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  PATRIOTIC FLOUR BARRELL LID ADVERTISING "OUR BRAND, SILVER LEAF PATENT" FOM THE HOLLY MILLING CO., MADE BY E.W. BAILEY & CO., MONTPELIER, VT, CA 1898
Dimensions (inches): 16.5" diameter
Description:
Patriotic flour label, on the original wooden barrel lid, with imagery that centers on a huge red star, surrounded by text, interspersed with more stars, whimsical designs, and a border that is supposed to decoratively represent twisted rope. Visible beyond the label, the blue paint on the lid is original and the overall appearance is bold and colorful.

"Our Brand, Silver Leaf Patent" of the "Holly Milling Co." was actually a division of E.W. Bailey & Co. of Montpelier, Vermont. Edward William Bailey (b.1843) established a milling business in Montpelier in 1868 with a partner, William Park. Originally the firm produced flour using grain from local farmers and distributed locally. By 1879 he was the sole owner. By 1891 he was also producing corn, oats, grass seed, and mill feed, mixing whatever was needed for feeding various types of livestock, buying and distributing over a far greater geographic area.

I was able to locate an advertising cover (small envelope) with a miniature representation of the same artwork that appears on the lid, with an 1898 postmark. This was the year of the Spanish-American War and a time of great patriotism. It just so happens, in fact, that Montpelier was the boyhood home of Admiral Dewey, the foremost hero of the war. The cover was marked to note that it contained a price list and describes the brand name as "A Fancy Winter Patent."

This is the only example of this label that I have ever encountered; a wonderful piece of Americana.
   
Primary Color: red, white, blue
Earliest Date: 1898
Latest Date: 1898
For Sale Status: Available
Price $2,750
E-mail: info@jeffbridgman.com
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