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

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 Over the Top brand apple crate label was used by the Manson Fruit Growers Inc. of Manson, Washington during the early 20th century. Manson was situated on Lake Chelan, part of the fertile apple region of the Wenatchee Valley. The label was lithographed by the Schmidt Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label shows apples floating in the water, riding a cresting wave. Labels often showed natural images to evoke a sense of fresh produce, and would depict images of the region. This label shows an image of Lake Chelan.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Manson Fruit Growers Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.141
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.141

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 Service brand apple crate label was used by the Trunkey-Wolfe Fruit Company, Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Ridgway Lithography Company of Seattle, Washington. The green label has a red rim with a large rainbow in the center. The label advertises the apples as Wenatchee district apples. The Wenatchee Valley region is famous for its apple production, and claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Trunkey-Wolfe Fruit Co., Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.037
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.037

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 Depend-On 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 Depend-On brand apple crate label was used by the C.M. Kopp Company of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by Lehmann Lithography of San Francisco, California. The label features an illustration of an apple orchard in a valley, with the sun setting behind a hill. There are four large red apples pictured on the foreground of the label. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
C. M. Kopp Company
ID Number
1979.0441.095
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.095

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 Highland Fruits brand apple crate label was used by the Highland Fruits 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 red plaid background, with the text “Highland Fruits” in three-dimensional font. 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
Highland Fruits Company
ID Number
1979.0441.121
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.121

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 Headline brand apple crate label was used by Standard Fruits Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label has a dark background, with an inset illustration of a young boy cupping his hand over his mouth and shouting, and various newspapers with headlines that read “All About Northwest Apples,” “Northwest Apples are Here!” and “Apple for Health!” The Northwest apple growing region would often advertise their apples by touting their health benefits, especially for young children.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Standard Fruits, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.073
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.073

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 Denison’s Crest 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 Denison’s Crest brand apple crate label was used by H.S. Denison & Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has a dark blue background with yellow text, and a crest that incorporates an apple, an oil lamp, and a thistle. There is a banner underneath that reads “Quality and Service.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
H. S. Denison & Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.064
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.064

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 Delight brand apple crate label was used by the North Pacific Sale Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco, California. The label features a rolling orchard underneath a large mountain, with a red and golden apple in the corner. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke a sense of fresh, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
North Pacific Sales Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.063
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.063

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 Chekola brand apple crate label was used by Congdon Orchards, Inc. of Yakima, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by Stecher-Traung of San Francisco California.The red label bears an inset image of an orchard under a large mountain. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Congdon Orchards, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.016
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.016

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 Blewett Pass 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 an illustration of a small road winding through a forest-covered mountain range. The Blewett Pass was a real road through the Wenatchee region of the Cascades. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke the idea of rich, natural produce and show the Wenatchee Valley region where these apples were grown.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Cashmere Pioneer Growers
ID Number
1979.0441.122
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.122

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 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

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 Hesperian brand apple crate label was used by Myron Foster during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Schmidt Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has an orange background with the image of a blue woman holding a golden apple. In Greek mythology, Hesperides were three nymphs, daughters of Hesperus (the Evening Star), who guarded Hera’s garden and its immortality-granting golden apples. Hesperian also means “relating to the West,” a very apt brand name for these Wenatchee, Washington apples.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Myron Foster's Hesperian Orchards
ID Number
1979.0441.137
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.137

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 Range Rider brand apple crate label was used by Brewster Cooperative Growers of Brewster, Washington during the first half of the 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Schmidt L. Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has three apples with stems and leaves, and an illustration of a comical doll cowboy riding a cartoonish horse swinging a lasso around the word “Range.” The label reads “For goodness sake- Store at 31 degrees and always serve cold."
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Brewster Cooperative Growers
ID Number
1979.0441.084
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.084

Tomatoes Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side originally contained Madrona brand tomatoes packed by the Schwabacher Brothers Company of Seattle, Washington during the first half of the 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side originally contained Madrona brand tomatoes packed by the Schwabacher Brothers Company of Seattle, Washington during the first half of the 20th century. The Schwabacher Brothers Company was founded in 1860, and became well known in the Pacific Northwest for its department stores.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Schwabacher Bros. & Co. Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.215
catalog number
1979.0441.215
accession number
1979.0441

