[Satinettes, Filled Confections and Ye Old Style Stick Candy]

Schadde Brothers

ca. 1915 · Gelatin silver print · Photographs

This trade catalogue tricks the eye to tempt the tongue. An artisan has colored its black-and-white prints, illustrating each sugar stripe and speckled bean. Philadelphia confectioner Brandle & Smith understood that their candy was its own best advertisement, and at one point even induced a museum to accession it for display. Wider distribution was achieved by the salesmen who carried catalogues across the country, taking bulk orders from local shops. Here, the limitations of hand-coloring work to their advantage. Because sweets in jars proved too tricky to tint, the satinettes and candy sticks seem to burst into brilliant color as they spill from their packaging, satiating the viewer and assisting the sale.

Artist

Schadde Brothers

Date

ca. 1915

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Twentieth-Century Photography Fund, 2013