Pepsi-cola / deco / basket-weave / soda bottle design pattern

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SODAPOPBOB

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Meet ...

James Gordon Carr - Batavia High School - Batavia, New York - Junior Class President - 1924

Note: Most of the early references I've seen for James Gordon Carr show that he went by the name Gordon and not James.

(I'm currently working on a bio about him)

Carr James Gordon Batavia High School 1924 (2).jpg

Carr James Gordon Batavia High School 1924.jpg
 

SODAPOPBOB

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Brief Bio / Timeline for ...

James Gordon Carr


1907 = Born in Batavia, New York

His father and mother, Claude Leland Carr and Harriet Amelia (Wickman) Carr, owned and operated a department store in Batavia.

1925 = Graduated from Batavia High School with honors.

1926-1929 = Attended Cambridge College in Massachusetts and was a member of the Psi Delta fraternity.

There is a gap between 1930 and 1933 and I'm not sure what he did during that time period. A 1934 Batavia directory list him as still being a student at the time, but I'm not sure a student of what or where. It isn't until 1937 when he pops up again.

1937 = Marries Anna Ruth Raymond and is shown as an Architect on the marriage certificate.

1938 = Won a professional architectural contest that got him the design contract for the Aviation Building for the upcoming 1939 New York World's Fair.

1938-39 = I'm not sure when he got the contract to design portions of Tiffany's new flagship store on Fifth Avenue, but I do know that Tiffany's officially opened its doors to that store on October 21, 1940. I'm assuming it would have taken a minimum of one year, and possibly two years, to design and construct a seven story building of that type. Thus a circa date of 1938-39 when he got the contract.

1939 = The New York World's Fair officially opens April 30, 1939

1940 ...

1. January 1940 = Glass Packer magazine reference connects Carr with Walter Mack and the design for the new Pepsi Cola bottle.

2. February 6, 1940 = James S Steelman files for patent on Pepsi Cola bottle that is approved on April 30, 1940.

3. April 26, 1940 = James Gordon Carr files for patent on Pepsi Cola cooler that is approved on August 20, 1940.

Note: From 1940 on there are too many records, achievements and awards to list for J Gordon Carr, but suffice it to say that he had an illustrious career until his death in 1983 at the age of 76 years old.

But even with all of this said, the main question still remains unanswered ...

Why is James S Steelman's name on the 1940 Pepsi Cola 'wave' bottle patent and not that of James Gordon Carr?
 
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SODAPOPBOB

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P.S. / Observation ...

Even though James Gordon Carr was an extremely busy guy between 1939 and 1940 and had his hands full with the World's Fair, Tiffany's, and the Cooler, was he so busy that he couldn't have taken the time to file the bottle in his name? After all, he had time to design and patent the cooler, so why not the bottle?
 

SODAPOPBOB

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I don't know how long it took to plan and construct the structures for the 1939 World's Fair, but according to the description associated with this picture, it says it was taken on May 17, 1938. Reminder; according to several accounts, James Gordon Carr got his foot in the door of 1939 World's Fair by "winning a contest in 1938." If true, then the contest was likely prior to when this picture was taken. I'm not sure where the Aviation Building is in the picture, but I have to believe they had all of the various locations figured out well in advance of starting the actual construction.

World's Fair 1939 under construction photo taken May 17, 1938.jpg

But maybe this picture will help give us some bearings ...

World's Fair 1939 Carr Design Aviation Building Photo (2).jpg

I found the location of the Aviation Building! But there doesn't appear to be any construction going on at that particular spot in the May 17, 1938 photo.

World's Fair 1939 under construction photo taken May 17, 1938.jpg
 
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SODAPOPBOB

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Josh

Even though I haven't received my other two books yet, and not sure they will be of much help anyway, I've pretty much hit a dead end with this. Hopefully some of what I have contributed will assist you with your article. I think we both agree that the best resource to find more information, and possibly the whole story, will be found in the 1940 Glass Packer magazine. I have conducted an exhaustive search for a copy, but cannot find one anywhere. Perhaps someone will eventually come along who has one and will be able to fill in the rest of the pieces to the puzzle.

Bob
 

SODAPOPBOB

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This is still my Best Guess / Theory ...


The only other thing I can think of that might explain this mystery is to relate it to the situation that occurred with the design and patent of the 1915 Coca Cola bottle. The patent was registered under the name of Alexander Samuelson, who was the plant superintendent for the Root Glass Company in 1915. But in reality, the bottle was designed by Earl R. Dean, who was the mold shop foreman for Root Glass at the time. But it took almost 100 years before Earl R. Dean finally got the recognition he deserved. Today, even the Coca Cola Company gives credit to Dean for designing the bottle. Based on what I know about all of that, the main reason the patent was in Samuelson's name is because he was a suit-wearing plant superintendent and Dean was only a grease-under-the-fingernails mold shop foreman.

Perhaps something similar occurred with the 1940 Pepsi Cola bottle. Because James Steelman worked for the Armstrong Cork Company at the time, and who already had 20 other bottle patents under his belt, that it was decided to put the 1940 Pepsi Cola bottle patent in his name instead of the bottle's true designer, James Gordon Carr.

In other words ...

1. The 1940 Pepsi Cola bottle was actually designed by James Gordon Carr.

2. James Shipely Steelman had nothing to do with the bottle's original design other than his name was put on the patent.

But even if this is true, how is anyone ever going to prove it?

[ 1915 Coca Cola bottle patent - With Alexander Samuelson's name - Which should be Earl R. Dean ]

View attachment 171260
 

SODAPOPBOB

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Josh

I just wanted to let you know I'm working on printing/scanning/saving the entire Walter Mack/Pepsi Cola article from the two 1950 New Yorker magazines. But because there are so many pages I'm not sure I should post all of them. What do you think? I will if you want me to! But it will take some time. Its a great article and almost a complete nutshell history about Pepsi Cola.
 

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