one of several all original turn of the century antique american chicago soda fountain or confectionery shop fanciful countertop "bunte" candy sundry jars likely supplied by the gutmann store fixture company and fabricated by the whitall tatum company, philadelphia, pa. the jar with original lid was discovered with several others in boxes packed away in a basement undergoing demolition. according to a chicago city directory the first floor was occupied by a soda fountain shop or ice cream parlor sometime around 1900-1910. the jars were wrapped in 1930's-era newspaper. the majority of the candy jars are being sold individually based on their unique shape and/or design. great overall condition with no cracks, breaks, or major chips evident. in 1876, ferdinand bunte, gustav a. bunte, and charles a. spoehr started a candy manufactory on state street in chicago. after a few years, ferdinand's son theodore w. bunte took charge of the business. by the 1910's, when bunte bros. did annual sales of about $2.4 million, the company employed about 1,200 people. as late as the 1950's, it had over 1,000 workers in its chicago plants. in 1954, bunte brothers candy co. was purchased by chase candy co. of st. joseph, missouri, and a new firm, bunte-chase, was created. in 1961, the firm closed the chicago plant, dropped the bunte name, and returned to st. joseph. measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter x 12 inches high.