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

Small Molinillo

A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten’s invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water.
Description
A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten’s invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water. A chocolate drink had to be continuously stirred in order to stay mixed. A small molinillo, such as this, would have been used with an individual serving size cup.
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
AG.76-FT-04.0009A [dup3]
catalog number
76-FT-04.0009A
accession number
315132

Oysters Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side originally contained Providence River brand cove oysters packed and shipped by the Fait & Winebrenner Company of Baltimore, Maryland during the early 20th century. The shipping crate was made by J.M. Thiemeyer & Company Box Manufacturers.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side originally contained Providence River brand cove oysters packed and shipped by the Fait & Winebrenner Company of Baltimore, Maryland during the early 20th century. The shipping crate was made by J.M. Thiemeyer & Company Box Manufacturers. The wooden shipping crate side has an interlocking F and W symbol in the center, and contained 24 20-ounce cans of oysters.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Fait & Winebrenner
ID Number
1979.0441.347
catalog number
1979.0441.347
accession number
1979.0441

Peaches Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Cascade Brand yellow cling peaches that were packed by the Western States Growers Company during the first half of the 20th century. The crate contained six gallon-sized tins of peaches.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Cascade Brand yellow cling peaches that were packed by the Western States Growers Company during the first half of the 20th century. The crate contained six gallon-sized tins of peaches.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Western States Gro. Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.216
catalog number
1979.0441.216
accession number
1979.0441

Cadbury Bournville Chocolate Tin

This rectangular, multicolored tin once contained Cadbury Bournville chocolate. On the lid is a picture of a large steam ship, with a smaller ship to the left.
Description
This rectangular, multicolored tin once contained Cadbury Bournville chocolate. On the lid is a picture of a large steam ship, with a smaller ship to the left. In black writing on a white box is written "White Star Line Royal Mail Steamers."
In 1831, John Cadbury went into the business of manufacturing chocolate. At the time, it was a strange decision as chocolate was still quite expensive. When the English government cut import taxes on chocolate in 1832, he was able to expand his market share due to the affordability of chocolate. In 1861, he passed the business on to his sons, Richard and George, who decided to take a bold step and put their faith into a new hydraulic press designed to press out the excess cocoa butter from the chocolate. They focused on a pure (unadulterated) chocolate, setting themselves apart from the competition, despite the higher costs involved. Their market share grew much faster than their competitors but was much smaller at the start. In the years that followed, they lobbied the British government to enact adulteration of food laws, which would require their competitors to include all ingredients on their labels. Labels have long been an extremely powerful swayer of public opinion and Cadbury’s competitors were left scrambling to catch up. Cadbury in the meantime moved forward with new product development, launching new brands constantly increasing their market share. Even when their sales started to decline, they were looking for a new product to push forward. In 1905, they launched Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar, and in 1906, they launched Bournville Cocoa in order to compete with Van Houten’s new process of ‘dutching’ cocoa to make a smother, milder flavor that dissolved much easier in liquids. They also continued to make improvements behind the scenes to make their production lines more efficient, resulting in cost savings which the company passed on to their consumers. Cadbury is now owned by Mondelēz International.
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
AG.77-FT-15.0300
catalog number
77-FT-15.0300
accession number
283681

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 Rose brand apple crate label was used by J.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 Rose brand apple crate label was used by J.M. Wade of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. This label was lithographed by the Ridgway Lithograph Company of Seattle, Washington. The label has a blue background with an illustration of two large red roses in the center. 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
J. M. Wade
ID Number
1979.0441.126
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.126

Tomato Shipping Crate Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Murphy’s Select brand California tomatoes that were packed and shipped by the Murphy’s Brothers Company in California during the early 20th century. The crate side has a four leaf clover logo in the upper right.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Murphy’s Select brand California tomatoes that were packed and shipped by the Murphy’s Brothers Company in California during the early 20th century. The crate side has a four leaf clover logo in the upper right.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
O. P. Murphy & Sons
ID Number
1979.0441.229
catalog number
1979.0441.229
accession number
1979.0441

