This little parade of pigs living in Ever-Ever Land was on the front cover of menus for the Pig’n Whistle chain of restaurants and candy stores.

The chain began life in California around 1908 and the first location opened in downtown Los Angeles, next to the now demolished 1888 City Hall.

The Hollywood location opened in 1927 next to the Egyptian Theatre and featured oak rafters, imported tiles and dramatic Don Quixote murals. It was frequented by celebrities such as Howard Hughes, Shirley Temple and Spencer Tracy.

Food was made from scratch, and special attention was paid to catering for candy-loving children with special menus and souvenir books.

In 1941, the date of this menu cover, there were ten Pig n Whistles in Los Angeles, one in Pasadena and four in San Francisco. There were also five Pig n Whistle cocktail lounges in LA.

The chain expanded into in-flight catering, providing meals for Transcontinental Western Air flights out of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The 1950s began a period of decline and entrenchment and by 1968 there were only three Pig'n Whistle restaurants left. 

There’s a debate about the origin of the Pig’n Whistle name. Some say it refers to the fable about the three little pigs who lived in a wood, in houses built with different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third house built of bricks.

Another theory is that the name originates from two Old English words- piggin – a mug made of lead – and wassail, a wine associated with the Yuletide Season.

And, of course, the illustration of happy pigs living in a fairytale castle in Ever-Ever Land, was meant to delight children.