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: New York

Teaspoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1905 or later
patent date
1900-10-09
ID Number
DL.380491A
catalog number
380491A
accession number
153231

Oyster Plate

Porcelain factories responded to the American passion for oysters by designing special plates on which to serve the delicacy, accompanied by silver-plated forks also designed for the purpose.
Description
Porcelain factories responded to the American passion for oysters by designing special plates on which to serve the delicacy, accompanied by silver-plated forks also designed for the purpose. During the long and lavish dinners characteristic of evening entertainment among the wealthy on the East Coast in the 1870s and 1880s, guests were frequently served their first course on oyster plates such as these gilded examples produced by the Union Porcelain Works, in Greenpoint, New York, around 1881. American and European porcelain factories met increasing affluence and elaborate dining etiquette with an extensive range of items designed for specific foods and beverages. Oyster plates represent one such refinement in response to a newly acquired taste for the shellfish.
date made
About 1881
about 1881
maker
Union Porcelain Works
ID Number
CE.75.123E
catalog number
75.123E
accession number
317832

Wax Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side originally contained Parowax, made by the Standard Oil Company of New York during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side originally contained Parowax, made by the Standard Oil Company of New York during the early 20th century. Parowax was Standard Oil’s proprietary name for paraffin wax that could be “used for sealing Jelly Glasses, Fruit Jars, Bottles, etc.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Standard Oil Company of New York
ID Number
1979.0441.305
catalog number
1979.0441.305
accession number
1979.0441

Tugboat Ice Cream Mold

This tugboat-shaped mold is one of 14 pewter ice cream molds donated to the Museum in 1972 by the wholesale distribution company Foremost-McKesson, Inc., of San Francisco, California.
Description
This tugboat-shaped mold is one of 14 pewter ice cream molds donated to the Museum in 1972 by the wholesale distribution company Foremost-McKesson, Inc., of San Francisco, California. Other forms include a butterfly, a dolphin, a lion, and patriotic symbols such as an eagle, Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, and George Washington in profile.
Molded ice cream was a popular treat in the United States from the 1870s to 1950s, with a boom in ice cream consumption driving increases in mold manufacturing between 1921 and 1925. The Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 until it was repealed in 1933, sparked an increase in consumer demand for such things as soft drinks, ice cream, and confections. Indeed, ice cream consumption increased by over 100 million gallons between 1921 and 1929.
Like the majority of the molds in the collection, the boat was manufactured by Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York, one of the three largest American ice cream mold manufacturers at the time. These hinged molds, dating from the 1920s and 30s, while still functional, can no longer be used due to the lead content in the pewter.
The exterior of the mold is stamped with the company’s initials “E & Co” and its product number in the Eppelsheimer & Co. catalog, number “986.” While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, depicts the boat’s siding and port holes as well as the swirling waves of sea in fine detail. Once frozen, ice cream makers could embellish their confections by painting on a layer of food coloring. These individual molded ice creams would then be served on special occasions or holidays. As American holidays became more commercialized in the early twentieth century, the demand for variety in ice cream molds increased, as is apparent in the collection. However, technological advancements in ice cream manufacturing, the development of ice cream novelties such as the Eskimo Pie and the Popsicle, and the advent of packaged ice creams available in groceries, transformed ice cream in the eye of the American public from a seasonal or specialty dish into an everyday treat. As such, molded ice creams fell out of fashion by the 1950s.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eppelsheimer & Co.
ID Number
AG.72A1.8
catalog number
72A1.8
accession number
298969

Boxed Set of Child's Flatware

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
Date made
DELETE
maker
Oneida Ltd.
ID Number
1987.0492.1D
catalog number
1987.0492.1D
accession number
1987.0492

Pastry Server (Pie Knife)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870 - 1875
design patent date
1870-11-15
maker
Tiffany & Co.
ID Number
DL.61.0330
catalog number
61.0330
accession number
200122

