USA - 1941 / US WWII Coca-Cola “Skater Girl” Tray – Original American Art Works - Military accessories

Original American Coca-Cola advertising tray from 1941 – a remarkable collector’s item from the World War II era.

Offered is this authentic metal Coca-Cola “Skater Girl” tray, manufactured in the United States by The American Art Works Inc., Coshocton, Ohio.

The tray is clearly marked on the bottom as:
The Coca-Cola Co. 1941
The American Art Works Inc. – Coshocton, Ohio
Made in U.S.A.

The classic scene shows a young woman skating in a winter landscape, with the iconic glass Coca-Cola bottle in her hand. This model is known among collectors as the 1941 “Skater Girl” tray.

Historical WWII context

1941 makes this piece especially interesting. World War II was already in full swing and in December 1941 the United States officially joined the war.

Coca-Cola became during this period also strongly associated with the American home front and the American armed forces. During the war bottling plants were eventually set up close to American troops in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, and billions of bottles of Coca-Cola were distributed to military personnel.

This tray thus forms a beautiful time-bound piece of American advertising history from the WWII period.