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 2145 items.
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Swanson TV Dinner Tray
- Description
- The TV dinner represented a change in the way Americans were thinking about food. Introduced in 1954 by Swanson & Sons, of Omaha, Nebraska, it offered women--more and more of whom were working outside the home but still assumed to be responsible for cooking--an alternative to time-consuming meal preparations. The prepackaged TV dinner appealed to busy families because it required little time or effort and yet provided a well-balanced, nutritious meal.
- maker
- Swanson Company
- ID Number
- 1987.0265.01
- accession number
- 1987.0265
- catalog number
- 1987.0265.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Register Overlay (McDonald’s)
- Description
- The register overlay used at a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant is composed of black paper with multi-colored boxes that signify different menu items. It is organized into a 12 by 10 column grid and measures 11.8 inches wide by 9.8 inches high. Cash register buttons programmed to specific products and options helped speed the food ordering process by directly communicating orders to the workers filling them. On this overlay the breakfast items are displayed with a yellow background, main courses with blue, beverages with brown, and deserts with pink. Additional register commands are displayed with a white background. In the 1990s, computer touch screens replaced register overlays at most fast-food restaurants.
- As the popularity of fast-food restaurants continued to grow throughout the 1970s and 1980s, fast-food chains needed to develop new technologies to keep up with the increasing demand. Restaurants perfected and minimized steps in the ordering and assembly processes to serve as many customers as possible. The strict routines of each worker and the increase in automation led to criticism of the degree of systematization in fast-food restaurants, and some even speculated that fast-food workers would be replaced by robots. Although never reaching this extreme, the rise of fast-food led to unique technological innovations such as preprogrammed registers and computer touch screens.
- 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 brother 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.
- ID Number
- 1991.0324.01
- catalog number
- 1991.0324.01
- accession number
- 1991.0324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Tarter Sauce Ratchet Gun
- Description
- This hand held condiment dispenser is primarily of metal construction, with a tartar sauce canister inserted into the tray. The canister is constructed of white cardboard with green lettering, which says “McDonald’s® Tartar Sauce” with McDonald’s® double arches logo. This canister holds 25 fluid ounces of tartar sauce. The McDonald’s® Corporation was well known for developing their own kitchen tools to create higher rates of standardization between locations and produce food products at greater efficiency. This dispenser would distribute precisely the correct amount of tartar sauce for each Filet-O-Fish™ sandwich.
- 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.
- maker
- Prince Castle
- ID Number
- 1991.0324.02A
- catalog number
- 1991.0324.02A
- accession number
- 1991.0324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Tarter Sauce Cartridge
- Description
- This cartridge for holding tartar sauce is made of white cardboard; the words “McDonald’s ® Tartar Sauce” are shown in green lettering along with the McDonald’s double arches logo. This canister holds 25 fluid ounces of tartar sauce, and is made to be used with a ratchet gun condiment dispenser. The tartar sauce is used on McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, a menu item developed by a franchisee in 1962 as an option for his customers who did not eat meat on Fridays for religious reasons. The Filet-O-Fish became a nationwide menu item by 1965 beating out another meatless option, the Hula burger, made with grilled pineapple.
- 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 brother 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.
- ID Number
- 1991.0324.02B
- catalog number
- 1991.0324.02B
- accession number
- 1991.0324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
French Fry Scoop
- Description
- This object is a right-handed, stainless steel French fry scoop with a black plastic handle. On the reverse, writing etched into the scoop says “Bagging Scoop.” This scoop, used by right-handed employees, was designed to dispense a precise amount of French fries to create uniformity between servings in the quickest, most efficient way possible.
- 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.
- date made
- mid 1960s
- maker
- Prince Castle
- ID Number
- 1991.0324.03
- catalog number
- 1991.0324.03
- accession number
- 1991.0324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
French Fry Scoop
- Description
- This object is a left-handed, stainless steel French fry scoop with a black plastic handle. On the reverse, writing etched into the scoop says “Bagging Scoop.” This scoop, used by left-handed employees, was designed to dispense a precise amount of French fries to create uniformity between servings in the quickest, most efficient way possible.
- 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
- date made
- mid 1960s
- maker
- Prince Castle
- ID Number
- 1991.0324.04
- catalog number
- 1991.0324.04
- accession number
- 1991.0324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Tappan Model RL-1 Microwave Oven
- Description
- Developed by Tappan in conjunction with Raytheon, the RL-1 was the first microwave oven designed for home use. With a retail price of $1,295, only 34 units were manufactured in 1955, the first year of production. The company sold a total of 1,396 units before production ended in 1964.
