Food Colorings

CP Products


California Vegetable Coloring
~1896-1904
(Two ounce bottle)
Note: Interestingly, there is no Eureka Trademark found on the label. This bottle also has the "California Perfume Co. Fruit Flavors" embossed on the reverse panel.
OSP (in 1899): ..... 25¢

Food Colorings:

The California Vegetable Colorings were added to the California Perfume Company product line-up in 1896. ONLY red and green colorings were available then in two ounce bottles. Four ounce versions of the red and green colors were introduced in the 1897catalog. And in 1899, the company expanded the colors to include Red, Green, Lemon Yellow, Orange Red, Chocolate Brown, Coffee Brown, Lilac, and Violet. As well, according to the write up in the 1899 CPC Catalog, "usually only small amounts of colorings [were] required at any time," thus the California Vegetable Colors Combination Set (shown to the immediate right) was introduced.

Around 1907, the name "California Vegetable Coloring" was succeeded by "Harmless Colors." And in 1923, the company introduced the "Perfection" line encompassing all baking and household products.


California Vegetable Colors Combination Box
~1899-1906
Set contains: Eight small bottles in a wooden box
Note: The Eureka trademark is found on the
labels of each bottle.
OSP (in 1899): ..... 50¢


California Vegetable Coloring
~Probably 1905-1906
(Two ounce bottle)
Note: This bottle also has the "California Perfume Co. Fruit Flavors" embossed on the reverse panel.
OSP (in 1906): ..... 25¢


Harmless Colors Combination Box
~1907-1910
Set contains: Eight small bottles in a wooden box
Note: The Eureka trademark is found on the
labels of each bottle.
OSP (in 1908): ..... 50¢


Harmless Coloring
~Probably 1907
(Two ounce bottle)
Note: This bottle has an Concentrated Extract Flavoring label with Violet Coloring. This is probably owing to lack of appropriate labels at the time of manufacture and some CPC employee simply using what was immediately available. Also, this bottle has the "California Perfume Co. Fruit Flavors" embossed on the reverse panel.
OSP (in 1908): ..... 25¢


Harmless Coloring
~1909-1922
(Two ounce bottle)
Note: Beginning with the 1909 production run, the "Fruit Flavors" embossing on the rear panel of the two ounce bottles was no longer used.
OSP (in 1916): ..... 25¢


Harmless Colors Combination Box
~1910-1922
Set contains: Eight small bottles in a wooden box
Note: The CPC Chain trademark is found on the labels of each bottle.
OSP (in 1914): ..... 50¢


Harmless Coloring
~1909-1922
(One ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1918): ..... 20¢


Harmless Coloring
~1918-1922
(One ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1920): ..... 20¢


Harmless Coloring
~1918-1922
(One ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1922): ..... 20¢

A NOTE concerning the One Ounce Harmless Coloring bottles: From all indications (catalogs, price lists, order sheets, etc.), the one ounce coloring bottles seen above had a very short production run, from approximately 1918 through 1922. Above are three variants of the one ounce bottles with nuanced differences in the bottle shape (particularly note the shoulders of the bottles and the top/lip.) Additionally, only one bottle (above, far left) sports the CPC Chain Trademark on its label.


Savory Coloring
~1919-1922
(Three ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1920): ..... 35¢


Savory Coloring
~1923-1931
(Four ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1925): ..... 33¢


Savory Coloring
~1923-1931
(Four ounce bottle)
OSP (in 1931): ..... 50¢


Perfection Coloring Set
~1923-1930
Set contains: One two ounce bottle of Red coloring and four half-ounce bottles: Yellow, Blue, Brown, and Green
OSP (in 1923): ..... 74¢


Perfection Coloring Set
~1930-1934
Set contains: One two ounce bottle of Red coloring and four half-ounce bottles: Yellow, Blue, Brown, and Green
OSP (in 1931): ..... 85¢


Perfection Coloring Set
~1934-Avon
Set contains: One two ounce bottle of Red coloring and four half-ounce bottles: Yellow, Blue, Brown, and Green
OSP (in 1937): ..... 85¢

CP Products