Happy Birthday Ann Turner Cook! Original Gerber Baby Turns 93
Nov 20, 2019, 9:25 AM | Updated: 9:26 am
FILE (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The woman whose childhood face is known worldwide as the “Gerber Baby” is turning 93 years old.
Ann Turner Cook is celebrating her birthday on Nov. 20. Her image first appeared on the iconic baby food products in 1928.
When the company was searching for a face to sell its products, they invited artists to submit their own portrayals of Gerber babies, according to gerberlife.com.
“Some artists submitted elaborate oil paintings, but one artist, Dorothy Hope Smith, an artist who specialized in children’s portraits, submitted a simple charcoal sketch and offered to elaborate on it if it was accepted,” according to Gerber. “The executives at Gerber couldn’t resist the adorable baby face and selected the classic drawing as-is.”
Cook was just 4 months old when her neighbor, Smith, drew her portrait and submitted it to Gerber.
Ann Turner Cook later grew up to become an English teacher and a mystery novelist, according to the website.
