Original Candy Packaging Design Maquette Grandmother's Bitter Sweets c. 1920

Early 20th-century hand-painted confectionery packaging concept maquette (box flat layout) for "Grandmother's Bitter Sweets." Opaque gouache and waterproof carbon ink on heavy laminated studio illustration board. Stylized Arts and Crafts transitional figure with flat, geometric floral bands, 1915-1925 commercial illustration aesthetic.

This is an unreleased design and does not appear to have been commercially marketed. Excellent example of early packaging production workflow, neatly designed and laid out.

Maquette Details

• Artist / Studio: Unknown; curious logo markings and doodles on reverse.
• Medium: Opaque gouache with gum arabic binder and waterproof carbon lettering ink (shellac-bound) applied over graphite.
• Substrate: Laminated industrial illustration board. Hot-calendered backing sheet of unbleached linen or esparto fibers.
• Subject Matter: Commercial product concept mockup for a one-pound dark chocolate ("bitter sweets") assortment box.
• Overall Board Dimensions: Approximately 11-13/16" wide x 8-7/8" high (300mm x 225mm).
• Box Flat Art Dimensions: Main layout approximately 6-9/16" wide x 3-5/8" high (165mm x 90mm).
• Inscriptions (Front): Original light graphite layout notations, tick marks, and alignment guides ("a'", "b'") preserved in the cream margins; very faint penciled "box-cover" at bottom center.
• Inscriptions (Reverse): Four hand-sketched interlocking initial monograms experimenting with structural arrangements of the letters C, H, G, and P.

Condition

• Pigment and Ink Layer: Gouache fields remain highly saturated, flat, and structurally stable. Visible sheen present where water-based paint dried naturally over shellac-bound ink.
• Under-Drawing: Shallow fiber depressions from the artist's hard-grade (4H/6H) drafting pencil are visible under magnification beneath the ink layers.
• Foxing and Toning: Light to moderate foxing across the unpainted cream paper margins; design area unblemished. Reverse shows uniform amber toning.
• Paper Margins and Corners: Structural board is good overall with very slight bow; will mat and frame without difficulty. Edges and corners show various marks and separations, well outside any prospective framing borders.
• Conservation History: Original studio state; no repairs or conservation work performed. Pulled from archival storage in a climate-controlled space, held since roughly 2015.

Fulfillment

Ships FedEx, UPS, or USPS Ground wrapped in archival tissue, foam, and acid-free backers for safe transit. Typically ships within one business day. Rates to Alaska and Hawaii differ from continental US; please message for quote. International shipping available through eBay's Global Shipping Program.

Historical Notes

Before lithographic printing stones were commissioned, commercial design studios produced hand-painted maquettes like this one to present packaging concepts to manufacturing clients. "Bitter sweets" was the period trade term for premium dark chocolate assortments, considered a high-end confectionary at the time.