Desk note holder, Farbenfabriken Bayer (owner-marked Arús)

Name/Title

Desk note holder, Farbenfabriken Bayer (owner-marked "Arús")

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.214

Description

A small cream/ivory rigid-plastic desk note holder: a flat rectangular stand with a solid upright back panel and a shallow front pocket to hold notes, cards, or memo slips, with a U-shaped thumb-notch cut into the front lip for easy removal of the contents and a horizontal slot embossed in the back panel. A branded promotional accessory rather than a container for a product. The back panel is marked "FARBENFABRIKEN BAYER," with a small green applied label beneath reading "Arús" — added by the owner. Empty; the plastic is scuffed and lightly soiled.

Use

Desk item in the home office of Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Farbenfabriken Bayer AG

Place

City

Leverkusen

Country

F.R.G.

Region

Central Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

Date: Circa 1951–1972 (from the company name); cannot be confirmed within the 1959–1990 range and may fall partly outside it (the 1951–1958 portion predates the collection's start). No explicit date on the object. Flagged for resolution.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

"FARBENFABRIKEN BAYER" (brand, on the back panel). Green applied label "Arús" — owner's surname, added later (provenance mark). No date, lot, or country line; faint embossed slot/line on the back panel.

Materials

Material Notes

Materials: Molded rigid plastic (cream/ivory); applied green owner's label. Technique: Injection-molded plastic; printed/molded brand mark; owner-applied label.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use

Place

City

Leverkusen

Country

F.R.G.

Region

Central Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

production

Research Notes

Notes

A branded desk note/card holder — an advertising or office giveaway carrying the Farbenfabriken Bayer name, of the kind pharmaceutical and chemical firms distributed to offices, pharmacies, and clinics. Not product packaging; cataloged as a promotional desk accessory.

Notes

The "Farbenfabriken Bayer" name brackets the object to 1951–1972 (the firm became "Bayer AG" in 1972). This is the firmest date evidence and the reason the range fit is uncertain: the 1951–1958 portion lies before the collection's 1959 start, so the holder cannot be confirmed in range without narrowing the date.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

May 16, 2026

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 18, 2026