1930s Rare Vintage Richmond Baking Company “Honey Boy Bread” Child’s Text Book Cover and 1938 Honey Boy Bread Brochure … Advertising Ephemera

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This is a really unique … vintage advertising item.

They call it Ephemera.

Very rare item ! A school book … Read more This is a really unique … vintage advertising item.

They call it Ephemera.

Very rare item ! A school book … book cover, advertising bread made by the historic Richmond (Indiana) Baking Company … that is still operating !

Vintage book covers … for school “children” are extremely rare because of their fragile composition and their
intended “temporary” use and nature.

And … upon reflection … I maybe could have kept the book cover intact and matted over the torn and tattered edges….

The framed item is a rectangular portion of the protective “book cover” that was found on an old and very worn “local” school grammar book; from an actual student’s book in Hagerstown, Indiana ... with handwritten notes therein referencing that one of the “inscribers” was a student in the class of “1935 !

This popular grammar school book was published in 1929 and it is surmised that the book cover is of a similar vintage.

The book is/was entitled:

“Better Speech” ...
By Woolbert & Weaver.

Copies of this vintage book can be found on online vintage book collector websites in decent condition. The actual text is really neat. Probably more demanding than current high school level English text books.

We sold the actual tattered book from which we removed the book cover … to a Hagerstown resident … who collects Hagerstown memorabilia …. (See photo sequenced in 5th position.)

Although our book copy was in rough condition, it permeated Hoosier nostalgia. It has names of young local students inscribed from Hagerstown in the early 1930s … including surnames of Thalls and McKinnon, inside the cover.

It further appears … per some online research … that said Doc McKinnon was born in 1911 and may have … incredibly … lived to age 112 ! Assuming that the obituary that we located regards this “same” … Doc McKinnon.

The book’s publication date supports or enhances this “advertising” item’s provenance.

Not too long ago … we discovered a 1938 … 20 page “advertising brochure” for Honey Boy Bread online …from a local auction house … in September of 2025, substantiating that Honey Boy was produced by Richmond Baking Company, of Indiana; an historic family owned baking company and business that still operates.

As to the book cover … we carefully placed the “cut out” or excised portion of the Book Cover Ad into a new pine shadowbox, with black matte finish and glass cover … for display purposes.

As illustrated, the shadow box can be hung on the wall or placed on a table top.

The ad’s vintage colors are very, warm and rich.

The paper of the book cover (which can be “touched” from the backside) is a heavy weighted paper bond … with a mild satiny waxed feel on its outside face. Presumably originally made with some protective waxy sheen to repel dirt and moisture; as it's a protective cover for a child’s school book. Back in the day when kids actually brought real books home … from real brick & mortar schools….

What a “novel” idea.

Real schools.

Real books.

Actual books with real paper pages.

Hmmmm.

FURTHER UPDATE ON 10.31.25 -

We’ve spent several curious hours online searching for a “Honey Boy Bread” history … and could not find any other “Honey Boy Bread” information there.
But, on August 18, 2025, we discovered in a local online auction by Walther’s of Centerville, Indiana … a Honey Boy Bread ephemera advertisement listed for auction … made by said local historic bakery that ended up being a 20 satiny-paged advertising pamphlet … in wonderful condition … touting a novel Bread Diet, copyrighted in 1938 ! (I might try it. Love bread.)
(See photos 9-12.)

Its back cover indicates that Honey Boy Bread was made by the Richmond Baking Company.

Sweet down-home language in the ad.

And cool vintage graphics.

(At the risk of being redundant, the referenced book within said cover … as noted above …apparently was a school book of a local Hagerstown area child who we believe actually ended up being a local area physician.)

One of a kind find !

[TMI - the only other sample of another vintage childhood “book cover” that we located online … regarded a bland nondescript children’s MCM book cover advertising Eckard’s Drugs. See the #8 photo sequenced.]

With the “recent” find of the Honey Boy Bread pamphlet … substantiating some neat historical provenance … we may soon up our listing cost somewhat.

Thanks for looking. See less