Ann Turner Cook, the baby face known all over the world as the original Gerber baby, has died.
She was 95.
On an Instagram post, Gerber announced the passing of Turner Cook. “Gerber is deeply saddened by the passing of Ann Turner Cook, the original Gerber baby, whose face was sketched to become the iconic Gerber logo more than 90 years ago,” read the post.
Cook was 5 months old when a neighbor, artist Dorothy Hope Smith, drew a charcoal sketch of her that was later submitted for a Gerber, NPR reported.
A New York Times article said that fearing ridicule for her long-running role as the Gerber Baby, she did not disclose her identity for decades.
According to the Times, she did not received royalties for the use of her image. In 1951, Ms. Turner-Cook accepted a $5,000 settlement which she used as a down payment on her first home.
“Many years before becoming an extraordinary mother, teacher and writer, her smile and expressive curiosity captured hearts everywhere and will continue to live on as a symbol for all babies,” Gerber’s Instagram post read, adding, “We extend our deepest sympathies to Ann’s family and to anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.”
