Family & Social Life

Bennet Family Record

Donations to the Museum have preserved irreplaceable evidence about generations of ordinary Americans. Objects from the Copp household of Stonington, Connecticut, include many items used by a single family from 1740 to 1850. Other donations have brought treasured family artifacts from jewelry to prom gowns. These gifts and many others are all part of the Museum's family and social life collections.

Children's books and Sunday school lessons, tea sets and family portraits also mark the connections between members of a family and between families and the larger society. Prints, advertisements, and artifacts offer nostalgic or idealized images of family life and society in times past. And the collections include a few modern conveniences that have had profound effects on American families and social life, such as televisions, video games, and personal computers.

Date: 1920s

Never No Mo' Blues; Daddy and Home

Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Never No Mo' Blues; side 2: Daddy and Home (RCA Victor 21-0043), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244), 78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1928. This album was released in 1949.Currently not on view
Description
Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Never No Mo' Blues; side 2: Daddy and Home (RCA Victor 21-0043), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244),
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1928. This album was released in 1949.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
release date
1949
recording artist
Rodgers, Jimmie
manufacturer
RCA Victor
ID Number
1996.0320.05256
maker number
21-0043
P 244
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05256

There'll Be a Hot Time in Old Town Tonight; Alexander's Ragtime Band

Bessie Smith and her Blue Boys. side 1: There'll Be a Hot Time in Old Town Tonight; side 2: Alexander's Ragtime Band (British Rhythm Society BRS 1012).78 rpm.
Description (Brief)

Bessie Smith and her Blue Boys. side 1: There'll Be a Hot Time in Old Town Tonight; side 2: Alexander's Ragtime Band (British Rhythm Society BRS 1012).
78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1927 and released on Columbia 14219-D.

British Rhythm Society was a 78-rpm record bootleg label founded by American jazz enthusiast and record label manager Dante S. Bollettino in New York, in 1950. Most of the BRS pressings were on non-breakable vinyl. British Rhythm Society was fictional and most likely created as a “club label” akin to legitimate re-issue record labels Hot Record Society and United Hot Clubs of America. Bollettino was also responsible for Jolly Roger Records bootleg label.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1927
recording artist
Bessie Smith and her Blue Boys
manufacturer
British Rhythm Society
ID Number
1978.0670.058
accession number
1978.0670
maker number
BRS 1012
catalog number
1978.0670.058

Margie; Palesteena

Original Dixieland Jazz Band. side 1: Margie; side 2: Palesteena (Victor 18717).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Original Dixieland Jazz Band. side 1: Margie; side 2: Palesteena (Victor 18717).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1920
recording artist
Original Dixieland Jazz Band
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1978.0670.409
maker number
18717
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.409

1915 - 1925 Chinese American Girl's Trousers

One of the Lee daughters wore this casual Chinese-style outfit on special occasions, for none of the children wore Chinese dress for every day wear.
Description (Brief)
One of the Lee daughters wore this casual Chinese-style outfit on special occasions, for none of the children wore Chinese dress for every day wear. The trouser band or fu tau , translated as the “head of the trousers,” was folded over and secured with a belt or cord and covered by the vest.
Lee B. Lok, his wife Ng Shee, and their seven children lived above the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. store in New York City's Chinatown. Though the children wore Western clothes and participated in the local Scout troop and other clubs, their parents required them to attend Chinese school each day, from 4-7 PM.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
maker
unknown
ID Number
1992.0620.10
catalog number
1992.0620.10
accession number
1992.0620

East Saint Louis Toodle-Oo; The Mooche

Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra. side 1: East Saint Louis Toodle-Oo; side 2: The Mooche (Victor 20-1531), from the album, A Duke Ellington Panorama (Victor P138).78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1928 and released on Victor 21703.
Description
Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra. side 1: East Saint Louis Toodle-Oo; side 2: The Mooche (Victor 20-1531), from the album, A Duke Ellington Panorama (Victor P138).
78 rpm. Side 1 was originally recorded in 1928 and released on Victor 21703. Side 2 was originally recorded in 1927 and released on Victor V-38034. The album was released in 1943.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
1927
release date
1943
recording artist
Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1978.0670.666
accession number
1978.0670
maker number
20-1531
P-138
catalog number
1978.0670.666

Camera-ready comic page, entitled "A Boy, Unknown a Month Ago..."

