Here is a classic tale.

Recently sorting through the belongings of their late uncle, two women uncovered a large folder of vintage paper advertising. Near the bottom of the dusty stack were three Coca-Cola calendars in excellent condition.

The two contacted an expert and it turns out the colorful 1940s calendars were valued at hundreds of dollars each.

All things Coca-Cola are attracting a growing number of collectors. And with nearly a century of production behind them, Coca-Cola calendars are among the most favored of the Coke items.

"Calendars are certainly the most beautiful of all Coca-Cola collectibles," declares note Coke historian, author and collector Allan Petretti. "Because of the beautiful artwork and colors, and the rarity of many, (Coca-Cola) calendars have become the most important pieces in my collection."

Prior to the 1880s wall calendars for the masses were unheard of. They became popular household items when advertising became the driving force behind their production and distribution.

By the beginning of the 1890s calendars were seen as a natural premium for advertisers. They were relatively inexpensive when mass-produced. Major companies could have them printed with the latest lithographic techniques and then distributed to local merchants.

Sometimes the local retailer or distributor added their own personal stamp to the calendar. Like almanacs, any information the calendars provided was bound to remain on display in home or business for the entire year.

Historical accounts say the first Coca-Cola calendar was produced in 1891. A modest six and a half inches by nine inches, it was printed by the Clavert Lithography Company of Atlanta, Georgia. Like so many that would follow. the calendar for Asa Chandler and Company, featured an attractive, wholesome young woman. The lady wore a period dress and held a tennis racquet.

Over the years the featured Coca-Cola woman would be holding other objects including an umbrella, skis, ice skates, pen, fan, and of course either a bottle or glass of her favorite cola drink.

Throughout the 1890s and into the early 1900s Coca Cola continued to issue distinguished calendars highlighted with attractive but usually anonymous women.

The son of company found Asa Chandler would write many years later that early in the 20th century working with the Wolf and Company advertising agency of Philadelphia on new calendars was a major thing.

"It was always one of the high spots of the year when David Wolf would drive up with several large portfolios containing proofs of the calendars and hangers for next season," he noted.

Starting in 1904 the Coca-Cola company and its accompanying bottlers began issuing slightly different calendars for the same year. For fountain sales locations the lovely lady would be holding a glass (one which usually, but not always, had Coca-Cola inscribed on it). For bottlers the same woman would be holding a bottle instead of a glass. For the most part models were 'arranged' so that the original image needed only slight alterations. But in some cases the reworking was much more extensive.

In the opinion of some advanced Coke collectors, bottle-holding-beauties became more prevalent because of  the growing dominance of product distribution by bottlers.

Coca-Cola also sometimes turned from mere pretty faces to stars of entertainment early in the 20th century. Metropolitan Opera star Lillian Norica was featured on calendars starting in 1904. Another early 'show biz' favorite was legendary actress Hilda Clark.

Coca Cola calendars were both appealing and striking in design. Increasingly they were given a warm welcome on the walls of potential patrons. Their eye-catching graphics hung in full view for a full 12 months, before time ultimately became their worst enemy. As soon as the new year rolled around, past calendars were immediately replaced and shamelessly discarded.

The art on the calendars was so strong and compelling that it was typically used on other Coca Cola advertising that same year or soon afterwards.

Women with adoring names like Betty, Elaine and Constance became part of the polished Coca-Coca calendar image during the teen years of the 20th century. By the 1920s the calendar ladies were posing at activities which included baseball games and various social events. The company not only saw demand increase in all the conventional locations, but calendars were also being specifically allotted to public schools as well. They became a regular sight at many schools in the United States for decades.

By the early 1930s many Coca-Cola bottlers were issued their very own calendars to meet the demand. Typically the bottler-provided calendars relied on stock artwork of landscapes or wildlife which lacked the artistry of the company-provided calendars. Often the bottlers added their own individual name and location.

Coca-Cola itself took a somewhat higher road in the 1930s by calling upon leading artists of the time to contribute illustrations for their calendars. Norman Rockwell illustrated Huckleberry Finn in 1932 and used similar subjects for the company's calendars during that decade. Frederic Stanley did the village blacksmith in 1933. Other notable illustrators for Coca-Cola during the 1930s included N.C. Wyeth and Bradshaw Crandall.

In many ways the period of the 1940s was one of the most interesting in regard to the production of Coca-Cola calendars.

Starting in 1941 there were few more options for the calendar creators. That year the company began use of the term Coke as a suitable substitute for the full name. The following year the company introduced the Sprite boy into their advertising. When advertising sales of bottled Coke, Sprite wore a bottle cap on his head. When promoting fountain sales Sprite wore a basic clerk's cap.

There was change in overall design too. Multi-fold Coke calendars were introduced in the 1940s. Instead of large single sheets for each month, the calendars folded into six sections thus allowing for two months under each colorful illustration. At this point a major outlet for the calendars were soda fountains and retail stores which sold the beverage in bottles. The more visual and charming the better.

One marketplace exception once again were public schools. During the war years of the 1940s the company provided a series of school calendars called "Schools At War". The calendars featured battle scenes and carried slogans like, "Be a Lifesaver--Buy War Bonds and Stamps."

The era of beautiful women on Coca Cola calendars continued well into the 1950s. However other subjects and activities were also sometimes highlighted. Individual bottling companies distributed a series of Boy Scout calendars which were illustrated by Norman Rockwell. Others extended the brightly beaming Santa theme which had proven so popular in the earlier 1940s.

Coke added "zest" to their advertising slogans in the 1950s, and also made available 'home' calendars. Such reference or informational issue were pleasant enough but lacked the measurements and sheer graphics of the larger wall calendars.

Today the higher valued Coke calendars are most always carefully framed when found at leading antique locations and auctions.

Condition is an important factor. Best prices are paid for those clean, crisp, unmarked, untrimmed examples without any missing pages. A full pad means that all sheets for the various months are present.

Recommended reading: Classic Coca-Cola Calendars by Allan Petretti, Krause Publications.

If you have any questions, you can Email us at antshoppe@aol.com

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