I’ve been asked many times why I have a photo of a lard can on my blog. I wish the answer were more exciting, but it’s because my wife first found a Rex Lard can at a flea market in Maine and decided it had my name on it, literally. When I first put a photo of the can on my blog, I didn’t realize that people would send me stuff they’d find with the brand “Rex”’ on it. Indeed, I didn’t know there were so many things that had such a brand. Today, I have a fun collection of everything from Rex wines to Rex foot lotion. Over time, I’ll be using several Delicious stacks to build out the Rex Museum of products and buildings and cities and companies named Rex.
One more thing about the Rex Lard can. Thanks to Google, I discovered the NY Times story from 1893 you’ll find below about the Cudahy Rex Brand of meat “extract” products being the hit of the Chicago Worlds Fair that year. The final sentence of the article reads, “When one thinks it all over, it is not surprising that “Rex Brand” of beef extract, canned meats and similar products are know throughout the civilized world.” Today, there are lots of things branded Rex, but, as far as I can tell, “meat extract products” are not among them.
Click to embiggen the article below.
