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

Date: 1960s

Glass Tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1960
Date made
1960s (?)
designer
Diamond, Freda
maker
Libbey Glass Company
designer
Diamond, Freda
ID Number
1997.0157.17C
accession number
1997.0157
catalog number
1997.0157.17C

Ceramic Sugar Bowl and Lid

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date designed
1954
date made
c.1954
date produced
ca. 1960
designer
Kogan, Belle
maker
Gailstyn Company
ID Number
1992.0257.11B.ab
accession number
1992.0257
catalog number
1992.0257.11Bab

KFC Family Bucket

This is a Kentucky Fried Chicken family bucket used in KFC restaurants around 1969.
Description
This is a Kentucky Fried Chicken family bucket used in KFC restaurants around 1969. The bucket bears the trademark image of Harland Sanders in his Colonel Sanders outfit—white suit and black string tie—as well as the copyrighted tagline “it’s finger lickin’ good.” The KFC Chicken bucket was first created in 1957 by Sanders and his first franchisee, Pete Harman. It contained 15 pieces of chicken, a pint of gravy, and biscuits. The idea was sold as a way for housewives to escape the kitchen dinner and still prepare a great dinner, merely needing to add a salad and a vegetable for a balanced meal.
date made
1969
ID Number
2014.0120.02
catalog number
2014.0120.02
accession number
2014.0120

The Wheat Jointworm

date made
1967
associated institution
U.S. Department of Agriculture
maker
U.S. Department of Agriculture
ID Number
ZZ.RSN81724Y43

Ceramic Creamer

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date designed
1954
date made
c.1954
date produced
ca. 1960
designer
Kogan, Belle
maker
Gailstyn Company
ID Number
1992.0257.11C
catalog number
1992.0257.11C
accession number
1992.0257

The Mandarin Business Card

On front side, a white card featuring “The Mandarin” in black ink. A Chinese character in a circle appears above “The Mandarin.” There are two sides that are supposed to be creased in, given the outlined fold, thought they have not been folded.
Description
On front side, a white card featuring “The Mandarin” in black ink. A Chinese character in a circle appears above “The Mandarin.” There are two sides that are supposed to be creased in, given the outlined fold, thought they have not been folded. On the left side features the “Mandarin Specialties” and on the right side, lists the kinds of cuisines. On the bottom of the card lists the times and days the restaurant is open and closed. The back side of the card is red and blank.
Business cards are cards bearing information of a company or an individual, typically of the name and contact information such as telephone and address. Historians agree that origins of the business card can be traced back to 15th century China. Known as “visiting cards” then, they served as a card to announce one's intention of meeting another. Visiting cards were an essential self-promotion tool of the upper classes, a personal advertisement and an introduction. In 17th century Europe, merchant's stores used “trade cards” for effective advertising. By the 19th century, as a result of the rise of the printing press, many merchants advertised their businesses by printing their cards in newspapers. Today, many businesses and individuals use business cards as a way to promote their industry or themselves as a point of reference.
The Smithsonian collection features several business cards from The Mandarin at different restaurant locations. While most Chinese restaurants do not typically carry business cards – some carry ephemera such as matchbooks or keychains and even take-out menus, Chiang passed out business cards that featured her restaurant logo, contact information, business hours, and her signature dishes. In this way, Chiang set herself apart from other Chinese restaurants by self-promotion through business cards.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1960s
maker
unknown
ID Number
2013.0127.03
accession number
2013.0127
catalog number
2013.0127.03

Glass Tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960s (?)
date made
ca. 1960
designer
Diamond, Freda
maker
Libbey Glass Company
designer
Diamond, Freda
ID Number
1997.0157.17A
accession number
1997.0157
catalog number
1997.0157.17A

Glass Tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1960
Date made
1960s (?)
designer
Diamond, Freda
maker
Libbey Glass Company
designer
Diamond, Freda
ID Number
1997.0157.17E
accession number
1997.0157
catalog number
1997.0157.17E

