Pratt Food Company

The most impressive stationery in the collection, in terms of color, is from the Pratt Food Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Founded in 1872, the company specialized in remedies for both humans and animals.

Jacob Christoph Le Blon, of Frankfurt, Germany, is credited with inventing the first three-colored printing plates in 1710.  Over time, with continual advancements in technology, the color technique was finally perfected in 1910.  With the technological modernization of printing presses and the printing process, advertising and photojournalism fueled the frenzy of mass media in the first half of the twentieth century. 

Making use of the most recent tri-color technology, this Pratt Company Stationery, dated 1911, is eye-catching with vibrant, multi-colored prints of their products flowing down the left side of the stationery. The company logo is represented by large letters in a deep blue with a light blue shadow, which allows the text to stand out and draw the eye. The dramatic flourish of the extension from the period, which swings back under the title, underscores the company name and further emphasizes the location of Philadelphia.  This heading "pops" and leaves a strong impression on the viewer.  

An impressive 23 products are displayed in vivid colors of red, yellow, blue and green. Some of the products available are animal dip, animal regulator, bronchitis remedy, chicken pox remedy, cholera remedy, diarrhea remedy, distemper remedy, fly chaser, fly-go, gall cure, gape remedy, heave remedy, lice killer, liniment, poultry disinfectant, poultry regulator, roup tablets, worm powder, and a special emphasis on dog biscuits highlighted at the bottom next to the company name.

This particular letter, directed to L. A. Sterchi, Treasurer of the Johnson City Poultry Association, references Summers-Parrott Hardware as a distributor for the Pratt Company Products.

Over one hundred years later, the stationery is still brilliant, beautiful and impressive.