Ceramic Coffee Pot and Lid

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date produced
c.1950
date made
c.1950s
designer
Kogan, Belle
maker
Hull
ID Number
1992.0257.13.ab
accession number
1992.0257
catalog number
1992.0257.13ab

Caster

Handleless, cylindrical caster on cove-molded base with screwed-on, low-domed, perforated cover having twelve alternating lines of three and five pierced holes radiating from center; no finial.
Description
Handleless, cylindrical caster on cove-molded base with screwed-on, low-domed, perforated cover having twelve alternating lines of three and five pierced holes radiating from center; no finial. Small crescents or other shapes stamped in two rows around upper half of body and one around base. Three incised concentric circles on underside of inset flat bottom. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1800
ID Number
1986.0027.85
catalog number
1986.0027.85
accession number
1986.0027

Poppyseed Stuffing

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968-1970
author
Waters, Alice
ID Number
2016.0085.20
accession number
2016.0085
catalog number
2016.0085.20

Dessert Plate, SS United States

This dessert plate was used aboard the SS United States, the largest and fastest passenger liner ever built in the United States. Launched in 1952, it was billed as the most modern and luxurious ship in service on the North Atlantic.
Description
This dessert plate was used aboard the SS United States, the largest and fastest passenger liner ever built in the United States. Launched in 1952, it was billed as the most modern and luxurious ship in service on the North Atlantic. This plate was one of the 125,000 pieces of chinaware supplied to the ship by the United States Lines. The china—a pattern featuring a ring of gray stars—was produced by Lamberton Sterling, an American manufacturer.
There were plenty of choices for dessert aboard the SS United States. Menus from a December 1954 voyage—the first taken by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor on an American vessel—reveal a combination of American favorites and fancy confections inspired by the French. For dinner on December 10, passengers enjoyed Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake, and Peach Melba, as well as Meringue Glace au Chocolat, Frangipan, and Petits Fours. For luncheon the next day, the choices ranged from Green Apple or Blueberry Pie to Biscuit Glace and Chocolate Éclairs.
date made
1950s
maker
Lamberton Sterling
ID Number
TR.335565.06B
accession number
1978.2219
catalog number
335565.6b

Small Molinillo

A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten’s invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water.
Description
A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten’s invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water. A chocolate drink had to be continuously stirred in order to stay mixed. A small molinillo, such as this, would have been used with an individual serving size cup.
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
AG.76-FT-04.0009A [dup22]
catalog number
76-FT-04.0009A
accession number
315132

Ceramic Casserole and Lid

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1950 - 1959
1950 - 1959
date produced
ca. 1950
associated dates
1992 06 02 / 1992 06 02
designer
Kogan, Belle
maker
Kogan, Belle
ID Number
1992.0257.12.ab
accession number
1992.0257
catalog number
1992.0257.12ab

Concannon Vineyards Angelica Wine Bottle

This bottle once held Angelica wine, produced by Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, California, in 1929, at the height of Prohibition in the United States.
Description
This bottle once held Angelica wine, produced by Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, California, in 1929, at the height of Prohibition in the United States. National Prohibition, the 18th amendment to the Constitution, was passed by Congress in January 1919 to prohibit the manufacture, transport, sale, export, and import of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost 14 years (Repeal took effect on December 5, 1933), Prohibition had a tremendously negative impact on the American wine industry. Yet this Angelica was produced legally during Prohibition, due to an exception in the law, which permitted certain wineries to make wines for sacramental and medicinal purposes. The Concannon family made altar wine for the Catholic Church during this period.
The bottle includes a stamp indicating that taxes had been paid on the wine and the permit information: “Bonded Winery 616 / 11th Permissive Dist. Calif. / Permit Calif. A 854"
Concannon Vineyards was established by James Concannon, a native of County Galway, Ireland, who arrived in Boston in 1865 and San Francisco in 1878. As a rubber stamp salesman whose territory extended into Canada and Mexico, he was a well-traveled entrepreneur. In 1883 he bought 47 acres of land in California’s Livermore Valley and established vineyards there, with a winery to follow in 1895. James’s son Joseph took over the business and kept it going through Prohibition. By the 1950s another generation—Joseph Jr. and James (Jim)—were running the company. Although the winery has been owned by the Wente family since 1992, the Concannon family is still very much involved in the management of the operation. John Concannon is now the fourth generation vintner at his family’s historic vineyards and winery.
date made
1929
ID Number
2014.0095.02
catalog number
2014.0095.02
accession number
2014.0095

