Advertising

Advertising is meant to persuade, and the themes and techniques of that persuasion reveal a part of the nation's history. The Museum has preserved advertising campaigns for several familiar companies, such as Marlboro, Alka-Seltzer, Federal Express, Cover Girl, and Nike. It also holds the records of the NW Ayer Advertising Agency and business papers from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Carvel Ice Cream, and other companies. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana comprises thousands of trade cards, catalogs, labels, and other business papers and images dating back to the late 1700s.

Beyond advertising campaigns, the collections encompass thousands of examples of packaging, catalogs, and other literature from many crafts and trades, from engineering to hat making. The collections also contain an eclectic array of advertising objects, such as wooden cigar-store Indians, neon signs, and political campaign ads.

This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.
In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade. In 1874, he opened his own store, a confectionary, and within a few years he had opened three more stores. By the time of his death in 1910, he owned 54 store fronts with 14 factories and around 2000 employees supplying his shops.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0131
catalog number
77-FT-15.0131
accession number
283681
Metal "sanitary cake tester." A long pin with celluloid button at top in blue with yellow and white print. The reverse is white with blue print. An advertisement for Presto Cake Flour is on one side and for Hecker-H-O Co. of Buffalo, N.Y., on the other.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Metal "sanitary cake tester." A long pin with celluloid button at top in blue with yellow and white print. The reverse is white with blue print. An advertisement for Presto Cake Flour is on one side and for Hecker-H-O Co. of Buffalo, N.Y., on the other.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1902
maker
Hecker-H-O Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0790
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0790
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.
In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade. In 1874, he opened his own store, a confectionary, and within a few years he had opened three more stores. By the time of his death in 1910, he owned 54 store fronts with 14 factories and around 2000 employees supplying his shops.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80525Z97
This a brown, rectangular tin with green and dark brown used for the design.
Description
This a brown, rectangular tin with green and dark brown used for the design. The lid contains a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge in an oval "frame," the front contains the name of the product and a list of statistics about the bridge, and the back lists the name of the company, Mason Au & Magenheimer Confectioner Mfg. Co., and a picture of the company's building and trademark.
Mason, Au & Magenheimer was formed in 1864 in Brooklyn, New York. The company is no longer in business.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0125
catalog number
77-FT-15.0125
accession number
283681
The Girl on the Land Serves the Nation's Need. American World War I poster by artist Edward Penfield for the Y.W.C.A. Land Service Committee.
Description
The Girl on the Land Serves the Nation's Need. American World War I poster by artist Edward Penfield for the Y.W.C.A. Land Service Committee. Depicted are four women in uniform walking through a field, carrying tools and a basket of produce while leading a team of horses.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1917 - 1921
ID Number
1986.3051.01
catalog number
1986.3051.01
nonaccession number
1986.3051
This large, rectangular container contains a multicolored design all over. The front has the name of the product as well as manufacturer and at one time held five pounds of powdered cocoa.
Description
This large, rectangular container contains a multicolored design all over. The front has the name of the product as well as manufacturer and at one time held five pounds of powdered cocoa. The manufactuer, Runkel Brothers, was formed around 1870 in New York City, and remained in business until at least the early 1900s.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1990.0018.132
catalog number
1990.0018.132
accession number
1990.0018
The Buckeye State was built at Shousetown, Pa., south of Pittsburgh. In 1849 the hull was completed and hauled up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh to be finished. Under the supervision of David Holmes, the Buckeye State was completed in February 1850.
Description
The Buckeye State was built at Shousetown, Pa., south of Pittsburgh. In 1849 the hull was completed and hauled up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh to be finished. Under the supervision of David Holmes, the Buckeye State was completed in February 1850. It was owned and operated by the Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line, which ran it regularly on the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The company owned six or seven steamers at a time, and ran daily departures between the two cities. By the mid-1840s the Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line was praised by a Pittsburgh newspaper editor as “the greatest convenience . . . ever afforded the citizens on the banks of the Upper Ohio.”
On May 1, 1850 the Buckeye State left Cincinnati for Pittsburgh and completed the trip in a record 43 hours. Under Capt. Sam Dean, the steamer made 24 stops along the route, needing coal once and wood three times. One hundred years later, the Buckeye State still held the record for the fastest trip ever made by a steamboat between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
In 1851, showman P. T. Barnum organized a race between the Buckeye State and the Messenger No. 2 as a publicity stunt to advertise Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind’s American tour. Steamboat racing was growing in popularity, and so a race was the perfect promotion. Although Lind and Barnum were aboard the Messenger No. 2, the Buckeye State won the race. The Buckeye State continued its service up and down the Ohio for six more years until it was retired and dismantled in 1857.
date made
1963
construction completed on Buckeye State
1850-02
Buckeye State retired
1857
participated in a steamboat race
1857
owned and operated by
Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line
supervised construction of Buckeye State
Holmes, David
captain of the Buckeye State
Dean, Sam
maker
Boucher-Lewis Precision Models, Inc.