John T. McCutcheon (1870-1949) was a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, known for his political cartoons and fascination with technology, particularly aviation. In this comic page, the artist depicts the scene of "Broadcasting to the Nation from the Washington Monument in D.C.
Description
John T. McCutcheon (1870-1949) was a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, known for his political cartoons and fascination with technology, particularly aviation. In this comic page, the artist depicts the scene of "Broadcasting to the Nation from the Washington Monument in D.C. for President Coolidge." In the foreground, various groups, delegates, soldiers, etc. are in attendance. On reverse, "A Boy, Unknown a Month ago, is about to receive the greatest ovation ever accorded a Private citizen, June 11, 1927." This was in reference to Charles Lindbergh receiving the first Distinguished Flying Cross ever awarded.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
06/11/1927
original artist
McCutcheon, John T.
publisher
Tribune Printing Company
ID Number
GA.24191
catalog number
24191
accession number
1976.320859

Tortilladora, tortilla press

Concepción “Concha” Sanchez used this hand-cranked tortilladora to press masa into tortillas. Machines like this were invented in Mexico by 1911. This “La Rotative” press dates from about 1923 but was bought used by the Sanchez family in the 1940s.
Description
Concepción “Concha” Sanchez used this hand-cranked tortilladora to press masa into tortillas. Machines like this were invented in Mexico by 1911. This “La Rotative” press dates from about 1923 but was bought used by the Sanchez family in the 1940s. Her grandson, Adrian Sanchez, fondly recalls the machine and working with her to make tortillas and tamales:
I recall helping my Grandmother Concepcion Sanchez make corn tortillas for her to sell….[in] 1948 in Fillmore, California. …My uncle Arnulfo [bought] his mother a molino, a machine that grinds corn for masa to make tortillas…a comal, a griddle to cook the…tortillas, and a machine [tortilladora] that actually made the tortillas…the dry corn was cooked [and limed]…The cooked corn was then ready to be ground in the molino…The ground masa was then gathered into large balls to be placed on the machine…when the handle was turned, a tortilla would fall on an attached conveyor belt which…would drop the uncooked tortilla onto the comal…After the tortillas cooked, they were stacked and counted into dozens… The…neighborhood came to buy their warm tortillas…A…batch was sent…to…Tio Nuco’s market …During…Christmas…Grandma [made] masa for tamales…[she]…was into her 80’s when she quit. (Smithsonian interview, 2006)
Concha Sanchez and her family followed the path of many Mexican immigrants who turned their traditional foodways into a staple of community life. Concha and Abundio Sanchez migrated from Mexico in 1912 at the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Through the 1920s, they worked in Kansas, in Texas, and in the produce fields of California, eventually opening a grocery store. When that failed in the Great Depression, Concha supported her family by creating a tortilleria, making and selling tortillas in her Ventura County neighborhood. Instead of making them by hand, as Mexican women had done for centuries, she used the new electric and gas-fired equipment bought by her son to produce tortillas and tamales for sale.
date made
ca. 1920
ID Number
2006.0236.03
catalog number
2006.0236.03
accession number
2006.0236

Blue Box Lunch Box

This metal lunch box was made by Thermos in 1927. It was painted blue in a faux leather pattern with a gold finished interior. The box has a leather handle, a single metal snap and vent holes.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This metal lunch box was made by Thermos in 1927. It was painted blue in a faux leather pattern with a gold finished interior. The box has a leather handle, a single metal snap and vent holes.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1927
maker
American Thermos Bottle Company
ID Number
2004.3009.15.01
nonaccession number
2004.3009
catalog number
2004.3009.15.01

