172: ANGELICA JACKET CO. ST. LOUIS COOK'S LINEN ADV FOB

Die struck, double-sided, blue and white enamel details. Legend 'We can live without music, we can live without books, but civilized man cannot live without cooks.'
Background from fundinguniverse.com: 'Angelica Corporation is the leading supplier of textile rental and laundry services in the United States and holds distinction in two other markets, ranking as the leading manufacturer and marketer of uniform apparel and the leading U.S. operator of specialty retail stores.
From its entrepreneurial beginnings in the late 19th century, Angelica established itself as a trendsetter, a characteristic that would describe the company more than a century later when it ranked as a dominant uniform apparel manufacturer and marketer. The company evolved from a fledgling upstart into a diversified, multinational concern by developing styles that became standard attire for service industry employees. Success in one market spawned entry into another, eventually creating a multifaceted company with a chain of retail stores, a textile rental and laundry service business, and uniform apparel lines in a host of markets. However, it all began with one garment--the company's first original creation--a cook's uniform sewn by the wife of railroad chef Cherubino Angelica in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1878. From this first uniform, scores of original, trendsetting designs followed, making the Angelica label a pervasive fixture in the American workplace.
The cook's uniform created by Angelica's wife was distinctly different from his usual chef's attire and unlike the garments worn by other cooks in St. Louis and, presumably, anywhere else. The white hat was tall, resembling a crown with a pillow seated on top. The white coat was double-breasted, cloth buttons sewn to the sides, with two reversible layers of cloth in front to protect the wearer from direct heat and spattering grease. The cuffs, split on the sides, functioned as potholders when turned down. Although the white chef's uniform tailored by Cherubino Angelica's wife would become a ubiquitous, traditional garment worn by chefs a century later, in 1878 it was distinctly new and quickly drew comments from other railroad chefs, who were intrigued by its design and functionality. Cherubino Angelica attracted enough attention with his novel uniform to leave his job with the railroad and start his own company, an entrepreneurial venture that marked the beginning of Angelica Corporation's existence.'
Measures 2 inches x 1.25 inches.
Die struck, double-sided with enamel details. Some scratches to enamel, and general wear, as shown.
$60 - $90