ID Number
TR.322425
catalog number
322425
accession number
247839
Lapel pin in the shape of Uncle Sam’s top hat. The red and white striped portion of the hat says “United,” and the blue band says “We Stand” in white.James Montgomery Flagg popularized the image of Uncle Sam during World War I with his famous “I Want You For U.S.
Description (Brief)
Lapel pin in the shape of Uncle Sam’s top hat. The red and white striped portion of the hat says “United,” and the blue band says “We Stand” in white.
James Montgomery Flagg popularized the image of Uncle Sam during World War I with his famous “I Want You For U.S. Army” poster.
Much like the use of military insignia to identify its wearer (by association with an organization) and his/her achievements, these pins and buttons were meant to be worn by Americans on the home front during World War I to show their membership in an organization and/or their contribution to a particular war effort, such as the United War Work Campaign. The pins and buttons displayed the wearer’s patriotism and generosity and undoubtedly also served to prompt others to become similarly involved in the various war efforts.
SOURCE:
“The Most Famous Poster,” American Treasures of the Library of Congress, loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917-1918
maker
George Borgfeldt & Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0314
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0314
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Falk, Sam
ID Number
PG.69.99.002
accession number
281224
catalog number
69.99.002
An advertising novelty for Wray Pump & Register Co., and their selling agent, Brandenburg & Co. It unfolds like a carpenter's rule and has advertising and useful data on engines and tire pressure printed on both sides.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
An advertising novelty for Wray Pump & Register Co., and their selling agent, Brandenburg & Co. It unfolds like a carpenter's rule and has advertising and useful data on engines and tire pressure printed on both sides.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1905
maker
Bastian Brothers Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1103
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1103
This plain, cylindrical tin was used to store and market Huyler's chocolate. On the front is a small, bronze plaque which reads in black lettering, Huyler's Milk Chocolate.In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City.
Description
This plain, cylindrical tin was used to store and market Huyler's chocolate. On the front is a small, bronze plaque which reads in black lettering, Huyler's Milk Chocolate.
In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade. In 1874, he opened his own store, a confectionary, and within a few years he had opened three more stores. By the time of his death in 1910, he owned 54 store fronts with 14 factories and around 2000 employees supplying his shops.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80528Z77
This red and cream, rectangular tin was used to store and market R & S Crystallized Oriental Ginger. The lid contains the name of the product and the manufacturer, Albert L.
Description
This red and cream, rectangular tin was used to store and market R & S Crystallized Oriental Ginger. The lid contains the name of the product and the manufacturer, Albert L. Rich, Inc., in red lettering.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power. Crystallized ginger was and still is popular for adding into baked goods as well as eating on its own.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1990.0018.0153
accession number
1990.0018
catalog number
1990.0018.0153
This rectangular tin with a red and gold design was used to store and market Licorice Pellets. The name of the product is on the front, and the name of the manufacturing company, Young & Smylie, is located on the reverse.Young and Smylie was established in 1845 in Pennsylvania.
Description
This rectangular tin with a red and gold design was used to store and market Licorice Pellets. The name of the product is on the front, and the name of the manufacturing company, Young & Smylie, is located on the reverse.
Young and Smylie was established in 1845 in Pennsylvania. The brand went through several different names before settling in 1968 on Y&S Candies, Inc. Twizzlers is one of its current, major brands. In 1977, Y&S Candies Inc. was acquired by Hershey Foods.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0147
catalog number
77-FT-15.0147
accession number
283681
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power. Crystallized ginger was and still is popular for adding into baked goods as well as eating on its own.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1990.0018.0126
accession number
1990.0018
catalog number
1990.0018.0126
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power. Crystallized ginger was and still is popular for adding into baked goods as well as eating on its own.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0175
catalog number
77-FT-15.0175
accession number
283681
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.
In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade. In 1874, he opened his own store, a confectionary, and within a few years he had opened three more stores. By the time of his death in 1910, he owned 54 store fronts with 14 factories and around 2000 employees supplying his shops.
Chocolate had been known and loved by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80525Z99
"The Battle of the Sewing Machines" was composed and arranged by F. Hyde for the piano, and was published in 1874 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of 547 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. The lithograph by R. Teller of 120 Wooster St., N.Y., N.Y., illustrates a "battle" of sewing machines.
