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This is a vintage Valerie Jean American Dates wooden display barrel, a rare piece of Mid-Century roadside Americana from Thermal, California.
History & Significance
The Brand: Founded by Russell Nicoll (noted as the proprietor on the label), the Valerie Jean Date Shop opened in 1928 along U.S. Route 99 in the Coachella Valley. It became a legendary tourist stop famous for date milkshakes and packaged dates.
The Purpose: These smaller coopered wooden kegs were used primarily as eye-catching store displays, novelty gift packaging, or counter dispensers for their specialty date products (like dates preserved in brandy or syrup)
