We recently visited the Gere-A-Deli in Annacortes and in addition to a delicious lunch they served up a big side of nostalgia. He peaked before I was old enough to follow him (really!) but Hopalong Cassidy was a huge cultural icon, first through books, then via movies in the 1930s and 1940s. By the early 1950s Hopalong was on television and became an early branding franchise as his image was the first produced on children’s lunchboxes and 100 companies eventually producing products with his image. (I do remember Butternut bread.)
I don’t remember either of these brands; the big size of the cans makes me wonder if they were for restaurant use. But around our house we often had tins from various purchases or gifts that had second lives holding collections of sewing bits, nuts and bolts, small toys and the like. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Gere-A-Deli for a couple more – uhm, am I really that old? – artifacts.
Today I learned that I am older than you Kay. Hoppy was one of my heros when I was a kid.
PS: Robert Mitchum got his start with Hopalong Cassidy. Thanks for the memories.
Roy Rogers was my kind of guy. Speaking of memory lane…the bread brings back memories. My husband and I laugh at some of the things we ate as a kind and this kind of bread was one of them. One could do all kinds of things with them…like creating balls and other sculptures.
Really need to learn how to proofread before I hit the button: we ate as KIDS!
We love love love Gere-A-Deli – fabulous food for sure – whenever we are in Anacortes we head there – sometimes take sandwiches and go down to the marina for a picnic. I love all the old advertising things on the walls – so much fun to sit and eat and talk about them. As to the size of the pretzel tin – I have heard of companies that used to deliver pretzels and potato chips to homes. You put the tin out on the doorstep – just like for the milk man – and the chip guy would fill it up for your family. I once had one of the potato chip home delivery cans – it was huge – probably 4 gallons, at least – but I was too late for potato chip delivery. Can you imagine how crumbly the bottom chips would be?
Now this is what I dislike about antiquey places…everything they have almost is stuff that I grew up with which makes me, yes, an antique! But they are fun and I do remember Butternut bread and good ol’ Hopalong!
Great memorabilia! Coke sure has been with us for a very long time. I don’t remember any of the other products but I think I remember Hopalong Cassidy. 🙂
i like such signs and tins…
is butternut bread made from butternut squash?