“Have you a Little Fairy in your home?” This is an original 1904 black and white print ad for Fairy Soap from The N. K. Fairbank Company of Chicago.
CONDITION
This 107+ year old Item is rated Near Mint / Very Fine. No creases. No surface rub. No tears. No water damage.
- Product Type: Original Print Ad; Black & White / Grayscale
- Grade: Near Mint / Very Fine
- Dimensions: Approximately 6 x 9 inches; 15 x 23 cm
- Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
- Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)
Fairy’s Soap. Nathaniel Kellogg ÒN. K.Ó Fairbank, a Sodus, New York native, was the founder of the N. K. Fairbank Company. After the Civil War, Fairbank moved to Chicago where he began importing cottonseed oil and manufacturing soaps. While Fairy Soap, named after the first four letters in FairbankÕs name, was one of his most popular products, he also produced animal and baking products.
Boasting of its claim to float, Fairy Soap became a noteworthy contender with Ivory Soap, which had been making the same claim since 1891; however, it was not until around 1904, that James Proctor of Proctor & Gamble, discovered how to make the soap live up to its claim and actually float.
Though not especially a household name in the United States, Fairy Soap proved extremely popular in Europe. Around 1898, Thomas Hedley & Co. of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK purchased the rights to the term ÒFairy;Ó thus, thereafter, Thomas Hedley & Co marketed Fairy Soap. Then, around 1930, Procter and Gamble bought out the Fairy Soap brand. The trademark fairy has been featured on the white floating soap for over 75 years.
The N. K. Fairbank Company had factories and offices in Chicago, St. Louis, Montreal, Louisiana, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Copyright 2016, Period Paper LLC
Keywords specific to this image: Vintage Advertising
OLDA3C04
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