Joseph Brakeley Can

Period1900- 1915

Date1900-1915

MediumTin, paper.

Dimensions4.5 × 3.25 in. (11.4 × 8.3 cm)

MarkingsPrinted, to the bottom left of the red banner: "Md. Color Ptg. Co. Balto. / 5011" for the Maryland Color Printing Company of Baltimore.

ClassificationsAdvertising, Business & Ornamental Artifacts

Credit LineGift of John P. Rickershauser, 2017

Object number2017.5.1

DescriptionCylindrical tin can with color-printed label attached. If label was stretched flat, from left to right design would feature: a young blonde girl in a blue dress and yellow sash using a watering can to tend to a red-blooming sugar pea vine; in red lettering above her, "THE BLUE BEAUTY BRAND"; to her right, a banner with black or navy print says "SUGAR PEAS"; a navy blue banner with a round picture insert of a bowl of shelled peas; underneath blue banner, "PACKED BY JOS. BRAKELEY / FREEHOLD, MONMOUTH CO., N.J." Throughout the entire label background, the design is bisected into a blue vine print on the top half, and a solid taupe color on the bottom half.
NotesIn the spring of 1882, Brakeley's Canning Factory was established by Joseph Brakely (1852-1937), the son of Asher Brakeley of Bordentown. Joseph Brakeley is also credited with inventing pea and bean shellers and sorters. Brakeley's Canning Factory was located on the northwest corner of Manalapan and Bowne Avenues, and originally consisted of three buildings. After two years of bad crops, Brakeley closed the Freehold plant. In 1928, he moved and reorganized the company, and called it Brakeley's Incorporated of Milford, Delaware. The factory property in Freehold was acquired in 1941 by the A&M Karagheusian Rug Mill.

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