Iowa man gathers Americana

Source: www.timesleader.com --- Thursday, February 01, 2018
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — When he was a child growing near Ottumwa, Harold Canny began collecting Baseball cards. After he and his late wife Marge moved to Sioux City, the couple raised four children. And yes, Canny’s collectibles expanded as quickly as his family. Now, vintage Baseball cards, obscure marketing memorabilia and advertising displays fill nearly every room of the retired Sioux City Community School District social studies teacher’s Northside home. “My favorite pieces usually have a story or a local angle attached to them,” Canny, 79, said. “That’s what makes the pieces personal.” Born into a working-class family, Canny takes pride in the work ethic of his dad, a longtime employee at a meatpacking plant. That may explain the 1926 John Morrell calendar hanging on the dining room wall or the company’s metal sign that hangs in his kitchen. On closer inspection, many items in Canny’s collection pay tribute to businesses that no longer exist. Chances are you’ve heard of the Hires Root Beer Company. But what about the Nichol Kola Company, which advertised itself as being “America’s taste sensation”? Or can you remember Kayo Chocolate Soda, which featured Kayo from the “Moon Mullins” comic strip as its namesake? Signs for all of these brands are displayed prominently in Canny’s kitchen. “I remember seeing some of these brands as a kid,” he said. “But most are simply too obscure, even for me.” For instance, Canny can readily ident ...

from Baseball http://ift.tt/2s2osIy