Fruit Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925 - 1940
maker
Stieff Company
ID Number
2002.0021.01
accession number
2002.0021
catalog number
2002.0021.01

Large Capacity Shopping Cart

This cart was used by shoppers at the Costco Wholesale warehouse store in Arlington, Virginia.
Description
This cart was used by shoppers at the Costco Wholesale warehouse store in Arlington, Virginia. Although its shape is typical of carts used since the end of the 1940s, it is designed with a deep and wide basket with a sturdy lower rack for carrying oversized-sized and bulk packaged goods.
The convenience and carrying capacity of shopping carts play an important role in the sales of a self-service supermarket. Inventor of the earliest model of the shopping cart, Sylvan Goldman of Oklahoma City, described his idea in 1939 as a "combination of basket and carriage." The frame he devised held two baskets and was like a folding chair with wheels. In 1946, Orla E. Watson of Kansas City, developed these telescoping shopping carts that were "always ready" and required no assembly or disassembly of components before or after use.
Since their inception in the 1950s, warehouse stores represented a new, highly efficient model for distributing food and other goods to consumers at reduced prices. For shoppers, warehouse stores offered a radical alternative to the meticulously arranged supermarkets that had become so popular with the rise of suburbs in the postwar period.
date made
ca 2011
ID Number
2011.0233.01
accession number
2011.0233
catalog number
2011.0233.01

Starch Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side has a label for Gilbert S. Graves Family Gloss Starch that was manufactured by the National Starch Company of Buffalo, New York during the late 19th and early 20th century. The crate contained 16 3-pound boxes of starch.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side has a label for Gilbert S. Graves Family Gloss Starch that was manufactured by the National Starch Company of Buffalo, New York during the late 19th and early 20th century. The crate contained 16 3-pound boxes of starch. The National Starch Company was one of the largest American producers of starch during the early 20th century, controlling a number of companies including the Gilbert S. Graves Company.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
National Starch Co.
ID Number
1979.0441.333
catalog number
1979.0441.333
accession number
1979.0441

Apple in ring of pie crust

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930s-1950s
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006261.LL
catalog number
6261LL
accession number
238737

Saori Minota's AFC Employee Badge

A gold first generation AFC badge that belonged to Saori Minota, a member of the Special Projects Department at the AFC Corp. headquarters.
Description
A gold first generation AFC badge that belonged to Saori Minota, a member of the Special Projects Department at the AFC Corp. headquarters. On the left side of her name is the first generation AFC logo, which is an oval that contains the letters “AFC” and an image of two pieces of nigiri sushi. Below her name reads “Special project department”, indicating the department to which she belonged, and underneath, “The Premier Sushi Company” is printed in reference to the quality of AFC’s products.
AFC employees were required to wear name tags while on duty. The first generation AFC logo reveals that this badge was used sometime before 2003, which was when the “Southern Tsunami” trademark replaced the original AFC logo. The badge was a means to identify the employee and the department they worked under, as well as a means to advertise their business.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
unknown
ID Number
2012.3099.03
catalog number
2012.3099.03
nonaccession number
2012.3099

Fish Server (Fish Slice)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1820
ID Number
DL.377445
catalog number
377445
accession number
138933

