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: United States

W. H. Baker's Cocoa Tin

This yellow and brown container once held W. H. Baker's drinking cocoa. The front contains a multi-colored design of a woman sipping chocolate.William Henry Baker formed his cocoa business in 1893 near Winchester, Virginia. There were at least two legal battles between W. H.
Description
This yellow and brown container once held W. H. Baker's drinking cocoa. The front contains a multi-colored design of a woman sipping chocolate.
William Henry Baker formed his cocoa business in 1893 near Winchester, Virginia. There were at least two legal battles between W. H. Baker and Walter Baker & Co (or Baker’s Chocolate) of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Baker’s believed W. H. Baker was fraudulently trying to capitalize on the Baker name and intentionally mislead customers who had intended to buy Baker’s Chocolate but were being sold W. H. Baker’s Chocolate. In each instance, W. H. Baker was required to change his packaging to clearly highlight the difference between Baker's Chocolate and W. H. Baker's Chocolate. When he passed away in 1915, the business passed to his sons, who sold it to another confectionary company which went out of business in the 1930s.
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.RSN80528Z72

Stoneware inkwell

Stoneware maker Nathan Clark partnered with Ethan S. Fox, a relative by marriage, in 1829.
Description
Stoneware maker Nathan Clark partnered with Ethan S. Fox, a relative by marriage, in 1829. In response to increasing competition they began selling more elaborately decorated “Fancy Ware made to order.” The names on this inkwell, LYON & ASHLEY, may refer to the people or firm that placed the order.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1829-1838
maker
Clark, Nathan
Fox, Ethan
ID Number
CE.300894.029
accession number
300894
catalog number
300894.029

Bicentennial Aluminum Tray

Nordic Ware, a family-owned manufacturing firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1946 by brothers Dave and Mark Dalquist, as “Plastics for Industry.” In 1950, the brothers bought Northland Aluminum Products, a small firm with a line of “Nordic Ware” products including gri
Description (Brief)
Nordic Ware, a family-owned manufacturing firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1946 by brothers Dave and Mark Dalquist, as “Plastics for Industry.” In 1950, the brothers bought Northland Aluminum Products, a small firm with a line of “Nordic Ware” products including griddles and steak platters. The same year, Dave Dalquist created a cast aluminum, fluted cake pan and trademarked it as the “Bundt” pan. The company continued to grow its product line to include specialty baking and cookware items, including the microwave turntable. Nordic Ware is notable due to its history of product innovation through engineering, and its continued production of cookware in the United States.
Nordic Ware manufactured this aluminum tray in 1976 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States. The tray bears an image of two men reaping grain, with their crossed rifles propping up an American flag that reads “76.” Nordic Ware sold a variety of Bicentennial cookware in its “In ‘76” catalog to commemorate and capitalize on the occasion.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Nordic Ware
ID Number
2007.0034.16
accession number
2007.0034
catalog number
2007.0034.16

Homemade Yoghourt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968-1970
author
Waters, Alice
ID Number
2016.0085.12
accession number
2016.0085
catalog number
2016.0085.12

Varnish Shipping Crate

This Glidden Varnish crate side was used by the Glidden Varnish Company of Cleveland, Ohio during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This Glidden Varnish crate side was used by the Glidden Varnish Company of Cleveland, Ohio during the early 20th century. The crate side bears the image of an Eagle-like creature on the left, with plain black text that reads “Factories Cleveland, Ohio, Toronto, Ontario/ Branches New York Chicago Boston St. Louis Atlanta.” In 1875 Francis Glidden, Levi Rackett, and Thomas Bolles started a varnish company called Glidden, Brackett & Co. In 1894 the company became the Glidden Varnish Company, and in 1917 was renamed simply the Glidden Company when it diversified its product line by adding paints.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Glidden Company
ID Number
1979.0441.142
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.142

