Argy58
Abbotts Dairies Inc. | c1920s
This is an early and incredibly small dairy salesman lapel badge from the 1920s made by the renowned American maker LG Balfour from Attleboro, Massachusetts. Still on its original backing card the Abbotts Dairies badge has a strong 3D profile, with both cow and employee as the focal point. The notion of meeting a 'sales quota' is illustrated by the employee marking off a sales target and this is underpinned by the scrolled copy, 'ABBOTTS Honor Salesman'.
The badge signifies a time in 1920s USA when routine pasteurisation of milk became widespread; this was designed to minimise contamination and reduce human illnesses and was deemed a crucial breakthrough in public health. In 1924, Grade A pasteurisation became recommended federal policy and dairy companies such as Abbotts, advertised their pasteurised milk accordingly.
So when did Abbotts begin? In 1876, George Abbott began his dairy business from his farm in Salem County, New Jersey - initially selling bottled milk to locals and then to tourists on the Jersey Shore. The popularity of the milk was its 'freshness' and Geroge Abbott's key principle was linked to health.....'where the health of babies and little children is at stake, no effort and no expense are too great to assure pure, safe milk for them'. In the same year as George Abbott started his business, he supplied milk to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia - testimony to the quality of his dairy milk. Abbott pioneered ways of keeping milk cooler as well as developing bottles with lids to package the product.
Abbott quickly expanded his business and relocated to Philadelphia and within a short period he opened 16 milk stores within the city centre area. They were named Abbotts Alderney Dairies Milk Stores......and business boomed (the name 'Alderney' originates from a breed of cattle from the British Channel Island of Alderney).
By 1900, Abbot's Alderney Dairies Inc had corporate offices in Philadelphia, with branches in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The company grew from strength to strength; in 1919 Abbotts acquired a large ice cream business and the 1927 consolidation with Dolfinger Dairies gave way to the shortened company name of Abbotts Dairies Inc. In 1950, the company merged with Fairmount Foods of Omaha, Nebraska and the Abbotts name continued into the mid-1980s. The Abbotts dairies hit lean times during the mid 1980s and this signaled the end of the Abbotts name and its rich association with the dairy industry. The badge serves as a strong visual momento of a flourishing dairy business that specialised in milk, butter and ice cream production.
Photography, layout and design: Argy58
(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a
variety of print sizes e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded
format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi)
Abbotts Dairies Inc. | c1920s
This is an early and incredibly small dairy salesman lapel badge from the 1920s made by the renowned American maker LG Balfour from Attleboro, Massachusetts. Still on its original backing card the Abbotts Dairies badge has a strong 3D profile, with both cow and employee as the focal point. The notion of meeting a 'sales quota' is illustrated by the employee marking off a sales target and this is underpinned by the scrolled copy, 'ABBOTTS Honor Salesman'.
The badge signifies a time in 1920s USA when routine pasteurisation of milk became widespread; this was designed to minimise contamination and reduce human illnesses and was deemed a crucial breakthrough in public health. In 1924, Grade A pasteurisation became recommended federal policy and dairy companies such as Abbotts, advertised their pasteurised milk accordingly.
So when did Abbotts begin? In 1876, George Abbott began his dairy business from his farm in Salem County, New Jersey - initially selling bottled milk to locals and then to tourists on the Jersey Shore. The popularity of the milk was its 'freshness' and Geroge Abbott's key principle was linked to health.....'where the health of babies and little children is at stake, no effort and no expense are too great to assure pure, safe milk for them'. In the same year as George Abbott started his business, he supplied milk to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia - testimony to the quality of his dairy milk. Abbott pioneered ways of keeping milk cooler as well as developing bottles with lids to package the product.
Abbott quickly expanded his business and relocated to Philadelphia and within a short period he opened 16 milk stores within the city centre area. They were named Abbotts Alderney Dairies Milk Stores......and business boomed (the name 'Alderney' originates from a breed of cattle from the British Channel Island of Alderney).
By 1900, Abbot's Alderney Dairies Inc had corporate offices in Philadelphia, with branches in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The company grew from strength to strength; in 1919 Abbotts acquired a large ice cream business and the 1927 consolidation with Dolfinger Dairies gave way to the shortened company name of Abbotts Dairies Inc. In 1950, the company merged with Fairmount Foods of Omaha, Nebraska and the Abbotts name continued into the mid-1980s. The Abbotts dairies hit lean times during the mid 1980s and this signaled the end of the Abbotts name and its rich association with the dairy industry. The badge serves as a strong visual momento of a flourishing dairy business that specialised in milk, butter and ice cream production.
Photography, layout and design: Argy58
(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a
variety of print sizes e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded
format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi)