Aunt Jo's Prune Products
Aunt Jo's Prune Products was a San Jose-based candied prune manufacturer. The company was founded in 1928 by Alfred and Jo Gabrielson. Gabrielson had been the foreign sales manager of the California Prune and Apricot Growers and representative in Europe for Sunmaid raisins. Mrs. Gabrielson had seen prune-based confections in France, and wanted to try to make similar items in California. The prunes had chocolate, ginger, and orange peel added[1][2].
Aunt Jo's played up the Santa Clara Valley and California angle in their advertising. The company also bragged that they packaged their candies in California redwood boxes[3]. Boxes that survive show thin,wide wooden boxes[4].
The business was taken over by a consortium of dried fruit businessmen in 1929, including Ed Richmond, Elton Shaw, and Louis Normandin[5]
References
- ↑ Confection is Making Fruit More Popular: March 17, 1928 San Jose Evening News
- ↑ Advertisement: March 17, 1928 San Jose Evening News.
- ↑ Advertisement: March 1, 1928 San Jose Evening News.
- ↑ Vintage Home: Pinterest.
- ↑ Enlarged Industry: May 31, 1929 San Jose Evening News