CHOCOLATE...that's all I need to say

I have no idea where or when this photo of a young lady selling sweets was taken.

Click on image to see it larger.

The pennant behind her reads:

Gottmann & Kretchmer
Surinam
Chicago
Chocolates
and “Upon Honor” Sweets

I find very little about this candy company other than what I provide below from the Cook County, Illinois Genealogy site:

GOTTMANN, Theodore
Partnered with Ernest A. Morris and Theodore GOTTMANN, all former employees of M. SHIELDS & CO. in new firm of E. A. MORRIS & CO. at 194 South Clinton Street March 25, 1887
Moved to 85 West Jackson Street 1888
Changed firm name to MORRIS & GOTTMAN 1894
Moved to 158 West Jackson Street
Morris sold interest to Martin KRETCHMER and firm changed name to GOTTMANN & KRETCHMER at 158 West Jackson Street 1903-1904Ad: "158 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, is where the celebrated SurinamChocolates are manufactured. They are delicious "bitter sweet" and a big seller. A full line of Novelties in new penny goods always on hand. GOTTMAN & KRETCHMER" Page 40 (Ad), 83, 123

I have found that Martin Kretchmer did go on to found another company in 1914 called The American Licorice Company. You might be interested in reading about this company because of the following:

"That same year the firm was asked by comedian Charlie Chaplin to create a licorice shoe as a prop for his classic film The Gold Rush, in which his character eats shoe leather to avoid starvation."

The only image I found online regarding Gottmann & Kretchmer is this pennant for sale in 2005.

That's it. A chocolate company from the past. Gives me pause...and a hankerin' for a big piece of chocolate.

This is my contribution to this weeks Sepia Saturday. On theme? Nope, unless you're thinking the thin thread is about something some women crave. Me, I crave chocolate, not hats.

UPDATE: I was recently contacted by a great grandchild of the Gottmann family who provided a little family history. THANK YOU!

Much of what I know I learned from my Grandmother’s stories. My Great grandfather Frederich Theodore Gottmann was born in Germany in 1862 and came to Chicago from Germany after learning his trade in Switzerland. The company was established in the 1887s and went bankrupt in the 1930’s. Kretchmer was his brother in law (through my great grandmother’s sister Johanna) whom my Great grandfather brought into the company at the request of his wife. I have heard a few reasons why it went bankrupt. I think it was a combination of factors. First, my great grandfather had Alzheimer’s and made some bad business decisions, for example, not to allow unions at the company, which led to financial backlash, and a refusal to make small chocolate bars. I have also heard that there was a falling out with Kretchmer after my great aunt, who did the books discovered some funny accounting. By the time the Gottmann boys inherited the company, to become Gottmann and sons, there was nothing left. But in it’s prime, the company thrived. My grandmother had a piece of dark chocolate every night when she was growing up, and lived to be 91, so just another reason to make some dark chocolate a part of your every day routine.