Märklin Toy Drill Press

This toy drill press was manufactured by the Märklin Company around 1920. The toy has a cast metal body with the pulley attached to a gearing mechanism that spun the drill.
Description (Brief)
This toy drill press was manufactured by the Märklin Company around 1920. The toy has a cast metal body with the pulley attached to a gearing mechanism that spun the drill. The toy could be connected to the drive wheel of a toy steam engine for power and produce realistic motion just like its full size counterpart.
The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys such as this one.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
ID Number
MC.329071
catalog number
329071
accession number
278175

Märklin Toy Steam Engine

This toy steam engine was made by the Märklin Company around 1920.
Description (Brief)
This toy steam engine was made by the Märklin Company around 1920. This toy steam engine consists of a vertical brass boiler that powered a flywheel, mounted on a metal plate painted green.
The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys that included steam engines such as this one.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
ID Number
ER.329051
accession number
278175
catalog number
329051

Cocktail Shaker

This silver cocktail shaker was patented in 1924. Shaped like a vase and covered in a hammered surface effect, this shaker was a part of a set of eight accompanying cups that were used during the Prohibition era.
Description
This silver cocktail shaker was patented in 1924. Shaped like a vase and covered in a hammered surface effect, this shaker was a part of a set of eight accompanying cups that were used during the Prohibition era. Ratified on January 16, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment made the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal in the United States. This restriction on the alcohol industry ushered in Prohibition, an era that impacted the social, political, and economic landscapes of America.
date made
ca 1920-1940
1924 - 1925
patent date
1924-05-13
used date
1920 - 1950
maker
Bernard Rice's Sons, Inc.
ID Number
1980.0954.01
accession number
1980.0954
catalog number
1980.0954.01

Chicago Jazz Classics

Benny Goodman and his Boys. Chicago Jazz Classics (Brunswick BL 58015).33-1/3 rpm. This pressing is a reissue of Goodman recordings from 1928-1929. It was released in 1950.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Benny Goodman and his Boys. Chicago Jazz Classics (Brunswick BL 58015).
33-1/3 rpm. This pressing is a reissue of Goodman recordings from 1928-1929. It was released in 1950.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928-1929
release date
1950
recording artist
Benny Goodman and his Boys
manufacturer
Brunswick
ID Number
1978.0670.701
accession number
1978.0670
maker number
58015
catalog number
1978.0670.701

Bassett-Lowke Toy Steam Engine

Bassett-Lowke manufactured this metal steam engine toy in Northampton, England around 1920. The toy consists of a horizontal boiler with sight glass, steam whistle, pressure gauge, and throttle valve on top of a black simulated brick firebox with chimney stack.
Description (Brief)
Bassett-Lowke manufactured this metal steam engine toy in Northampton, England around 1920. The toy consists of a horizontal boiler with sight glass, steam whistle, pressure gauge, and throttle valve on top of a black simulated brick firebox with chimney stack. The boiler powers a cam operated valve gear horizontal engine and flywheel that is connected to a line shaft with three pulleys. The boiler, engine, and line shaft are all on a tin base. The line shaft may not be original to the toy.
Bassett-Lowke is a toy company in Northampton, England that was founded in 1899, and constructed a variety of model boats, ships, trains, and engines until it went out of business in 1965.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
ID Number
MC.329033
catalog number
329033
accession number
278175

Handful of Keys; Viper's Drag

Fats Waller. side 1: Handful of Keys; side 2: Viper's Drag (RCA Victor 27768), from the album, Waller On the Ivories (Victor P-109)78 rpm.Side 1 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Victor V-38508. Side 2 was originally recorded in 1934 and released on Victor 25015.
Description (Brief)
Fats Waller. side 1: Handful of Keys; side 2: Viper's Drag (RCA Victor 27768), from the album, Waller On the Ivories (Victor P-109)
78 rpm.Side 1 was originally recorded in 1929 and released on Victor V-38508. Side 2 was originally recorded in 1934 and released on Victor 25015. The album was released in 1942.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1929
1934
release date
1942
recording artist
Waller, Fats
manufacturer
RCA Victor
ID Number
1978.0670.427
maker number
27768
catalog number
1978.0670.427
accession number
1978.0670

Camera-ready drawing, entitled "Busy Days in Our Trophy Room".

