Shallow promotional ceramic bowl for Ackers Hygeia, white with blue designs and lettering, and gold rim that has mostly chipped off; the edges of the bowl are scalloped, with blue transferware floral designs all the way around which come towards the centre of the bowl; in the centre, there is an il…
Shallow promotional ceramic bowl for Ackers Hygeia, white with blue designs and lettering, and gold rim that has mostly chipped off; the edges of the bowl are scalloped, with blue transferware floral designs all the way around which come towards the centre of the bowl; in the centre, there is an illustration in blue inside a circle, across which a banner stretches reading "ACKERS HYGEIA"; in front of the banner is an illustration of a woman, the Greek goddess Hygeia, dressed in robes, holding a snake, and standing on a pedestal upon which more words are printed; the circle is backgrounded in lighter blue.
Finley Acker & Co., makers of Ackers Hygeia, were large grocery stores in Philadelphia from 1882 until 1920. They specialized in teas, coffees, candies, cigars, and various food items including those given the name "Hygeia": flour, buckwheat, and "Snowdrift" (a cereal).
Ackers Weekly was a publication sent out by the store every week to advertise products.
Finley Acker & Co. became known and loved for their delivery system, reasonable prices, and quality of goods.
The name "Hygeia" comes from the Greek goddess of health, and daughter of Asklepios, god of medicine. She is often depicted holding or feeding a snake, the symbol of Asklepios. In Greek, "Hygeia" means "soundness" or "wholeness", and health and hygiene were based around keeping the body sound and whole.