Baby and the Illustrator Who Made her Famous appeared first on Art and Design Inspiration.

Open your favorite beverage, bring out your colored pencils and dive into the creative zone! Enjoy these free coloring pages from archives of top libraries in the world.

Free Coloring Pages – Color Our Collections 2019

More than 100 museums including Libraries, special collections, archives, and other cultural institutions share coloring content during the promotion Color Our Collections. More about the event here

Here are a few of our favorite coloring pages from Color Our Collections and the links to download the coloring pages (either from this website or the participants). 

British Library Coloring Book 2019
Download the coloring book here – PDF is 9 mgs (packed full of vintage illustrations, it might take a few minutes to download)

Botanical Research Institute of Texas Coloring Book 2019
Download the coloring book here – PDF is 10 mgs (packed full of botanical and bug specimens, it might take a few minutes to download)

Washington University Libraries Julian Edison Department of Special Collections Coloring Book 2019
Download the coloring book here – PDF is 5 mgs (Includes rare book specimens, it might take a few minutes to download)

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University Coloring Book
Download PDF – 4.1 mgs

Bibliothèque nationale de France Coloring Book 2019  
Download this beautiful coloring book here

Milton Good Library and the Mennonite Archives of Ontario Coloring Book
Download the coloring pages here from this unique collection

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In the late 1800’s the matchbook was a common form of advertisement. Many historians point to the Mendelson Opera as the first to use matchbooks for advertising purposes and from then on the trend continued.

Inspired by the Opera’s innovation, Diamond Match salesman Henry Traute began approaching manufacturers to advertise their products on his company’s matches, promoting them as something that would be viewed by their users many times a day. And he was right about this. In a culture where many adults smoked and needed a light, the matchbox came in handy. Among the first companies to order advertising matchbooks were Pabst beer, American Tobacco Company and Wrigley’s Chewing Gum. He also encouraged his customers to give away matchbooks as a promotional items.

Matchbooks were perfect little canvas for advertisements and during the 1940’s and 50’s matchbook advertisements peaked.

Creative designs took center stage on the few inches that traveled everywhere.

Designing on such a small space was an art at the time and proclaimed a message that couldn’t be missed. From souvenirs from the World’s Fair in 1930 to product ads, restaurant reminders, destination souvenirs and much more, matchbooks were a sure hit for businesses who wanted the most bang for their buck.

For artist and designers, matchbook design was a treat. Creativity was encouraged to make the most of the space and also to delight the ‘user’ each time a match was struck. From elegant designs, to funny and sometimes raunchy, early vintage matchbook design made it’s mark in history.

After the 1950’s, matchbooks steadily declined because of the availability of disposable lighters and various anti-smoking health campaigns. However today they are collectables and reminders of a bygone era.

The post Matchbooks – A Tiny Canvas Packed with Power appeared first on Art and Design Inspiration.