Coffee, Carrot Cake and a Cute Toucan in 1940's California

SVintageTimes

by SVintageCollection

California Pottery 1940's Creamer

As I find and collect vintage pieces, I am reminded that they all hold a bit of history. It includes history of where they originated and history of who owned them.

This creamer was found in a home in Akron Ohio.  It originated from a company in Whittier California called Artistic Potteries.  It has been described as a Toucan, Parrott, Parakeet or just Bird Creamer.

Artistic Pottery Company

Artistic Potteries operated a factory in Whittier California and a showroom in Los Angeles. Little is known about the company. It was in business from about 1945 to 1948. The pottery made vases, bowls, figurines and other art pottery. Pieces are marked "Artistic Potteries California" or just "Artistic California."

So I decided to find out what was going on in the town of Whittier California when this little guy was created.

The Whittier News

Through archives I found newspapers from the 1940’s -  Whittier Times. There were articles about war, society news, fashion, comics, crossword puzzles, grocery advertisements, classified ads and sports.  It’s pretty much what we read today in the paper, however the paper cost 3 cents versus $2 that we pay today. Coffee prices were much cheaper.

So I thought about this little creamer holding the milk or cream for coffee and perhaps being pared with a dessert from the 1940’s.

The 1940s were all about rationing, protein stretching, substitutions, rediscovering "grandma's foods", and making do with less. Home cooks made sugarless cookies, eggless cakes, and meatless meals. Cookbooks, magazines, government pamphlets, and food company brochures were full of creative ideas for stretching food supplies. Why the shortage? Food was needed to food soldiers fighting World War II. Farmers and food manufacturers were tapped to supply growing military needs, thus creating a shortage of foods available for domestic civilian consumers. Rationing was introduced in the United States by the Office of Price Administration in 1942 as a way to equitably distribute diminishing food supplies. It ended in 1947. The American government encouraged homeowners to create Victory Gardens, small plots of fruits and vegetables to supplement personal and community food supplies. USA food rationing ended in 1947. The last item lifted from this regulation was sugar.

Whittier Sanitary Dairy Co.

The Creamer perhaps was filled with milk of cream from the Whittier Sanitary Dairy Company where the advertisement stressed health for the lady of the house and her family. I could imagine the lady of the house serving coffee and dessert for her friends or perhaps a special dessert for the family.

1940's Recipe - Carrot Cake

Here’s a carrot cake recipe I found from www.foods.com dated from 1940.  I haven’t tried this recipe but it is very similar to one that my mother-in-law made in the 70’s.   This is definitely a cake that needs to be consumed in moderation.

1940’s Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups carrots grated

1 cup walnuts, chopped ( pecans can be substituted)

FROSTING

12 ounces confectioners' sugar

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, beat sugar and oil. Add eggs and beat well.

3. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt into egg mixture; mix well; fold in carrots and nuts.

4. Place batter in greased 9x13 pan; bake for 45 minutes.

FROSTING: Beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, butter and milk; spread on cooled carrot cake.

Parrot or Toucan Pottery Bird

1940’s Vintage Bird Creamer – California Artistic Pottery

For sale at

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95841921/california-pottery-bird-creamer-1940s