Tupperware Bowl and Cover

Few products are more symbolic of household life in post-World War II America than Tupperware.
Description
Few products are more symbolic of household life in post-World War II America than Tupperware. Made of plastic, intended for service in the suburban kitchen, and with clean and modern design, Tupperware represented "tomorrow's designs with tomorrow's substances." The Museum's collections include over 100 pieces of Tupperware, dating from 1946 through 1999. This bowl and cover were made by Tupperware Corporation, Woonsocket, R.I. (bowl), and Farnumsville, Mass. (lid), 1946–1958 and donated by Glenn O. Tupper.
Beginning in the 1930s, chemist Earl S. Tupper (1907–1983) experimented with polyethylene slag, a smelly, black waste product of oil refining processes, to develop uses for it. He devised translucent and opaque colored containers that he first marketed in 1942 as "Welcome Ware," then added lids with a patented seal later in the decade.
Modeled after the lid of a paint can, the lid to a Tupperware container was to be closed with a "burp," to create a partial vacuum and make the seal tight. The product was designed to appeal to the growing number of housewives who worked in suburban kitchens with modern appliances, including large refrigerators that allowed once-a-week trips for grocery shopping at the supermarket. These women formed a market for new and effective methods of food storage. Tupperware's water-tight, airtight seal promised preservation of freshness and limited spills or spoilage.
Yet the capabilities of the new product were not obvious to consumers at first, and Tupper's containers did not sell well in retail stores. A Michigan woman named Brownie Wise thought of marketing Tupperware through the home-sales method. Wise developed the system of Tupperware parties, at which a demonstrator could show the uses and advantages of Tupperware. As Tupperware became a staple of many American kitchens, some women found job opportunities in Tupperware sales.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1949
manufacturer
Tupperware
ID Number
1992.0605.022
catalog number
1992.0605.022A,B
accession number
1992.0605

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 Enpee brand apple crate label was used by the North Pacific Sales Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a blue background with the letters “N.P.” in the center, filled with triangles of a variety of colors.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
North Pacific Sales Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.124
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.124

Teaspoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830 or later
1815
ID Number
1977.0918.58A
accession number
1977.0918
catalog number
1977.0918.58A

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 Buddy brand apple crate label was used by the Andrews Brothers, Detroit, Michigan during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Schmidt Lithography Company of Fresno, California. The label has a blue background with a green rim, and an illustration of a red apple and a golden apple next to the face of a smiling baby. Apple advertising would often stress the health benefits of eating apples for young children.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1979.0441.108
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.108

Prunes Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side originally contained Reliance brand prunes from Santa Clara, California during the early part of the 20th century.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side originally contained Reliance brand prunes from Santa Clara, California during the early part of the 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
National Grocery Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.336
catalog number
1979.0441.336
accession number
1979.0441

Picnic Gathering in Town Square

Stereo view by H.A. Doerr in San Antonio, Texas of a large group of men sitting on benches at long tables and eating in front of four buildings in a town, including wine and beer sales. Handwritten in ink on verso, "Mex. Breakfast." Printed or stamped on verso," H. A.
Description (Brief)
Stereo view by H.A. Doerr in San Antonio, Texas of a large group of men sitting on benches at long tables and eating in front of four buildings in a town, including wine and beer sales. Handwritten in ink on verso, "Mex. Breakfast." Printed or stamped on verso," H. A. Doerr, / Photographer / San Antonio, Tex." and NIC. TENGG, / Books / Stationery / & Newspapers. / San Antonio, Texas."
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Doerr, Henry A.
ID Number
2012.3033.0015
nonaccession number
2012.3033
catalog number
2012.3033.0015

Bottle of Sushi Rice/Salad Seasoning with Vinegar

Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation (AFC), known for their prepackaged sushi prepared and sold in supermarkets, extended their product line to include sushi related products.
Description
Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation (AFC), known for their prepackaged sushi prepared and sold in supermarkets, extended their product line to include sushi related products. This bottle of AFC’s first generation sushi rice/salad seasoning with vinegar is covered by green plastic, and the body is wrapped around by a printed label that includes the word “Natural,” the original AFC logo, the title "Sushi Rice/ Salad Seasoning with Vinegar" in black lettering, and a picture of three pieces of maki sushi on a bamboo mat and a picture of salad below. The images suggest that this product can be used to season rice to recreate the same taste as the rice used at sushi bars, and can be used as a substitute for vinegar in salad dressings as well. Underneath the images reads NET 12.7 FL OZ (375mL) in black lettering, and the directions are written to the left. To the right of the front cover, there is a list of ingredients and the nutrition facts.
The vinegar seasoning shows AFC’s attempt to popularize sushi making in American households. It’s versatility in being a substitute for salad dressing is also intended for the product to appeal to a wider market, and not exclusively to those interested in making sushi at home.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
Advanced Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp.
ID Number
2012.3099.11
catalog number
2012.3099.11
nonaccession number
2012.3099

