~~~MARGIE'S PAGE~~~
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passed away on March 3, 2003. She enjoyed constructing this website.
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The Walter Baker Chocolate factory about 1890.
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This mill was connected with a saw mill, operated by water-power. Persons of that period gave it little chance of success. It had been established by the representations of one John Hannon, an Irish immigrant who had learned the art of chocolate-making while in England. This new industry prospered a bit and when Mr. Hannon died in 1780, Dr. James Baker established the house that survivied until well into the first half of the twentieth century. The Walter Baker & Co. Ltd. was absorbed into the General Foods Corp. in 1927 where some of its products are still manufactured. ++++++ The earliest item in our collection is a lithograph by B.W. Thayer & Co., Boston and dated January 1846. At the top is a picture representing palm trees, native thatched huts, a bay with sailing ships and traders carrying a sack between them on a pole. At the bottom is represented the factory buildings of wooden construction, with several horse and wagon teams, located in Dorchester, Mass. The lithograph says: "W. BAKER & COs BROMA Dorchester, Mass. It goes on to say: "OPINIONS OF EMINENT PHYSICIANS OF BOSTON" "We have tried the BROMA manufactured by Mr. WALTER BAKER of Dorchester and find it a pleasant article of food. From a knowledge of its ingredients we think it will be useful to invalids and to persons recovering from disease; especially to such as dislike the articles usually recommended. It also offers good nourishment for CHILDREN. It is signed by six physicians: John C. Warren, George Hayward, John Homans, Walter Channing, Z.B. Adams and John Ware |
The leading American confectionary firm Walter Baker & Co. did not formally adopt Liotard's painting La Belle Chocolatière (1744-45) as their trademark until 1883. In a like manner, they also did not print a narrative account of the painting's history until 1931, when it appeared in a chocolate recipe collection, even though the company had been producing similar promotional materials as early as 1876.
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CUP AND SAUCER
This is a 'restaurant-type' china cup and saucer probably given as a premium by the Walter Baker Company. This is more readily available than the more formal cups and saucers made in Dresden, Austria and England. Here is the cup and saucer next to a box of Falcon Cocoa from the early 1900's. This brand name has not survived. Baker's Breakfast Cocoa has been a staple of this firm since its inception in 1780.
(Photo courtesy of Showcase Antique Center, Sturbridge, MA.).
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The items being offered to the public at the time of this publication were: Baker's Premium #1 Chocolate; Vanilla Chocolate; German Sweet Chocolate; Prepared Cocoa; Cracked Cocoa or Cocoa Nibs; Broma; Breakfast Cocoa; Cocoa-Butter; Cocoa-Shells and: Racahout Des Arabes. Goods for confectioners' use were: Caracas Liquor; Maracaibo Liquor; Eagle Pure Chocolate Liquor; Cocoa and Shells; Cocoa-Paste and: Vanilla Chocolate Tablets. |
TIN TRAY
This is a colorful tin tray, 6 inches in diameter. It is a highly collectable Baker item not often seen in mint condition.
There are other tin trays and plates of varying sizes and designs all having the chocolate lady featured.
(Photo courtesy of Showcase Antique Center, Sturbridge, MA.)
BOOKENDS
These bookends represent La Belle Chocolatiere, the registered trademark of the Walter Baker Company. They are made of iron with a bronze wash-type finish. These are not easily found.
There also exists a doorstop which is the same size as a bookend. The only difference being that it is solid iron and full-figured. It is partially flattened on the reverse (on the skirt). A doorstop is rare.
(Photo courtesy of Showcase Antique Center, Sturbridge, MA.).
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