Food

Photo of McCall's Cheese

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

Place: Washington

Boys and produce in marketplace

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890s
maker
Johnston, Frances B.
ID Number
2000.0007.183
catalog number
2000.0007.183
accession number
2000.0007

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Kershaw brand apple crate label was used by the Kershaw Fruit and Cold Storage Company of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. The label has a blue background with a central representation of an apple.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Kershaw Fruit and Cold Storage Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.086
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.086

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This apple crate label was used by Spark’s Orchards during the beginning of the 20th century. Spark’s Orchards was based in Wenatchee, Washington, a region that was well known for its apple production, especially in the early 1900s.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Sparks Orchards
ID Number
1979.0441.010
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.010

Tupperware® Quartet™ Seal

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
date purchased
1993-04-13
party sponsor
National Museum of American History
maker
Tupperware
ID Number
1993.0257.04B
catalog number
1993.0257.04B
accession number
1993.0257

fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1850
ID Number
DL.60.1260
catalog number
60.1260
accession number
229363

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Empire Builder brand apple crate label was used by the Cashmere Pioneer Growers of Cashmere, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Schmidt Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has a background image of an orchard with a train depot in the center, and mountains rising up in the background. In 1892 the Great Northern railroad entered the Wenatchee Valley, opening new markets to Washington apples, boosting sales during the early 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Cashmere Pioneer Growers
ID Number
1979.0441.111
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.111

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Wenoka apple crate label was used by the packing company Captain Robert J. Graham of Cashmere, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Ridgway Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The crate label has a large central image of an arrowhead, with a profile image of a Native American in the arrow’s center. There is an inset image of a Clipper Ship on the left. The apples were likely grown by the co-operative behind the Clipper Ship brand, and then packed and distributed using the Wenoka brand.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Robert J. Graham
ID Number
1979.0441.104
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.104

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Trout brand apple crate label from Chelan, Washington was in use around 1900-1940. The label features a lithographed image of a leaping trout, meant to evoke a sense of nature popular among fruit crate labels during this period. Washington was one of the largest producers of apples during the early 20th century, and Wenoka Apples is the growers cooperative that marketed their fruits collectively.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Lake Chelan Fruit Growers
ID Number
1979.0441.001
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.001

Tupperware® Wonderlier® Bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
date purchased
1993-04-13
party sponsor
National Museum of American History
maker
Tupperware
ID Number
1993.0257.13
catalog number
1993.0257.13
accession number
1993.0257

Shay

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1969
maker
Cameron, Joe
ID Number
PG.71.48.01
accession number
296424
catalog number
71.48.1

Catsup Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained red delicious apples grown and packed by Tiger Mountain Orchards of Tiger, Georgia during the early 20th century. The crate side features an illustration of an orchard in front of a mountain.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained red delicious apples grown and packed by Tiger Mountain Orchards of Tiger, Georgia during the early 20th century. The crate side features an illustration of an orchard in front of a mountain.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
National Grocery Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.187
catalog number
1979.0441.187
accession number
1979.0441

Tupperware® Double Deep Quartet™ Container

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
date purchased
1993-04-13
party sponsor
National Museum of American History
maker
Tupperware
ID Number
1993.0257.04A
catalog number
1993.0257.04A
accession number
1993.0257

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.This Blue Z brand apple crate label was used by the C.M.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Blue Z brand apple crate label was used by the C.M. Holtzinger Fruit Company of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. The label has a blue background, with a pale circle in the center, with a cut-out Z in the center. The apples came from the Wenatchee Valley region of Washington that claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
C. M. Holtzinger Fruit Co. LLC
ID Number
1979.0441.099
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.099

Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890 or later
maker
Gorham Manufacturing Company
ID Number
DL.382068C
catalog number
382068C
accession number
162081

Dessert Fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1838
ID Number
DL.62.0169S
catalog number
62.0169S
accession number
238990

Dessert Fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1838
ID Number
DL.62.0169W
catalog number
62.0169W
accession number
238990

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Trustworthee brand apple crate label was used by the American Fruit Growers Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Western Lithograph Company of Los Angeles, California. The plain label has an orange background with a blue frame, with black text.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
American Fruit Growers Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.074
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.074

Dessert Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1838
1819 - 1838
ID Number
DL.62.0169K
catalog number
62.0169K
accession number
238990

Apple Crate Label

This Skookum brand apple crate was in use by the Northwestern Fruit Growers Association of Seattle, Washington, in the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This Skookum brand apple crate was in use by the Northwestern Fruit Growers Association of Seattle, Washington, in the early 20th century. Skookum was a Chinook word denoting “excellence.” Native American imagery was frequently depicted on the crate labels of various fruit distributors to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce. The Blue Goose label insert on this crate was a way for growers to maintain their product identity while benefiting from being in a large cooperative.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Skookum Packers Association
ID Number
1979.0441.069
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.069

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Good Pickens brand apple crate label was used by the Cashmere Fruit Exchange of Cashmere, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by Louis Roesch Company Lithography of San Francisco, California. The label has an illustration of a smiling young boy holding a half-eaten apple. Fruit labels often would depict images of healthy young children to promote the health benefits of apples.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Cashmere Fruit Exchange
ID Number
1979.0441.082
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.082

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.This Chelan View apple crate label was used by the J.D.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Chelan View apple crate label was used by the J.D. Hamilton Fruit company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has an illustration of two red apples in the foreground, with an orchard on a hill next to a lake, with mountains looming in the background. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
J. D. Hamilton Fruit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.013
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.013

Fruit Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925 - 1940
maker
Stieff Company
ID Number
2002.0021.01
accession number
2002.0021
catalog number
2002.0021.01

Dessert Fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1838
ID Number
DL.62.0169V
catalog number
62.0169V
accession number
238990

Apple Crate Label

Labels are an important marketing device.
Description (Brief)
Labels are an important marketing device. They often go beyond merely identifying contents and are designed to help establish brand distinction and generate customer loyalty for a largely interchangeable product.
This Sapphire brand apple crate label was used by Standard Fruits Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Ridgway Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has a blue background, and an image of a sapphire ring in the lower right of the cover.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Standard Fruits, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.092
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.092

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