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 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

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 Kile brand apple crate label was in use by the W.B.
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 Kile brand apple crate label was in use by the W.B. Kile Company of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a blue background with an illustration of two red apples on a branch, with the brand KILE above it in large letters. Yakima was part of the Wenatchee Valley apple producing region, which claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
W. B. Kile Company
ID Number
1979.0441.022
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.022

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 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

Oyster Meat 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 Sea Plane brand oyster meat crate label was used by the Biloxi Fishermen’s Packing Company of Biloxi, Mississippi during the early 20th century. The label has an image of two oyster shells split apart on the left side, and a central image of a sea plane taking off. The crate contained 8 ounce cans of oyster meat.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Biloxi Fishermen's Packing Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.101
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.101

Witch Ice Cream Mold

This witch-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 witch-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 witch 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 “1153.” While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, clearly depicts the witch’s hat, cape, and pointed chin. 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, such a Halloween. 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.72A1.14
catalog number
72A1.14
accession number
298969

Uncle Sam Ice Cream Mold

This mold representing Uncle Sam 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 mold representing Uncle Sam 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 other patriotic symbols such as an eagle, 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.
Unlike the majority of the molds in the collection, which were manufactured by Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York, this cast was created by an unidentified manufacturer. 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 product catalogue number, “1073.” While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, clearly depicts a classic Uncle Sam, including pinstripe pants, coat tails, and top hat. 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, such as 4th of July. 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.72A1.10
catalog number
72A1.10
accession number
298969

Pineapple Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Hawaiian Chief brand sliced pineapple that was packed by the Pearl City Fruit Company Ltd., of Honolulu, Hawaii during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Hawaiian Chief brand sliced pineapple that was packed by the Pearl City Fruit Company Ltd., of Honolulu, Hawaii during the early 20th century. George Lycurgus founded the Pearl City Fruit Company in 1892, and competed with the Hawaiian Fruit and Packing company for packing and shipping pineapples. This crate contained four dozen 11-ounce tins.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Pearl City Fruit Co. Ltd.
ID Number
1979.0441.263
catalog number
1979.0441.263
accession number
1979.0441

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 Harvest Time brand apple crate label was used by the C. F.
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 Harvest Time brand apple crate label was used by the C. F. Schaefer Company Packers and Distributors of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Ridgway Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has an illustration of a large orchard by a lake, and a mountain in the background obscuring a rising yellow sun, with a large red apple in the foreground. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
C. F. Schaefer Company
ID Number
1979.0441.066
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.066

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 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 red background with an illustration of the clipper ship Erskine M. Phelps sailing over a dark blue ocean.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Wells and Wade Fruit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.075
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.075

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

potsherds

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
DL.252318.0110
catalog number
252318.0110
accession number
252318

Ammonia Shipping Crate

This end panel of a Crescent Manufacturing Company Household Ammonia shipping crate is imprinted with the company’s crescent moon trademark. The company was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1883 as a supplier of vanilla extract to the Pacific Northwest.
Description (Brief)
This end panel of a Crescent Manufacturing Company Household Ammonia shipping crate is imprinted with the company’s crescent moon trademark. The company was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1883 as a supplier of vanilla extract to the Pacific Northwest. Later becoming Crescent Foods Inc., the company made its mark on the consumer landscape in 1905 with its Mapleine imitation maple flavoring which is still sold today by McCormick, which bought Crescent in 1989.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Crescent Mfg. Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.166
catalog number
1979.0441.166
accession number
1979.0441

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