North American Auction Company
Timed Auction

Last Chance November Passed Lots & Added Auction: NOV 18TH

Sun, Nov 13, 2022 02:00AM EST - Fri, Nov 18, 2022 03:00PM EST
Lot 127

C. 1929-1938 Orange Crush Embossed Tin Sign

Estimate: $750 - $1,500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Featured in this lot is an Original Embossed Chromolithographed Tin Sign, circa 1929 to 1938; with illustration of bottle with orange leaves at top and text reading: Drink Orange Crush and features "Crushy", the advertising logo, which was a symbol of Orange Crush and appeared on Orange Crush bottle labels, signs in auto garages and stores, and pinback buttons. Crushy squeezing the flavor out of an orange became the symbol of the soda. Crushy’s appearance changed slightly over the years. Orange Crush was created in 1911 by beverage and extract chemist Neil C. Ward. Most flavors of Crush are caffeine-free. In 1911, Clayton J. Howel, president and founder of the Orange Crush Company, partnered with Neil C. Ward and incorporated the company. Ward made the recipe for Orange Crush. Howel was not new to the soft drink business, having earlier introduced Howel's Orange Julep. Soft drinks of the time often carried the surname of the inventor along with the product name. Howel sold the rights to use his name in conjunction with his first brand; therefore, Ward was given the honours: Crush was first premiered as Ward's Orange Crush. Originally, Orange Crush included orange pulp in the bottles, giving it a "fresh squeezed" illusion, even though the pulp was added rather than remaining from squeezed oranges. Pulp has not been in the bottles for decades. This Drink Orange Crush Embossed Chromolithographed tin sign is in good overall condition, the faded upper third with the additional nailing indentations indicated the sign was"cropped" under another sign. Most of the original orange, green, black, yellow, and white paint is intact. The bottle sides are scalloped like a real bottle. Oxidation noted, four additional nailing indents on edge are broken through. Minimal creasing noted, measures 13.75"W x 19.5"L