- When first introduced in the 1950s, microwave ovens were promoted as the wave of the future, the latest in modern electrical cooking. By 2000, microwaves were found in 90 percent of U.S. households. The same technology now used to pop popcorn, defrost a roast, or reheat a casserole originated as a method of detecting ships and planes, as well as tracking and coordinating Allied aircraft during World War II.
- In 1940 British physicists discovered a way for generating invisible electromagnetic waves that could bounce back undetected after contact with a ship or plane. Called radar for radio detection and ranging, the British used the technology as an early-warning system. Eighty percent of all magnetrons used by the Allied forces were produced in America by Raytheon.
- For Raytheon to survive in a postwar world, it sought commercial uses for its successful war product. Engineer Percy Spencer suggested using the magnetrons, which generated heat from the vibration of molecules reacting to the frequency of the microwaves, for heating food.
- Raytheon’s first microwave oven, the Radarange, was bought by a Cleveland restaurant in 1947 for $3,000. The 1955 model produced for home use failed to sell well due to its steep price as well as customer confusion about how to use the appliance. By 1976, a brand-new microwave oven cost less than $300 and people bought them for offices, dorm rooms and break rooms. The microwave has become more than a tool for re-heating—it is a large part of lifestyles that do not always accommodate lengthy cooking times or complex food preparation.
- date made
- 1955
- maker
- Raytheon Manufacturing Co.
- Tappan
- ID Number
- 1991.0727.01
- catalog number
- 1991.0727.01
- accession number
- 1991.0727
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Minute Maid Juice Pitcher by Tupperware
- Description
- This tall, white pitcher represents two significant food-related innovations with roots in 1940s America: frozen orange juice concentrate, developed by scientists who patented the manufacturing process in 1948, and Tupperware, the polyethylene container system developed by Earl Tupper in 1948 and sold by direct marketing to consumers in their homes.
- This polyethylene pitcher, including its lid and spout cap, was sold as a promotional tie-in between Tupperware and Minute Maid juices. The pitcher is printed with an image of a smiling girl wearing a bonnet. Red lettering on the pitcher reads, "Minute Maid Large Family Size Juice Mixer." Mixing instructions and measuring lines are printed on the back.
- Processors of frozen concentrated orange juice like Minute Maid recreated the flavor of fresh orange juice by adding “cut-back” (fresh juice, flavor essences, and peel oil) to the thick concentrate before freezing. At home, consumers mixed the frozen concentrate with water in pitchers of their own, or in containers like this, especially promoted for this purpose. Shipped nation-wide, the frozen concentrated product was easy to make and provided orange juice all year long when fresh-squeezed juice was prohibitively expensive.
- ID Number
- 1992.0605.001A-C
- catalog number
- 1992.0605.001A-C
- accession number
- 1992.0605
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
7-Eleven Display of a Rooster
- Description
- These cut-out characters, the “early bird” rooster and the night owl, were used inside 7-Eleven stores to announce extended hours.
- 7-Eleven began in 1927 as the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In addition to selling blocks of ice, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread, and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. Sales increased as customers took advantage of the extended hours and additional products.
- The company's first convenience outlets were known as Tote'm stores since customers "toted" away their purchases. In 1946, Tote'm became 7-Eleven to reflect new, extended hours: 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week. Competition from convenience stores prompted other food stores to stay open longer hours too. 7-Eleven claims to be the first chain to keep stores open 24 hours a day.
- In 2010, nearly one-third of the 6 million people who stopped by a 7-Eleven each day purchased food to consume immediately, such as hot dogs, doughnuts, and cups of coffee. Besides being a convenience store and a de facto fast food carryout, stores like 7-Eleven are sometimes a primary source of food for people living in neighborhoods without supermarkets.
- ID Number
- 1998.0104.01
- catalog number
- 1998.0104.01
- accession number
- 1998.0104
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
7-Eleven Display of an Owl
- Description
- These cut-out characters (1998.0104.01 & .02), the “early bird” rooster and the night owl, were used inside 7-Eleven stores to announce extended hours.
- 7-Eleven began in 1927 as the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In addition to selling blocks of ice, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread, and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. Sales increased as customers took advantage of the extended hours and additional products.
- The company's first convenience outlets were known as Tote'm stores since customers "toted" away their purchases. In 1946, Tote'm became 7-Eleven to reflect new, extended hours: 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week. Competition from convenience stores prompted other food stores to stay open longer hours too. 7-Eleven claims to be the first chain to keep stores open 24 hours a day.
- In 2010, nearly one-third of the 6 million people who stopped by a 7-Eleven each day purchased food to consume immediately, such as hot dogs, doughnuts, and cups of coffee. Besides being a convenience store and a de facto fast food carryout, stores like 7-Eleven are sometimes a primary source of food for people living in neighborhoods without supermarkets.
- ID Number
- 1998.0104.02
- catalog number
- 1998.0104.02
- accession number
- 1998.0104
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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