John T. McCutcheon (1870-1949) was a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, known for his political cartoons and fascination with technology, particularly aviation. In this drawing, Uncle Sam is putting another trophy on the shelf for aviation records in the US Flying Trophies Room.
Description
John T. McCutcheon (1870-1949) was a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist, known for his political cartoons and fascination with technology, particularly aviation. In this drawing, Uncle Sam is putting another trophy on the shelf for aviation records in the US Flying Trophies Room. Picture of the Wright Brothers hanging on the right side of the drawing, and a sign on the left side that says, "If At First You Don't Succeed, Fly, Fly, Again."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
06/30/1927
original artist
McCutcheon, John T.
publisher
Tribune Printing Company
ID Number
GA.24192
catalog number
24192
accession number
1976.320859

57 Varieties; I Ain't Got Nobody

Earl Hines. side 1: 57 Varieties; side 2: I Ain't Got Nobody (Columbia 35875), from the album, Hot Jazz Classics - Earl Hines (Columbia C-41).78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1928 and released on Okeh 8653.
Description

Earl Hines. side 1: 57 Varieties; side 2: I Ain't Got Nobody (Columbia 35875), from the album, Hot Jazz Classics - Earl Hines (Columbia C-41).
78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1928 and released on Okeh 8653. This album was released in 1944.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
release date
1944
recording artist
Hines, Earl
manufacturer
Columbia
ID Number
1978.0670.495
maker number
35875
C-41
accession number
1978.0670
catalog number
1978.0670.495

Blue Yodel (T for Texas); Away Out on the Mountain

Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Blue Yodel (T for Texas); side 2: Away Out on the Mountain (RCA Victor 21-0042), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244). 78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1927. This album was released in 1949.Currently not on view
Description
Jimmie Rodgers. side 1: Blue Yodel (T for Texas); side 2: Away Out on the Mountain (RCA Victor 21-0042), from the album, Yodeling Yours (RCA Victor P 244).
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1927. This album was released in 1949.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1927
release date
1949
recording artist
Rodgers, Jimmie
manufacturer
RCA Victor
ID Number
1996.0320.05255
maker number
P 244
21-0042
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.05255

Courtland Sweets Family

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920s
maker
Keystone View Company
ID Number
2010.0182.0086
accession number
2010.0182
catalog number
2010.0182.0086

Molino, corn grinder

Concepción “Concha” Sanchez used this electric Molino (corn mill) to grind cooked corn, an important step in making masa (dough) for tortillas and tamales.
Description
Concepción “Concha” Sanchez used this electric Molino (corn mill) to grind cooked corn, an important step in making masa (dough) for tortillas and tamales. Her grandson, Adrian Sanchez, fondly recalls the machine and working with her to make tortillas and tamales:
I recall helping my Grandmother Concepcion Sanchez make corn tortillas for her to sell….[in] 1948 in Fillmore, California. …My uncle Arnulfo [bought] his mother a molino, a machine that grinds corn for masa to make tortillas…a comal, a griddle to cook the…tortillas, and a machine [tortilladora] that actually made the tortillas…the dry corn was cooked [and limed]…The cooked corn was then ready to be ground in the molino…The ground masa was then gathered into large balls to be placed on the machine…when the handle was turned, a tortilla would fall on an attached conveyor belt which…would drop the uncooked tortilla onto the comal…After the tortillas cooked, they were stacked and counted into dozens… The…neighborhood came to buy their warm tortillas…A…batch was sent…to…Tio Nuco’s market …During…Christmas…Grandma [made] masa for tamales…[she]…was into her 80’s when she quit. (Smithsonian interview, 2006)
Concha Sanchez and her family followed the path of many Mexican immigrants who turned their traditional foodways into a staple of community life. Concha and Abundio Sanchez migrated from Mexico in 1912 at the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Through the 1920s, they worked in Kansas, in Texas, and in the produce fields of California, eventually opening a grocery store. When that failed in the Great Depression, Concha supported her family by creating a tortilleria, making and selling tortillas in her Ventura County neighborhood. Instead of making them by hand, as Mexican women had done for centuries, she used the new electric and gas-fired equipment bought by her son to produce tortillas and tamales for sale.
date made
ca 1920
maker
Tolteca
ID Number
2006.0236.01
accession number
2006.0236
catalog number
2006.0236.01