The Mandarin menu

The menu has a red cover with the title “The Mandarin” in gold and black lettering. On the red cover, an image of a woman in Chinese clothing is outlined in gold. On the cover is written “sample menu’ in black marker.
Description
The menu has a red cover with the title “The Mandarin” in gold and black lettering. On the red cover, an image of a woman in Chinese clothing is outlined in gold. On the cover is written “sample menu’ in black marker. Inside the menu, revision marks have been made with black marker to cross out specific dishes or rename. The first page has Mandarin Tidbits, which the marker crossed out and put in “appetizer.” The second page lists “Mongolian Fire Pit Luncheon,” “Mandarin Buffet,” and “Mandarin Dein Shin Plate.” The third page has “Mandarin Luncheon” and lists several dishes. The fourth page feature “Mandarin Noodles” and “Desserts.” The back cover is longer than the red cover and menu sheets – the back is red and the front has three Chinese calligraphy circles.
The menu itself is a fairly recent phenomenon in the modern restaurant. While some early Chinese restaurants wrote their dishes on a chalkboard or the server would tell them about the options, menus began to come into circulation in the early 20th century in Chinese restaurants. The earliest menu from a Chinese restaurant is from 1900. In the first half of the 20th century, a typical Chinese restaurant menu would consist of chop suey and egg foo young, main Cantonese staple dishes. However, in the second half of the 20th century, Cecilia Chang’s menu ushered in new popular staples of northern Chinese cuisine to the United States. From her menu, dishes such as dumplings and hot and sour soup would appear on other menus nationwide. Moreover, Cecilia Chang's menu also features an English and a Chinese section, ushering in a new era of bilingual menus.
There are several dine-in menus of The Mandarin Restaurant in the Smithsonian collection. One dine-in menu is from the original restaurant at the Polk address, another from the Ghirardelli address, another at a Beverly Hills address, and a later one when she asked her son to redesign the menu. When she first began her restaurant, Cecilia Chiang had listed 200 dishes on her menu because she did not know what Americans liked to eat. Over the years, Chiang refined her menu to both present her style of cuisine as well as appeal to the popular tastebuds of her customers. We can see the process of changing the menu through a look at the menu from the Polk address which has Chiang's written remarks where she crossed out and renamed certain parts and items.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968
maker
unknown
ID Number
2013.0127.01
accession number
2013.0127
catalog number
2013.0127.01

Tupperware® Refrigerator Bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1958
maker
Tupperware
ID Number
1985.3015.03
catalog number
1985.3015.03
nonaccession number
1985.3015

Candy or Nut Dish

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1938 - 1961
maker
Everlast Metal Products Corporation
ID Number
1988.0617.59
accession number
1988.0617
catalog number
1988.0617.59

Rear of Diner, Whitehall, NY

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
maker
Plowden, David
ID Number
1986.0711.0698
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0698

Mrs. Smith's "Mello-Rich" Pie Plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
ca 1953 - 1963
ID Number
1988.3053.1
nonaccession number
1988.3053
catalog number
1988.3053.1

Pie Plate and Holder

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920s - 1950s
1945 - 1960
plate maker
Corning Glass Works
holder maker
Everlast Metal Products Corporation
ID Number
1988.0306.2
accession number
1988.0306
catalog number
1988.0306.2

Penguin Hot and Cold Server®

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950 - 1960
design patent date
1941-05-20
patent date
1944-05-16
ID Number
1986.3179.45
nonaccession number
1986.3179
catalog number
1986.3179.45

Vegetable display with American flag

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960s
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.031
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.31

Two waitresses behind the front counter

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960's
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.003
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.3

Men and women seated around a dinner table

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1963
maker
Harbutt, Charles
ID Number
PG.72.14.071

Man sitting at diner counter

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960s
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.023
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.23

Three Men Walking on Street

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1960
maker
Harbutt, Charles
ID Number
PG.72.14.006

Two men at an ice cream stand window

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960s
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.089
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.89

Beneath Capponi Bust

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968
1969
maker
Erwitt, Elliott
ID Number
PG.72.13.49
accession number
2001.0310
catalog number
72.13.49

Woman standing at stone stove

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-1961
maker
Ruohomaa, Kosti
ID Number
PG.007314
catalog number
7314
accession number
252971

Shay

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1969
maker
Cameron, Joe
ID Number
PG.71.48.01
accession number
296424
catalog number
71.48.1

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