Stoneware Jar

This salt-glazed jar was made by D. Roberts & Co. at the Fayette Stoneware Factory in Utica, New York, about 1827-1828. This firm was the third to open in Utica, an important commercial center on the Erie Canal.
Description
This salt-glazed jar was made by D. Roberts & Co. at the Fayette Stoneware Factory in Utica, New York, about 1827-1828. This firm was the third to open in Utica, an important commercial center on the Erie Canal. In a busy agricultural region, Utica was a major marketing town and the most significant center for pottery production in the upper Mohawk Valley. The Fayette Stoneware Factory produced some of the best early stoneware in Utica.
The presence of nearby stoneware clays gave rise to the New York state salt-glazed stoneware tradition that, by the early 1800s, developed in villages and towns along the Hudson River. Shipped upriver, the clay returned downstream after being transformed into useful ceramic vessels. With the Erie Canal completion in 1825, stoneware production extended its range to meet the increased flow of perishable goods from the Great Lakes region.
Stoneware clay, when fired to a temperature of about 2100 degrees F, vitrifies into highly durable ceramic material that holds liquids and keeps perishable contents cool. Stoneware potters in America, many of them immigrants from Germany and the Netherlands, maintained their European tradition of throwing coarse salt into the kiln. The salt melts in the heat and forms a pitted glassy surface on the vessels, which would otherwise be a dull grey.
The production of these sturdy salt-glazed containers declined following improvements in tinning and canning perishable foodstuffs. In the late 1850s, the glass Mason canning jar entered the market, after which the potteries lost much of the demand for food storage containers that sustained so much of their production.
date made
1827-28
ID Number
1977.0803.89
accession number
1977.0803
catalog number
1977.0803.89

Teaspoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1905 or later
patent date
1900-10-09
ID Number
DL.380491E
catalog number
380491E
accession number
153231

Model D-12 Electric Toaster

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1912- 1913
maker
General Electric Company
ID Number
1992.0338.31
accession number
1992.0338
catalog number
1992.0338.31

Stoneware jar

Floral, bird, and animal motifs were commonly used to decorate 19th century stoneware in the United States.
Description
Floral, bird, and animal motifs were commonly used to decorate 19th century stoneware in the United States. This jar, made by John Remmey III, features an incised and cobalt decorated fish.
Remmey pottery is often marked “Manhattan-Wells” referring to the firm’s location near the municipal water supply.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1791-ca 1831
maker
Remmey III, John
ID Number
CE.300894.007
accession number
300894
catalog number
300894.7
300894.007

Stoneware jug

The Remmey family began producing pottery in New York City in 1735, when John Remmey I emigrated from Germany. His grandson, John Remmey III, took over the family business in 1793, continuing to produce some of the finest stoneware made in the United States at the time.
Description
The Remmey family began producing pottery in New York City in 1735, when John Remmey I emigrated from Germany. His grandson, John Remmey III, took over the family business in 1793, continuing to produce some of the finest stoneware made in the United States at the time. The somewhat lopsided incised leaf design on this jug reminds us that each piece was made and decorated by hand.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1791-1831
maker
Remmey III, John
ID Number
1977.0803.105
accession number
1977.0803
catalog number
1977.0803.105

Abrasives Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained abrasive cloth manufactured by the Carborundum Company of Niagara Falls, New York. The Carborundum Company was founded in 1891 after Edward Goodrich Acheson synthetically produced silicon carbide (carborundum) in an attempt to create diamonds.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained abrasive cloth manufactured by the Carborundum Company of Niagara Falls, New York. The Carborundum Company was founded in 1891 after Edward Goodrich Acheson synthetically produced silicon carbide (carborundum) in an attempt to create diamonds. Silicon carbide was originally used as an abrasive in products like sandpaper, but is found in a variety of other implementations like bulletproof vests and car brakes.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Carborundum Company
ID Number
1979.0441.275
catalog number
1979.0441.275
accession number
1979.0441

Fork

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845 - 1855
ID Number
DL.300478C
catalog number
300478C
accession number
61510

Hot Dog Fans

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2005
date printed
2010
maker
Raab, Susana
ID Number
2018.0016.0007
accession number
2018.0016
catalog number
2018.0016.0007

Stoneware chamber pot

Chamber pots were found in many homes in the United States before the advent of modern indoor plumbing. While some chamber pots were elaborately decorated, this example, made by Paul Cushman of Albany, New York, is strictly utilitarian.
Description
Chamber pots were found in many homes in the United States before the advent of modern indoor plumbing. While some chamber pots were elaborately decorated, this example, made by Paul Cushman of Albany, New York, is strictly utilitarian. The piece is incised only with the name of the potter.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1806-1833
maker
Cushman, Paul
ID Number
1977.0803.50
accession number
1977.0803
catalog number
1977.0803.050

Teaspoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1845 - 1852
ID Number
DL.300482C
catalog number
300482C
accession number
61510

Ice-Cream Disher

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1910
patent date
1905-11-07
ID Number
DL.311420.0001
catalog number
311420.0001
accession number
311420

Child's Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
maker
Oneida Ltd.
ID Number
1987.0492.1B
accession number
1987.0492
catalog number
1987.0492.1B

Stoneware cooler

Thompson Harrington took over management of Nathan Clark’s Lyons, New York stoneware manufactory in 1852 when Clark left to establish new potteries elsewhere in western New York.
Description
Thompson Harrington took over management of Nathan Clark’s Lyons, New York stoneware manufactory in 1852 when Clark left to establish new potteries elsewhere in western New York. Located along the Erie Canal, the Lyons pottery flourished under Harrington and subsequent ownership until it closed in 1902.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1852-1872
maker
Harrington, Thompson
ID Number
1977.0803.81
accession number
1977.0803
catalog number
1977.0803.81

Butterfly Ice Cream Mold

This butterfly-shaped mold is one of 14 pewter ice cream molds donated to the Museum in 1972 by the wholesale distribution company Foremost-McKesson, Inc., of San Francisco, California.
Description
This butterfly-shaped mold is one of 14 pewter ice cream molds donated to the Museum in 1972 by the wholesale distribution company Foremost-McKesson, Inc., of San Francisco, California. Other forms include a lion, a dolphin, an elephant, and patriotic symbols such as an eagle, Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, and George Washington in profile.
Molded ice cream was a popular treat in the United States from the 1870s to 1950s, with a boom in ice cream consumption driving increases in mold manufacturing between 1921 and 1925. The Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 until it was repealed in 1933, sparked an increase in consumer demand for such things as soft drinks, ice cream, and confections. Indeed, ice cream consumption increased by over 100 million gallons between 1921 and 1929.
Like the majority of the molds in the collection, the butterfly was manufactured by Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York, one of the three largest American ice cream mold manufacturers at the time. These hinged molds, dating from the 1920s and 30s, while still functional, can no longer be used due to the lead content in the pewter.
The exterior of the mold is stamped with the company’s initials “E & Co” and its product number in the Eppelsheimer & Co. catalog number, “669.” While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, is beautifully detailed. Once frozen, ice cream makers could embellish their confections by painting on a layer of food coloring. These individual molded ice creams would then be served for special occasions or holiday meals. As American holidays became more commercialized in the early twentieth century, the demand for variety in ice cream molds increased, as is apparent in the collection. However, technological advancements in ice cream manufacturing, the development of ice cream novelties such as the Eskimo Pie and the Popsicle, and the advent of packaged ice creams available in groceries, transformed ice cream in the eye of the American public from a seasonal or specialty dish into an everyday treat. As such, molded ice creams fell out of fashion by the 1950s.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eppelsheimer & Co.
ID Number
AG.72A1.4
catalog number
72A1.4
accession number
298969

Glass Tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date designed
ca. 1955
date produced
1961
Date made
Line: 1961 Shape: Introduced 1955
designer
Diamond, Freda
maker
Libbey Glass Company
designer
Diamond, Freda
ID Number
1997.0157.16D
accession number
1997.0157
catalog number
1997.0157.16D

Pepper Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained ground pepper packed and shipped by the John M. Oest coffee and spice factory of New York. The crate contained 20 pounds of ground pepper.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained ground pepper packed and shipped by the John M. Oest coffee and spice factory of New York. The crate contained 20 pounds of ground pepper.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Irving Coffee & Spice Factory
referenced individual
Oest, John M.
ID Number
1979.0441.344
catalog number
1979.0441.344
accession number
1979.0441

Glass Beverage Tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
Introduced in 1957
date made
ca.1956
c.1956
designer
Diamond, Freda
maker
Libbey Glass Company
designer
Diamond, Freda
ID Number
1997.0157.01A
catalog number
1997.0157.01A
accession number
1997.0157

Huyler's Cocoa Tin

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

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