In April 1964, Andy Warhol filled New York's Stable Gallery with hundreds of wooden sculptures based on familiar American shipping cartons. Brillo, Campbell's Tomato Juice, Heinz Ketchup, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Del Monte Peaches and Mott's Apple Juice were transformed into one of the most memorable exhibitions of his career.

More than sixty years later, photographs taken at the Stable Gallery and inside Warhol's Factory offer a fascinating record of the exhibition and the work that went into producing it.

We've been studying these photographs alongside surviving sculptures, original commercial packaging and historical manufacturing materials, looking for clues about how the boxes were constructed, painted and printed.

The research has taken us through vintage paint catalogues, original shipping cartons, reconstructed packaging artwork and a surprising amount of experimentation with materials and printing techniques.

A Closer Look at the Original Boxes

The photographs from Warhol's 1964 exhibition provide more than a record of how the boxes were displayed. They also reveal details about their proportions, printed graphics and arrangement throughout the gallery.

The photographs taken inside the Factory are particularly interesting. Some show boxes in production, surrounded by paint containers, equipment and materials that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Details as small as the exposed edge of a plywood panel or a partially visible paint label have become useful starting points for further research.

Comparing these photographs with surviving sculptures has helped us identify construction details, investigate original materials and revisit some of our early assumptions about how the boxes were made.

The exhibition also attracted considerable attention from the contemporary press.

In its May 15, 1964 issue, TIME magazine published an article titled "Art: Boxing Match", describing Warhol's Brillo Boxes and the reaction of James Harvey, the commercial artist responsible for the original packaging design.

The article is an especially interesting historical reference because it was published while Warhol's exhibition was still a current event.

Reconstructing Andy Warhol's 1964 Box Sculptures

Our research into Andy Warhol's Box Sculptures from 1964 focuses on seven historical designs associated with the Stable Gallery exhibition: White Brillo, Yellow Brillo, Campbell's Tomato Juice, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Del Monte Peach Halves, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and Mott's Apple Juice.

Determining their original dimensions was one of the first challenges.

Museum and auction records provided an initial reference, but not every surviving sculpture has been documented with the same level of detail. Comparing published measurements with historical photographs and original packaging helped us establish working dimensions for each design.

For example, MoMA's Campbell's Tomato Juice Box provides measurements and material information for a surviving 1964 sculpture. Other examples documented by auction houses have supplied additional construction references.

After exploring different sizes and configurations, we settled on one-third scale for the complete collection.

The resulting project, The Stable Collection, brings together all seven designs as historically informed contemporary reconstructions.

Finding the Original Packaging Artwork

The commercial graphics presented an entirely different challenge.

Packaging designs changed over time, and surviving examples don't always correspond with the graphics visible on Warhol's sculptures. Small differences in lettering, proportions and layout become particularly important when reconstructing artwork for silkscreen printing.

We've spent considerable time searching for period shipping cartons, packaging samples, advertisements and other commercial references.

Some have helped resolve details that were difficult to establish from photographs. Others revealed differences that required revisions to artwork already in development.

The process has reinforced the value of examining original commercial packaging rather than relying exclusively on reproductions of Warhol's finished sculptures.

Searching for the Original Paints

Paint has become one of the more involved parts of the project.

Historical Factory photographs contain references to commercially available painting materials, while surviving sculptures provide evidence of the finishes and printing methods used in production.

Our search has included vintage manufacturer catalogues, original color-chip books, historical advertisements and surviving paint containers.

Some of these references have been remarkably difficult to locate. Manufacturers have changed formulations, discontinued product lines and replaced color collections that were once readily available.

As historical references became available, we started comparing them with surviving sculptures and modern paint samples.

Several early selections appeared promising until we examined them against original color chips. Others required adjustments as better references became available.

The experiments have also raised questions about paint coverage, sheen, wood grain and the differences between modern materials and those available in the early 1960s.

Unsuccessful samples have been part of the process, often helping us understand why a particular approach wasn't producing the results we expected.

An Original Campbell's Tomato Juice Carton

One of the most significant additions to our research collection is an original Campbell's Tomato Juice corrugated shipping carton, Model 362.

Acquired during our search for historical packaging associated with the 1964 sculptures, the carton has provided an opportunity to examine the original commercial printing directly.

Its graphics, construction and surviving manufacturing markings offer details that are difficult to recover from photographs alone.

These can be compared with the wooden sculptures Warhol produced at the Factory.

A particularly useful published reference is Phillips' May 2022 sale of three original Campbell's Tomato Juice Boxes, which includes photographs, measurements and historical catalogue information.

Together, the original commercial carton and surviving sculptures provide different parts of the same story.

Source: Phillips auction record

Understanding the Wooden Construction

The wooden construction has required its own investigation.

Photographs of surviving sculptures reveal plywood surfaces, exposed edges, joints and other details that aren't always apparent in the familiar exhibition images.

These observations led us to research period plywood materials, woodworking methods and the construction techniques available during the early 1960s.

Even the appearance of the wood matters. Grain, surface texture and the way paint covers the plywood can influence the appearance of the finished sculpture.

Translating these characteristics to one-third scale introduced another set of decisions about suitable materials and assembly methods.

The research eventually informed the specifications for our first wooden prototypes.

Source: Christie's — Campbell's Tomato Juice Box, Lot 234

From Historical Research to Physical Reconstruction

With the dimensions, artwork and construction specifications taking shape, work began on the first wooden prototypes.

The unfinished boxes provided an opportunity to assess proportions, construction details and surface preparation before moving further into painting and printing.

At the same time, we continued researching the silkscreen methods used at the Factory.

Printing onto assembled wooden boxes presents different challenges from printing onto a flat canvas or sheet of paper. To explore these methods, we developed a purpose-built printing press designed to accommodate three-dimensional objects.

The press, wooden prototypes and ongoing materials experiments have allowed us to test ideas developed from the historical evidence.

Some approaches have worked well, while others have required further adjustments.

Bringing the Research Together

The work has progressed from historical photographs and original commercial packaging to reconstructed artwork, experiments with vintage paint references, and the first wooden prototypes.

Each stage has helped us better understand how Warhol and his assistants produced the original sculptures. Some discoveries have confirmed earlier ideas, while others have led us to reconsider materials, colors, and construction methods.

These findings are also shaping The Stable Collection, our one-third-scale reconstruction of the seven historical box designs. The collection is being developed alongside the research, with the intention of eventually presenting the finished works together with the historical materials that informed them.

A future exhibition will bring together original packaging, Factory photographs, vintage manufacturing references, experimental samples, and contemporary reconstructions.

The work is ongoing, and we'll continue sharing the discoveries, comparisons, and experiments through the RECONSTRUCTING THE FACTORY Research Journal.

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