Here is a Cow-Ease Sprayer Sign from the Carpenter Morton Company located in Boston, MA. This Cow-Ease Spray Sign is from the early 1900’s era and is in excellent condition for its age.
This Cow-Ease Sign was made by the Chas W. Shonk Sign Company located in Chicago, IL. This Chas W. Shonk Sign Company sign is approximately 34″ X 16″ and made of lithographed and painted metal. This sign display is nearly complete except it’s missing the original pump sprayer which would have been displayed on the flange of the sign; although the sprayer would have been just a generic spray gun and not branded with the Cow-Ease or the Carpenter Morton Company name. The graphics on this sign depict a farmer spaying off one of his cows with cow-ease with the packaged “Cow Ease” product in the foreground. Cow-Ease was a product that was used to deter flies and parasites from attacking cows, horses, and various other livestock.
While this piece isn’t brewery related like most of the items that I look for to add to my collection, it still is an amazing early general advertising piece with a lot of character and a perfect subject matter. Signs like this would have been displayed outside of a general store, supply depot, or at a stockyard to allow patrons to spray their livestock or horse with the Cow-Ease products, almost like a free sample.
I’d love to find the larger sign variation of this sign to add to my collection; I’m currently in the market for one of the Cow-Ease bottles as well as a spray gun for this display. If you have either please contact me.