The original Gerber Baby just turned 91

Ann Turner Cook might be the most famous baby in the entire world, and she just turned 91 years old.

Cook is a mystery novelist and a retired English teacher, but before that, she was the original Gerber Baby.

In 1928, the Gerber company held a competition to find a face for the baby food line it had just launched. According to Gerber, many artists sent in elaborate oil paintings. But artist Dorothy Hope Smith sent in a simple charcoal sketch of her neighbor Leslie Turner’s four-month-old baby girl, Ann.

Smith’s sketch is adorable, and practically every person in the U.S. would recognize it, because Smith’s drawing became the face of Gerber baby food.

“The executives at Gerber couldn’t resist the adorable baby face and selected the classic drawing,” the company wrote.

Smith had sent in the sketch as a sample, and offered to elaborate on the picture if it was chosen. The company decided to use the charcoal sketch as-is, and the picture of baby Ann Turner Cook started appearing on Gerber products in 1928. In 1931, Smith’s sketch became the company’s official trademark.

Cook’s identity as the famous Gerber Baby was revealed to the public in 1978. On Monday, November 20, Cook celebrated her 91st birthday. Her face has been associated with baby food for her entire life, check out the 11 healthiest and unhealthiest foods for your baby.