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 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

Sea Clams Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Pioneer Brand Minced Sea Clams packed by the Pioneer Packing Company of Aberdeen, Washington during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Pioneer Brand Minced Sea Clams packed by the Pioneer Packing Company of Aberdeen, Washington during the early 20th century. The crate side has the companies motto “Don’t be a clam…but eat them!” at the top along with two starfish on the bottom corners. The crate contained 48 11-ounce tins.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Pioneer Packing Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.276
catalog number
1979.0441.276
accession number
1979.0441

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 Far Famed brand apple crate label was used by the Helliwell Fruit Company of Chelan, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label was produced by the Schmidt L. Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has a simple blue background with a red frame. Calling the brand “Far Famed” was not far-fetched, as the Wenatchee region was well known for its apples, and claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Helliwell Fruit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.088
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.088

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 Hi Sea brand apple crate label was is use by Washington Sales, Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The label was lithographed by the Schmidt L. Company of Seattle, Washington. The label features an image of two seagulls soaring over a green-blue ocean, with a red apple and a golden apple hanging from a branch on the right hand side of the label. Washington Sales, Inc. was a grower co-operative in Wenatchee.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Washington Sales, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.036
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.036

Apple Crate Label

This Lake Wenatchee brand apple crate from Wenatchee, Washington was in use around 1900-1940. The wilderness depicted on the Lake Wenatchee label invokes an American longing for nature through the pastoral image of snowy mountains, blue lakes, and a log cabin on the shore.
Description (Brief)
This Lake Wenatchee brand apple crate from Wenatchee, Washington was in use around 1900-1940. The wilderness depicted on the Lake Wenatchee label invokes an American longing for nature through the pastoral image of snowy mountains, blue lakes, and a log cabin on the shore. The Pacific Northwest was renowned for its apple production at this time, and Wenatchee was called “the apple capital of the world.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Cascoa Growers
ID Number
1979.0441.002
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.002

Ginger Snaps Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side originally contained Swastika brand ginger snaps produced by the Pacific Coast Biscuit Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century. The swastika has been stigmatized after World War II due to its adoption by the Nazi Party.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side originally contained Swastika brand ginger snaps produced by the Pacific Coast Biscuit Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century. The swastika has been stigmatized after World War II due to its adoption by the Nazi Party. Prior to the 1930s, the swastika was known across cultures as a symbol generally meant to convey “good luck.” The Pacific Coast Biscuit Company called the symbol their “Good Luck” seal in their advertising.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Pacific Coast Company
ID Number
1979.0441.272
catalog number
1979.0441.272
accession number
1979.0441

Biscuit Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side was used by the Yours Truly Biscuit Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side was used by the Yours Truly Biscuit Company of Seattle, Washington during the early 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Yours Truly Biscuit Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.167
catalog number
1979.0441.167
accession number
1979.0441

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 Outboard brand apple crate label was used by the Chelan-Manson Co-operative Association Inc., of Chelan, Washington during the mid 1900s. The lithographed label has an illustration of a man wearing a life jacket driving a hydroplane named “Red Apple” over Lake Chelan, with the peak of Stormy Mountain rising in the background. The hills of the lake shore are lined with apple orchards. Fruit crate labels often depicted landscapes like this to evoke a sense of fresh, natural produce.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1949
1950s
referenced business
Chelan-Manson Cooperative Assn., Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.052
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.052

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

Clams Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Kulshan brand minced clams that were distributed by the Lee Growers Company of Bellingham and Everett, Washington. The wooden crate side has black stencil text.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Kulshan brand minced clams that were distributed by the Lee Growers Company of Bellingham and Everett, Washington. The wooden crate side has black stencil text.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Lee Gro. Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.234
catalog number
1979.0441.234
accession number
1979.0441

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 Blue Larkspur brand apple crate label was used by the Heller Brothers Company Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington after 1928. The lithographed label was produced by Crocker-Union of Seattle, Washington. The blue label features an image of the stallion Blue Larkspur wreathed in flowers on the left of the label. Blue Larkspur was a race horse who competed from 1928-1930, and was named the American Horse of the Year in 1929.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Heller Bros. Co., Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.026
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.026

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