Food

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

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
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
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
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
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
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 Rose brand apple crate label was used by J.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 Rose brand apple crate label was used by J.M. Wade of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. This label was lithographed by the Ridgway Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has a blue background with an illustration of two large red roses in the center. These apples came from Wenatchee, part of a region that claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
J. M. Wade
ID Number
1979.0441.126
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.126
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 Twin Peaks brand apple crate label was used by Phillippi Orchards of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The white lithographed label features a large red apple in the center, with two blue mountain peaks in the background. The mountain ranges in Wenatchee are a subset of the Cascade Range, and helped provide an ideal climate.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Phillippi Orchards
ID Number
1979.0441.039
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.039
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 A-plus 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 red background, with an illustration of a young woman wearing a white tank top with the U.S. shield on it, similar to what an Olympic athlete would wear. Apple advertising often focused on the health benefits of eating apples, an idea that was supported by depictions of healthy young people on apple crate labels.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Standard Fruits, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.123
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.123
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 Blue Mountain brand apple crate label was used by Mojonnier and Sons Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label has an illustration of rolling fields of crops that are different colors among pine trees with mountains rising up in the orange sky in the background, with a golden apple and a red apple in the foreground. These apples are from Wenatchee, Washington, which claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Mojonnier & Sons Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.136
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.136
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 Jim Wade brand apple crate label was used by the J.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 Jim Wade brand apple crate label was used by the J.M. Wade Packer and Shipper of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. The label has a black background with a red stripe down the center. These apples came from the Wenatchee Valley region of Washington, which claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
J. M. Wade
ID Number
1979.0441.117
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.117
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 Capital brand apple crate label was used by Apple Capital Growers, Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington around 1933. The label was lithographed by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. The label has a silhouetted image of a domed building, similar to the U.S. Capitol, and an image of a red apple in the foreground. Wenatchee claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World,” a name that was appropriated for this companies branding.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Apple Capital Growers, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.140
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.140
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 Nuchief brand apple crate label was in use from 1900-1950.
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 Nuchief brand apple crate label was in use from 1900-1950. Nuchief often used an image of a Native American boy, but at some point began using an image of one yellow and one red apple next to their label inserts. This Okanogan brand insert depicts an orchard near a mountain. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Nuchief Sales Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.089
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.089
This Chere Best brand apple crate label was used by the Columbia Fruit Packers Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California.
Description (Brief)
This Chere Best brand apple crate label was used by the Columbia Fruit Packers Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. These apples came from the Wenatchee Valley region of Washington, which is colloquially known as the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Columbia Fruit Packers, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.112
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.112
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 Dainty Maid brand apple crate label was used by H.S.
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 Dainty Maid brand apple crate label was used by H.S. Denison & Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a red background and a central illustration of a pretty young girl with ruddy cheeks. Fruit labels often used depict images of healthy young children to promote the health benefits of apples.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
H. S. Denison & Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.061
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.061
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 Luxor brand apple crate label was used by the Fruit Growers Service Company 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 with a blue and yellow geometric stripe across the middle with a large red cross in the center.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Fruit Growers Service Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.114
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.114
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 Cascadian brand apple crate label was used by the Cascadian Fruit Shippers Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a wintery illustration of a river running through a pine forest with a snowy mountain range in the background, and a red apple in the center. Fruit labels often depicted landscapes to evoke a sense of fresh, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Cascadian Fruit Shippers, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.053
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.053
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 Jay Dee brand 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 Jay Dee brand apple crate label was used by the J.D. Hamilton Fruit Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed blue and white label has an illustration of two red apples on the branch.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
J. D. Hamilton Fruit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.032
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.032
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 Nuchief brand apple crate label was in use from 1900-1950.
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 Nuchief brand apple crate label was in use from 1900-1950. Nuchief often used an image of a Native American boy, but at some point began using an image of one yellow and one red apple next to their label inserts. This Okanogan brand insert depicts an orchard near a mountain. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Washington Sales, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.042
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.042
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 Lake Chelan 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
1979.0441.087
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.087
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 Jim Dandy brand apple crate label was used by the Fruit Sales Company Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington around 1921. The label has a green background and an inset illustration of a crate full of apples, with a label that looks like the label on the actual crate. These apples are from Wenatchee, a region famous for its apple production, which claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Fruit Sales Co. Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.134
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.134
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 Blue W brand apple crate label was in use by the Dow Fruit Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Traung Label Company of Seattle, Washington. The orange label has a large blue “W” in the center, with a small red apple on the branch to the lower left. The Wenatchee Valley in the Columbia River basin was one of the largest apple producing regions in the United States, claiming to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Dow Fruit Company
ID Number
1979.0441.021
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.021
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 Clipper Ship brand apple crate label was used by the Wells and Wade Fruit Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a blue background with an illustration of the clipper ship Erskine M. Phelps sailing over a dark blue ocean. These apples are from Wenatchee, a region famous for its apple production.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Wells and Wade Fruit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.132
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.132
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 shining in the lower right of the cover.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Standard Fruits, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.090
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.090
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 Electric brand apple crate label was used by the Mann Fruit Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Spokane Lithograph Company of Spokane, Washington. The label has a dark blue background with lightning bolt from a cloudy dark sky striking diagonally across the label behind a large red apple. The label notes that the apples are “Wenatchee District Apples,” a region that claims to be the “Apple Capital of the World” due to the volume of its apple production.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Mann Fruit Company
ID Number
1979.0441.078
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.078

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.