A highly recognized and loved sketch by artist Dorothy Hope Smith. In 1928 Gerber was looking for a face to represent a baby food ad campaign. The baby Ann Turner Cook posed and became the precious Gerber Baby.
Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We will only recommend products we use, love or think are informative and helpful.
Gerber Baby
Ever wonder who that sweet little baby is?
From the Gerber website:
The face that launched a brand
The tousled hair, the bright eyes, the round, pursed lips. The Gerber baby is recognized all around the world. So who is this special baby?
People polled throughout the United States surmised that the Gerber Baby had to have grown up to become someone famous: Guesses ranged from movie stars Humphrey Bogart and Elizabeth Taylor to Senator Bob Dole. But mystery novelist and retired English teacher Ann Turner Cook knows the real answer. Because she is the Gerber Baby.
The backstory on the Gerber Baby
In 1928 Gerber was looking for a face to represent a baby food ad campaign. The baby Ann Turner Cook posed for artist Dorothy Hope Smith. Her simple charcoal sketch competed with lots of portraits, including elaborate oil paintings. (Smith offered to finish the sketch if it were accepted.)
Whether it was the simplicity of the drawing or the cuteness of the baby (or both!), the judges fell in love with the adorable cherub face of Ann Turner Cook. They were so taken with it that Smith didn’t have to finish the sketch. Gerber used it just as it was.
World’s best-known baby image
The illustration became so popular that Gerber adopted it as its official trademark in 1931. Since then the Gerber Baby has appeared on all packaging and in every Gerber advertisement, making Ann Turner Cook the world’s best-known baby image.
A photo of Ann Turner Cook from her website.
You might also like…
Vintage Table for Mother’s Day
Northern Mills Prints by Frances Hook
Grandmom Gaskill’s Tomato Jam Vintage Recipe
Childhood Chrome Table and Chairs Set 
Crochet Baby Bib from Vintage Pattern
Our Newsletter is published once every three weeks. Each issue is timely and helpful, jam-packed with food, crafts, occasional DIY, gardening and faith resources. Relevant and seasonal posts to inspire and guide you with current trends. Available only to those who request it, so please accept our invitation to stay connected and join the Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart community. Just click the subscribe button below.
My Gerber baby was (and still is) my favorite doll!
AFTER YEARS AND YEARS OF THIS WERBER PICTURE WE KNOW THE NAME OF THE BEAUTIFUL BABY ,THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS LOVELY POST..HUGS
What a cute post. Of course I knew Gerber baby but I did not know her story. And the portrait is so alive, so cute.
Thanks to share.
I clicked onto the Bible and went to the web site for daily reading. I do have realplayer; the web site is not working.
I have a Gerber Baby calendar from 1959.Thanks for the information about baby Gerber.
I had never given a thought to the Gerber Baby, but what an interesting story. That is quite a legacy!
I read your post about Erin's chickens:) I am waiting patiently for my girls to start laying. Thanks for visiting and letting me know about yours.
That is a WONDERFUL story and I'm SO Happy you shared it with us…
Hugs, Donna
Great Face and story!
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
Ah yes a very recognizable baby face. Is there anyone who doesn't know the Gerber baby face? 🙂 How wonderful for Ann Turner Cook to see her adorable face still after all these years.
What an interesting post. I've always loved that picture of the baby and would exclaim when our little ones were about that age that they were as cute as the Gerber baby.
Have a great weekend.
Karen
Ladybug Creek
How interesting! I never knew that. But the Gerber baby is still an icon. Everyone wants to nominate their grandchildren to replace her, I'm sure.
BTW – we have a unique kitchen backsplash giveaway that might be useful to you or a friend. Please stop by our Giveaway Friday! Jane F.
awww…this is the sweetest post. I love that little Gerber baby. I also grew up with it everywhere. I was born in 1937 and I, too, have a photo of this cute baby. I must go thru my trunk and see if I can find it.
Thanks for the memories…
xo bj
What a treasure!!!
My link for you… WIZARD OF OZ
Do come by to say hello if you have time!
I think you read my mind, I was just thinking about the Gerber baby a couple of days ago, wondering who that baby was. Thank you for sharing.
This is such a cute post.. His eyes speaks volumes… Lovely!
What a GREAT post! I've always loved that sketch, but have never heard how it came about! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful little story! Debbie @ Cottage Hann~Me~Downs
Hi! I'm not sure what happens when I try to comment. Sometimes my posts show up and sometimes it pops off site before I cans see that is saved. Weird-very weird!
Anyway..what I said before was that I bet she has had a lot of enjoyment in life seeing her baby self on every Gerber product in every grocery store in the nation. Being as that was before all the lawyers and agents were in place she probably got a little lump sum and no royalties at all. In today's market she would have made a gazillion dollars for that one picture! Diana
Oh I have always thought the photos of the Gerber Baby was so beautiful!
This is such a great post! I have always loved that portrait.
So neat to see the real person 'all grown up'!
How wonderful to see what she looks like now…so beautiful as a baby and now too ! Thanks for sharing this fun post!
Miss Bloomers
Oh how interesting. I have often wondered who the real baby was. She lovely today too. Very interesting. Thanks, I really enjoyed this post.
Thanks also for your gracious comments on my Foodie Friday BBQ sauce post. It probably takes about 5 to 6 minutes on each side to grill them. I make sure the grill is nice and hot and then put them on. Turn the temp down if they start to carmelize too much, or place them on a higher shelf. I hope you try it, they really are mouth watering and so easy. Hugs, Marty
How interesting. I love that baby sketch and it is so nice to see the lady who posed for that as a baby. What a great show and tell.