Original Gerber Baby Ann Turner Cook Dies At 95

• The original Gerber baby Ann Turner Cook has died.
• She was 95.
• Her face has been the face of Gerber since 1931. 

It has been reported that the original Gerber baby Ann Turner Cook, whose face was best known for gracing the front of all Gerber products, has died at age 95. Gerber announced the passing of Cook in a statement.

“Many years before becoming an extraordinary mother, teacher and writer, her smile and expressive curiosity captured hearts everywhere and will continue to live on as a symbol for all babies,” said Gerber.

Remembering the legacy of original Gerber baby Ann Turner Cook

Cook was just five months old when a neighbor, now known as artist Dorothy Hope Smith, did a charcoal sketch of the baby that would later be submitted for a contest that Gerber was holding. The image was so beloved that it became the company’s trademark in 1931 and has been used as the face of the company since. However, for a number of decades, the true identity of the Gerber baby was largely kept a secret, and many thought that it had to be a celebrity such as Elizabeth Taylor or Humphrey Bogart. It wasn’t until the ’70s that Cook’s identity was revealed.

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Cook would grow up to be an English teacher in Tampa, Florida, and also become a mystery novelist. She told The Associated Press back in 1998 that her mother told her she was the Gerber baby when she was young. She had said, “If you’re going to be a symbol for something, what could be more pleasant than a symbol for baby food?”

And as for the image itself, Cook had to say, “All babies are appealing. The reason that drawing has been so popular is the artist captured the appeal that all babies have.″