Sunshine Biscuit Co. Loose-Wiles Biscuit Co. Glass Jar General Store Display

  

Please take the time to read through my entire item description and view all the photographs. I consistently prepare accurate and detailed descriptions and provide clear close up photographs for all my listings. The aforementioned notwithstanding, note the photos are still the biggest and most important part of this or any description. As the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words".

If you would like additional photos or have specific questions just message me and I will respond ASAP. For your consideration is this large genuine antique general store point of sale advertising two-sided embossed glass display counter jar and lid for the LOOSE-WILES BISCUIT COMPANY and SUNSHINE BISCUIT COMPANY. This is a large and heavy glass piece that dates back to the early 1900's when the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company of Kansas City, Missouri first started producing and distributing Sunshine Biscuits. This is an authentic antique advertising point of sale piece that was once a common piece in many country general stores across America back in the day. I copied the below brief history on the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company. 120 years ago in 1902 Joseph Loose along with his brother Jacob and business partner John H. Wiles formed the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company in Kansas City, Missouri. They envisioned a factory which would be filled with sunlight and so they adopted the name SUNSHINE for their products. Soon they began expanding and opened new plants in Boston and then New York City. In 1912 Loose-Wiles opened their "Thousand Window" bakery in the Long Island City neighborhood of New York City, which remained the largest bakery building in the world until 1955.

Loose-Wiles never registered their "Sunshine" brand name and therefore spent much effort in the first forty years trying to dissuade other companies from using the word "sunshine" or any related word on their product or in their advertising. Since Loose-Wiles claim was not based on a registered mark, they often had to investigate when and where the other company first used the word to determine which company had first claim so as not to lose their right to the name "Sunshine" for their own products. Finally in 1946, the Loose-Wiles Company officially changed its name to Sunshine Biscuit, Inc. Together the large clear glass jar and lid are heavy and weigh approximately 6.0 pounds 2.0 ounces by itself. The glass jar (without the lid) stands approximately 8.75 tall.

With the lid on top the jar measures approximately 11.25 tall. The jar is globe shaped with a 7-7/8" diameter flange top that has an opening that measures approximately 6.26" in diameter. The jar is approximately 8.25 deep.

Please refer to description photos # 10, # 11 and # 12 to confirm the size dimensions and for more details about what I have described. The jar and lid are both made out of clear glass. The jar has a raised seam that runs the middle of the jar between the two company's embossed names.

I assume this seam was part of the manufacturing process where the factory mold joined the two halves of the globe jar together. The jar features large deeply embossed lettering on both the front and back of the jar that spells the Company name and product and read as follows. Note, because the glass is clear it was a little difficult to capture the images. Nevertheless, please refer to the description photos for more details about what I have described.

One side of the jar reads as follows. The opposite side of the jar reads as follows.

The jar has a few scattered air bubbles trapped in the glass that are from the manufacturing process and are very commonly found in period glass such as this. The globe jar is in very good original condition and has no cracks and/or repairs as can be verified in the description photos. The aforementioned notwithstanding, the jar has very minute "flea-bites" or roughness around the outer top flange and on the inside of the top opening where the glass lid fits inside. This roughness is NOT damage and is normal and very common. It is a result of genuine use and wear from the lid having been continuously removed and placed back throughout the years. As you would expect to find on an antique general store counter display like this, the middle of the glass jar's surface outside circumference (between the two lines of embossed lettering) has acquired a faint line of wear scratches from honest use over the past 126 years.

This is genuine patina and exactly what you want to see on an authentic antique glass piece. The glass lid is genuine to the piece and is often missing. The lid is clear glass that measures approximately 6.50" in diameter and 2.75" tall when laid flat on the table top. It has an approximate 2.50 diameter knob on the top so the customer can easily grab and remove the lid from the display jar. As with the jar, there is also a slightly raised seam that runs through the middle of the lid that is a bi-product of the original glass manufacturing process.

The lid is in very good condition with no damage and/or repairs as can be confirmed in the description photos. Overall, this is an amazing piece of early 20th century advertising that hearkens back to a more innocent and much simpler time in America when general stores were the gathering point and main staple for everything from groceries to bolts and screws... This is a wonderful antique and nostalgic piece that would look great displayed in your country kitchen and/or used once again as it was originally intended for and filled with your favorite snacks or candies. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Advertising\Food & Beverage\Bakery & Baking\Cookies, Crackers & Pretzels".

The seller is "montehouse" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Type of Advertising: General Store Counter Display Jar
• Modified Item: No
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Theme: Bakery & Baking
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Date of Creation: 1901-1920
• Color: Clear Glass
• Brand: Loose-Wiles and Sunshine Biscuit Companies