William V. Cahill 1878 - 1924

Archives, Cream of Wheat Company Headquarters, Minneapolis
Acquired from the above by the present owners 

Dave Stivers, The Nabisco Brands Collection of Cream of Wheat Advertising Art, San Diego, 1986, p. 40, illustrated in color

Canvas is not lined. SURFACE: in good condition UNDER ULTRA VIOLET: no apparent inpainting
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Sold together with an original tearsheet depicting the present image as it appeared in the January 11, 1913 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. 

Cahill created 18 advertisements for Cream of Wheat cereal.  The company's ad campaign was considered quite innovative and technologically daring for its time, as it used four-color printing and commissioned the work of several well-known artists of the "Golden Age" of illustration.  Aside from Cahill, N.C. Wyeth, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Phillip Goodwin, J.C. Leyendecker, James Montgomery Flagg and Edward Brewer were among them.

The idea for the original and enduring image of a black chef holding a bowl of the hot, steaming cereal over his shoulder came from one of the company's founders, Emery Mapes, a former printer.  In the late 19th century, as the company was just starting out, there was no money for advertising or package design.  Mapes happened to find the illustration among old printing plates he had in storage.

Mapes took great care to store and protect the original paintings used for the company's ad campaigns in the Cream of Wheat headquarters in northeast Minneapolis.  His insistence on a well-maintained and thorough archive was unusual.  Most advertising illustration in the early 20th century was  considered expendable and was quickly destroyed, lost or thrown away.