Burnham’s Hasty Jellycon Paper Doll

This paper doll for Burnham's Hasty Jellycon was one of a set of five, distributed free by New York City-based manufacturer E. S. Burnham Co. The remaining dolls tenderly held other products made by the company: clam chowder, clam bouillon, beef extract, and beef wine and iron (a "restorative" footnote tonic that was somewhat common during the turn of the century). The wide "wings" of the dress would have been folded back so the doll could stand upright. These dolls were one of a number of promotions the company ran; they would also give away Spanish-American War souvenir spoons (see ad below) and aluminum jelly molds.

Burnham's Hasty Jellycon (called "hasty" due to the quickness of its preparation) was among the first powdered gelatin desserts to hit the market. Sold from 1896 through the end of the 1920s, Jellycon originally came in six flavors—raspberry, strawberry, orange, lemon, wild cherry, and calfsfoot (i.e. unflavored)—though they would later add mint, peach, chocolate, port wine, and sherry wine varieties. footnote footnote The company would also introduce Burnham's Cream Custard in 1899, a sort of forerunner to the instant pudding that required neither eggs nor cooking to prepare.

Burnham's Hasty Jellycon seemed to sell well during its time; in one trade journal from 1897, the company claimed a grocer sold "more of Jellycon than all other jelly preparations combined." footnote