Food - Overview
Part of a nation's history lies in what people eat. Artifacts at the Museum document the history of food in the United States from farm machinery to diet fads.
More than 1,300 pieces of stoneware and earthenware show how Americans have stored, prepared, and served food for centuries. Ovens, cookie cutters, kettles, aprons, and ice-cream-making machines are part of the collections, along with home canning jars and winemaking equipment. More than 1,000 objects recently came to the Museum when author and cooking show host Julia Child donated her entire kitchen, from appliances to cookbooks.
Advertising and business records of several food companies—such as Hills Brothers Coffee, Pepsi Cola, and Campbell's Soup—represent the commercial side of the subject
"Food - Overview" showing 7 items.
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This white, polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s® Quarter Pounder™ with cheese. “Quarter Pounder™ with cheese,” “100% pure beef. Wgt. ¼ lb. before cooking,” the name “McDonald’s®” and the double arches logo appear on the lid of the container in red and orange lettering. The Quarter Pounder™ was introduced in 1973 to the national market for customers who wanted a larger hamburger patty than McDonald’s® standard hamburger.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.02
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
MacDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s Quarter Pounder®. It is white with gold writing, which says “Quarter Pounder®” and “100% pure beef. Wgt. ¼ lb. before cooking.” There is also the McDonald’s double arches logo in red all over the top, sides and bottom of the container. The Quarter Pounder® was introduced in 1973 to the national market for customers who wanted a larger hamburger patty than McDonald’s® standard hamburger.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.03
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This yellow, polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s Quarter Pounder® with cheese. It is yellow with red writing all over, which says “Quarter Pounder® with cheese,” “100% pure beef. Wgt. ¼ lb. before cooking,” the name “McDonald’s®” and the double arches logo. The Quarter Pounder® was introduced in 1973 to the national market for customers who wanted a larger hamburger patty than McDonald’s® standard hamburger.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.04
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This orange, polystyrene clam shell food container held one Quarter Pounder® with Cheese. “Quarter Pounder® with Cheese,” “100% pure beef. Wgt. ¼ lb before cooking” and the name “McDonald’s®” with double arches logo appear written in red overall. The Quarter Pounder® was introduced in 1973 to the national market for customers who wanted a larger hamburger patty than McDonald’s® standard hamburger.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.05
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s Big Mac. The container is pink over all with pink etched writing which says “Big Mac™” and the name “McDonald’s®” with the double arches logo. The Big Mac™, introduced in 1968 to the national market, consists of two regular beef patties with an extra bun slice separating them. The Big Mac™ was created as a way to compete with a similar sandwich offered at Big Boy®.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.07
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.07
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This gingham off-white and brown, polystyrene clam shell food container held McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. On the lid of the container in brown lettering it says “Chicken McNuggets™,” “McDonald’s®” with the double arches logo. In the early 1980s, McDonald’s® Corporation tasked a small group of people to solve the technical problem of machine producing a chicken nugget that appeared to be cut by hand. In 1983, the Chicken McNugget® was introduced to the national market and was a huge success.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.08
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.08
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
McDonald's Clam Shell Container
- Description
- This polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s® Filet-O-Fish™. It is primarily light blue in color with darker blue writing, which says “Filet-O-Fish™” as well as the McDonald’s® double arches logo in the same darker blue writing. The Filet-O-Fish™ was developed and sold in markets during the early 1960s which had large Catholic populations who could not eat meat on Fridays. The sandwich ended up being so popular, McDonald’s® made it available in 1965 to the national market every day of the week.
- The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
- In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
- Polystyrene was used by McDonald's between 1975 - 1990. Due to pressures from environmental groups, McDonald's started phasing out the use of polystyrene clam shell containers in favor of paper wrapping.
- 1975-1990
- ID Number
- 1998.0349.09
- accession number
- 1998.0349
- catalog number
- 1998.0349.09
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center