1940s FURST-McNESS FLY CHASER TIN – Freeport, Illinois

For sale is a MID-CENTURY FURST-McNESS FLY CHASER TIN, a scientific fly repellent manufactured by the Furst-McNess Company of Freeport, Illinois, used for spraying livestock. This lithographic vintage 1-gallon metal tin is in great condition with legible text and graphics on all four sides. The spray was used on cows, horses, and other livestock to deter flies. One side of the superb collectible rectangular features a happy gentleman spraying his favorite cow which drives off a thick swarm of flies. Tin measures approximately 11 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. A superb collectible agriculture themed tin.

In 1908, Frank E. Furst, an attorney, and Frederick W. McNess, a chemist, founded the Furst-McNess Company. The company’s salesmen, known as “McNess Men” traversed rural areas via horse and buggy, and later early automobiles to sell home remedies, livestock care items, and baking extracts directly to farming families. Vintage “Fly Chaser” tins like this one predominantly date from the 1920s to the 1950s.