Gerber’s original baby, Ann Turner Cook, died on Friday, according to a statement from Gerber on Instagram.
“Gerber is deeply saddened by the death of Ann Turner Cook, Gerber’s original baby, whose face was sketched to become Gerber’s iconic logo more than 90 years ago. Many years before she became an extraordinary mother, teacher and writer, her smile and expressive curiosity won hearts everywhere and she will continue to live as a symbol for all babies. We express our deepest condolences to Anne’s family and to anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing her, “the statement said.
Meet baby Gerber, all grown up 04:15
Cook, who was born in 1926, was just a few months old when an artist and neighbor named Dorothy Hope Smith sketched her face with charcoal. In 1928, Gerber ran a competition to find a person to advertise a baby food campaign, and Smith participated in her sketch of a charming bright-eyed baby, noting that she would complete the sketch if she won, according to Gerber’s website.
Smith won the competition, and Cook’s illustration remained a sketch that helped launch the Gerber brand. In 1991, Gerber accepted it as an official trademark, according to their website. Since then, the Gerber baby has appeared on all Gerber packaging and advertisements.
Photo: Gerber Products / AP)
Cook’s identity was kept secret until 1978. A survey was conducted in the United States to guess the identity of baby Gerber, with answers ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to Bob Dole.
“I was probably about 3 years old when my mother pointed to a jar of baby food and said it was my picture,” Cook told CBS Sunday Morning in 2013. “I thought it was a wonderful thing.”
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