Description
"The Battle of the Sewing Machines" was composed and arranged by F. Hyde for the piano, and was published in 1874 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of 547 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. The lithograph by R. Teller of 120 Wooster St., N.Y., N.Y., illustrates a "battle" of sewing machines. The Remington "army" is marching towards the fleeing Singer, Howe, Succor, Weed, and Willcox & Gibbs sewing machines. The soldiers are riding the Remington treadle machines like horses and are carrying Remington rifles. The Remington No. 2 sewing machine had just come out to market in June 1874. The family treadle machine with a drop-leaf table and two drawers would have cost $75.00.
On the top left of the sheet music, a woman is pictured sewing on a Remington machine in the Remington office at Madison Square, New York. In the right box is featured the Remington Works of Ilion, N.Y. The music consists of 11 pages, with such subtitles as: "Howe the battle began"; "Advent of all the best machines"; "Song of the Sewing Machine Man: 'How Can I Leave Thee'"; "Triumph of the Remington Sewing Machine," and "Home Sweet Home."
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1874
referenced
Remington Sewing Machine Company
composer
Hyde, F.
publisher
William A. Pond & Co.
lithographer
Teller, R.
ID Number
1991.0130.01
catalog number
1991.0130.01
accession number
1991.0130
Photographic exposure scale with celluloid front and paper back. It has an interior celluloid dial, and red and blue print on front. A Light Value Table is printed on the back.
Description (Brief)
Photographic exposure scale with celluloid front and paper back. It has an interior celluloid dial, and red and blue print on front. A Light Value Table is printed on the back. One side of the dial describes various kinds of scenes ("Distance in open landscape, snow scenes with dark objects", "Sea, Dark Clouds", etc.) and the other lists kinds of film and plates. An advertisement for the Rochester Optical & Camera Company; it features the Poco Camera, one of its products.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889-1903
maker
Rochester Optical & Camera Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0517
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0517
Round, glass hand mirror with celluloid backing. On the back are images of birthstones arranged by month over a black border. The center is white, with black print. The mirror was a promotional item for George Keller, an electrical contractor in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Description (Brief)
Round, glass hand mirror with celluloid backing. On the back are images of birthstones arranged by month over a black border. The center is white, with black print. The mirror was a promotional item for George Keller, an electrical contractor in Brooklyn, N.Y. It has union markings.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Benjamin Harris Co.
ID Number
2006.0098.1452
catalog number
2006.0098.1452
accession number
2006.0098
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black design and black writing once contained crystallized canton ginger candies made by E.C. Rich, Inc. of New York.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power. Crystallized ginger was and still is popular for adding into baked goods as well as eating on its own.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0054
catalog number
77-FT-15.0054
accession number
283681
Round 1919 button. The button is white with a blue border. A red cross is in the center of the button.
Description (Brief)
Round 1919 button. The button is white with a blue border. A red cross is in the center of the button. Blue print reads “1919.”
The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I.
Much like the use of military insignia to identify its wearer (by association with an organization) and his/her achievements, these pins and buttons were meant to be worn by Americans on the home front during World War I to show their membership in an organization and/or their contribution to a particular war effort, such as the United War Work Campaign. The pins and buttons displayed the wearer’s patriotism and generosity and undoubtedly also served to prompt others to become similarly involved in the various war efforts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1919
maker
American Art Sign Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0308
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0308
Plastic notebook with color advertisements on cover. One side has image of a bottle of "Tono Sumbol" and reverse has image of "Liquid Pancreopepsine.""Tono Sumbol", a patent medicine tonic and cordial, was a speciality of William R. Warner of Philadelphia, PA.
Description (Brief)
Plastic notebook with color advertisements on cover. One side has image of a bottle of "Tono Sumbol" and reverse has image of "Liquid Pancreopepsine."
"Tono Sumbol", a patent medicine tonic and cordial, was a speciality of William R. Warner of Philadelphia, PA. It's active ingredient was sumbol, a stimulant and tonic made from balsamic resin.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1895
advertiser
William R. Warner and Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0753
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0753
Die-cut from celluloid sheet stock and decorated with a floral motif. An advertisement for F. F. Pulver Co., "makers of original celluloid novelties that advertise," is on the front.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Die-cut from celluloid sheet stock and decorated with a floral motif. An advertisement for F. F. Pulver Co., "makers of original celluloid novelties that advertise," is on the front.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900-1920
maker
F. F. Pulver Co.
ID Number
2006.0098.0659
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0659
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with black lettering and design was used to store and market Huyler's drinking chocolate.
In 1846, John Huyler was born to David Huyler who ran a bakery in New York City. By the early 1860s, John was working in his father’s shop, learning the trade. In 1874, he opened his own store, a confectionary, and within a few years he had opened three more stores. By the time of his death in 1910, he owned 54 store fronts with 14 factories and around 2000 employees supplying his shops.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
ID Number
1990.0018.115
accession number
1990.0018
catalog number
1990.0018.115

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