Bill; Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man

Helen Morgan. side 1: Bill; side 2: Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Victor 27681), from the album, Helen Morgan (Victor P 102).78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1928 and initially released on Victor 21238. This album was released in 1941.Currently not on view
Description
Helen Morgan. side 1: Bill; side 2: Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Victor 27681), from the album, Helen Morgan (Victor P 102).
78 rpm. Both tracks were recorded in 1928 and initially released on Victor 21238. This album was released in 1941.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
release date
1941
recording artist
Morgan, Helen
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1981.0656.482
accession number
1981.0656
maker number
27681
P102
catalog number
1981.0656.482

Jazz Classics

Louis Armstrong. Jazz Classics (Brunswick BL 58004).33-1/3 rpm. This pressing is a reissue of Armstrong recordings from 1924-1927. It was released in 1950.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Louis Armstrong. Jazz Classics (Brunswick BL 58004).
33-1/3 rpm. This pressing is a reissue of Armstrong recordings from 1924-1927. It was released in 1950.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1924-1927
release date
1950
recording artist
Armstrong, Louis
Johnny Dodd's Black Bottom Stompers
Lill's Hot Shots
Erskine Tate's Vendome Orchestra
Red Onion Jazz Babies
manufacturer
Brunswick
ID Number
1978.0670.702
accession number
1978.0670
maker number
BL58004
catalog number
1978.0670.702

Cocktail Cup

This set of eight stemmed cups accompanied the cocktail shaker also seen in the exhibit. They feature the same hammered effect and are made of silver.
Description
This set of eight stemmed cups accompanied the cocktail shaker also seen in the exhibit. They feature the same hammered effect and are made of silver. The cups are noticeably worn, perhaps from extensive use during Prohibition, a time when alcohol was outlawed in the name of social reform. Although making, selling, and transporting alcohol were illegal consuming it was not, and people devised many ways to continue this pastime.
date made
1924 - 1925
used date
1920 - 1950
maker
Bernard Rice's Sons, Inc.
ID Number
1980.0954.09
accession number
1980.0954
catalog number
1980.0954.09

Sweetheart O' Mine; Fat Meat and Greens

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Sweetheart O' Mine; side 2: Fat Meat and Greens (Brunswick 80068), from the album, A King of the Piano, Volume One (Brunswick 80068)78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1926 and released on Vocalian 1019.
Description
Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Sweetheart O' Mine; side 2: Fat Meat and Greens (Brunswick 80068), from the album, A King of the Piano, Volume One (Brunswick 80068)
78 rpm. Both tracks were originally recorded in 1926 and released on Vocalian 1019. This pressing was released in 1945.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1926
release date
1945
recording artist
Morton, Jelly Roll
manufacturer
Brunswick
ID Number
1979.1023.092
maker number
80068
B-1018
accession number
1979.1023
catalog number
1979.1023.092

A Warning to Boys; A Warning to Girls

Mack Allen. side 1: A Warning to Boys; side 2: A Warning to Girls (Harmony 729-H)78 rpmMack Allen is a pseudonym on Harmony for Vernon Dalhart.Harmony Records was a division of Columbia Records from 1925 to 1932.
Description

Mack Allen. side 1: A Warning to Boys; side 2: A Warning to Girls (Harmony 729-H)
78 rpm

Mack Allen is a pseudonym on Harmony for Vernon Dalhart.

Harmony Records was a division of Columbia Records from 1925 to 1932. It was a budget label that was comprised of original recordings identical to that of Columbia’s other budget labels, Velvet Tone Records and Diva Records.

Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1928
recording artist
Allen, Mack
Dalhart, Vernon
manufacturer
Harmony
ID Number
1996.0320.10445
collector/donor number
12912
maker number
729-H
accession number
1996.0320
catalog number
1996.0320.10445

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