I always love it when a new copy of the free Upton Tea Quarterly arrives in my mailbox. This issue features part 30 (!) of their ongoing series "Reversals of Fortune in the Tea Industry," and there's a nice essay about the White House Coffee and Tea brands.
I was especially interested in this topic because I featured a White House Coffee and Tea pamphlet on the First Ladies earlier this year (go
here to see its images of the First Ladies' coffee and tea cups). What I learned from this article is that White House Coffee and Tea did not actively protect their brand's trademark after A&P made a "White House Milk" their own national brand, using a similar label design.
I love reading old grocery ads such as this one for A&P in 1923. Wouldn't you love to purchase a can of salmon for 11 cents or a can of cocoa for 19 cents? I would! Oh, and one other bit of trivia for the tea history lovers among us: "In 1883, Congress passed their first consumer protection bill, the United States Tea Adulteration Act, which required that all imported teas be held in bond until an expert could evaluate the integrity of the product." Somehow, I feel a little smug knowing the first consumer protection bill was about ... tea! You can read the article yourself (or get on the mailing list) by going
here.
Tea certainly has an interesting history - no doubt about that!
ReplyDeleteYou know there was an A & P grocery in my hometown way back when - I remember it now. I forgot all about that. Seems so long ago. Funny, huh what invokes memories long forgotten.
Hugs.
Are we dating ourselves if we remember such low prices for food? We had a few A & P stores in Canada but I think they were bought out by another chain.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking the same thing about postal stamps. I remember the 5, then 7 cent stamp and now they are 63 cents. As of January they will jump to $1, unless you buy a roll, in which case they will be 85 cents each.
Canada Post needs some competition perhaps. Are the stamps as expensive in the US?
Judith
I received my catalog in the mail and set it aside to read later, and forgot it. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun newsletter.
ReplyDeleteI love reading those ads and
how fascinating that tea was the
first.