Black Hawk Bakery Wagon

[Martin Wade]

I'm searching for a picture of the Bakery Wagon used in Black Hawk.  I'm sure I saw a pretty decent picture in one of my books but am struggling to find it.
Any hints on where it could be found or a post of it would be great.  

Many thanks,

Martin

[Chris Walker]

Martin,

In the DPL  X-18666    https://digital.denverlibrary.org/nodes/view/1059643

[Martin Wade]

Thanks Chris,

This is very helpful and definitely one of the pics I remember.  

Martin

[Rich Rands]

Great wagon. Should I release a new kit for you Martin?  
Richard Rands
Berkshire Valley Models

[Martin Wade]

Why that would be a great idea Rich....   I never thought of that.....

Martin

[Martin Wade]

Now the hunt continues.

On this wagon is signage.   While this picture is scanned at amazing resolution and allows blowing it up significantly the signage on the wagon starts to fade.   Converting to B&W, adjusting brightness and contrast way up I get the following snapshot which renders the sign as follows:

Left Side:
RYE BREAD
CAKE, PIES
BOSTON CRACKERS
 ??? unknown

Right Side:
???  almost looks like GRAHAM BREAD  OR G&???? BREAD
PUSKS BUNS OR RUSKS BUNS
???  maybe ??? crackers
??? unknow if there is a 4th line.

Any ideas to fill in the unknowns???

Thanks for any guesses!

Martin

[Martin Wade]

Well "Mr Gemini" (AI) believes the right side might be:
CREAM BREAD(S)
RUSK BUNS
PURE CRACKERS

this is based on era and common phrase partners with the left side signage.

Info provided:

CREAM BREAD:   (A popular premium white bread of the 1880s and 1890s made with milk or cream skim, prized for its soft crust).

RUSK BUNS:  In late-19th-century baking, Rusks—a twice-baked, sweetened dry bread similar to modern biscotti or zwiack—were an essential staple alongside standard yeast breads and buns because they stayed fresh for weeks in damp mining camps.

PURE CRACKERS:  A very heavy advertising term in the 1880s–1890s following the Pure Food movements, frequently used by regional merchant bakeries to distinguish local lard/flour goods from adulterated mass-shipped items.  If the first letter leans heavily toward P, PURE CRACKERS aligns best with late-19th-century Colorado trade terminology!

[Martin Wade]

Further research appears to give a couple alternatives and a guess at the bottom line on the left as follows:

Graham Bread   Visually seems to be a stronger fit.
Home Crackers  I can't visually tell if Home or Pure fit the image better.  Home is similar definition/reasoning as Pure.

Bottom phrase as typical of the time and fitting the solid wagon and structure could be:

Job & Shop Cab
The bottom flourish line reads JOB & SHOP WORK (or JOB & SHOP CAR / CAB)! "Job & Shop Work" was a standard Victorian trade painter catch-all for custom wholesale baking ("Job") and counter retail sales ("Shop").

I cannot tell if there is anything on the right side.  Historically, it appears it would either be location or proprieter but is just not distinguishable to this picture.
Looking back at the photo frame alignment, that bottom lower-rail panel is explicitly framed beneath the left section rather than centered across the entire side body.
In late-19th-century commercial carriage painting, asymmetric lower panels like this usually served one of two layouts:
Left lower panel only: Dedicated purely to operational service designations (JOB & SHOP CAB / WORK).
Paired lower panels: The left panel designated the operational type (e.g., Job & Shop Cab), while an opposing right panel—often obscured by wheel spokes or heavy road mud—was reserved for location or ownership details (such as A. G. RHOADS, PROP. or BLACK HAWK, COLO.).

More to ponder,

Martin

[Chris Walker]

Don't tell Keith, he might want one similar

Lake County Public Library Image