223 - MIKO - c.1950

MIKO - c.1950 “Ice Cream” Original enamel promotional thermometer with folded edges. 55 x 20 cm. In very good condition— The vivid colors and original luster are fantastic. There is minor wear around the edges; the functional capillary tube and its protective grille have been replaced. Depicts a selection of ice creams offered by MIKO. The brand traces its roots back to 1921, when Luis Ortiz, a Spanish immigrant from Cantabria, settled with his family in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) to sell artisanal ice cream and roasted chestnuts. The business was officially incorporated on March 19, 1925. The true industrial turning point came in the aftermath of World War II. Drawing inspiration from mass production methods discovered in the United States, the Ortiz family automated the production of its famous ice cream bars. In 1951, the family business dropped the “Glaces Ortiz” brand name and permanently adopted the name MIKO. This iconic name was born from the combination of the nickname of a family partner’s son, Michel (known as “Mik”), and the affectionate presence of the family dog, whose name ended in “Ko.” In 1954, to cope with the explosion in production, Miko left its original workshops and moved into the former Fort-Carré brewery in Saint-Dizier, which would become the brand’s industrial hub.