Butter Dish

Consists of a two-handled, wide-rimmed, circular bowl or dish on straight tapered foot ring with butter knife holder attached to body, a domed cover topped by a cast finial, and a removable, crosslet-pierced liner inside.
Description
Consists of a two-handled, wide-rimmed, circular bowl or dish on straight tapered foot ring with butter knife holder attached to body, a domed cover topped by a cast finial, and a removable, crosslet-pierced liner inside. Bottom edge of cover and foot ring have matching die-stamped bands featuring rectangular panels of flowers. Dish is struck incuse on underside of its flat bottom with circular mark for "SIMPSON, HALL, MILLER & CO / +" encircling "TREBLE / PLATE" at center; "38" stamped above. Cover and liner are not marked. No butter knife.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1866 - 1899
ca 1880
maker
Simpson, Hall, Miller, and Co.
ID Number
DL.67.0729
catalog number
67.0729
accession number
248268

Porringer

Bellied-bowl porringer with angled rim and slightly domed bottom having a small circle stamped at center inside; cast four-hearts-and-crescent handle with triangular bracket. No touchmarks. Small sections of linen mark faintly visible.
Description
Bellied-bowl porringer with angled rim and slightly domed bottom having a small circle stamped at center inside; cast four-hearts-and-crescent handle with triangular bracket. No touchmarks. Small sections of linen mark faintly visible. Gutter and boss are well defined with crisp turning marks on bottom underside.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1825
ID Number
DL.59.2231
catalog number
59.2231
accession number
220211

Grape Cap Winery Punch

When Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Winery, in Sonoma, California, made his first Zinfandel wine in 1976, he used dry-farmed (non-irrigated) grapes from old vines and fermented them in open-top casks.
Description
When Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Winery, in Sonoma, California, made his first Zinfandel wine in 1976, he used dry-farmed (non-irrigated) grapes from old vines and fermented them in open-top casks. He also used this 5-foot-long aluminum tool made by a local metalworker to “punch down the cap.”
During fermentation, a solid mass of grape skins, stems, and seeds (the “must”) rises to the top of the fermentation vessel, typically a wooden cask or metal tank. The cap must be broken up and stay moist to benefit the wine’s color and flavor, which results from the mixing of yeasts into the must and the dissipation of bacteria-friendly heat that occurs during the course of normal fermentations. The winemaker has to punch down the cap several times a day while fermentation is underway.
To carry out a punch-down, the winemaker stands above the tank and, with a great deal of strength, shoves the punch into the cap, breaking it apart and keeping the must moving. Many modern winemakers prefer using electric pumps to do “pump-overs” in closed tanks or rotary tanks to swirl the wine, both the mechanical equivalent of the old-style punch-down by hand. The open tank punch-down remains the artisanal practice to date, and it is still used by winemakers from Oregon to France.
ID Number
2011.0150.01
accession number
2011.0150
catalog number
2011.0150.01

J. S. Fry & Sons Concentrated Cocoa Container

This small, cardboard box has a multicolored design of a scene of two squirrels in a woodland area. This box was used to store and market Fry's Concentrated Cocoa.J. S. Fry & Sons was a British chocolate company owned by Joseph Storrs Fry and his family.
Description
This small, cardboard box has a multicolored design of a scene of two squirrels in a woodland area. This box was used to store and market Fry's Concentrated Cocoa.
J. S. Fry & Sons was a British chocolate company owned by Joseph Storrs Fry and his family. In 1759, Joseph Fry started making chocolate, with Joseph S. Fry gaining control in 1795. That same year, he patented a modified Watt steam engine used to grind cacao beans. This marked the beginning of the mechanization of chocolate production. In 1847, Fry’s made the first molded chocolate eating bar by removing excess cocoa butter, then slowly adding it back into the melted chocolate. In 1919, J. S. Fry & Sons merged with Cadbury’s, and by the early 1980s, the Fry name was removed from company packaging.
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
maker
J. S. Fry & Sons
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80525Z81

Shipping box, Concannon Vineyards, 1929

This cardboard shipping box held 24 bottles of the 1929 vintage Angelica wine from Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, California.
Description
This cardboard shipping box held 24 bottles of the 1929 vintage Angelica wine from Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, California. It has two tax stamps affixed to the front, indicating that taxes had been paid on the wine.
The 1929 vintage would have been produced at the height of Prohibition in the United States. National Prohibition, the 18th amendment to the Constitution, was passed by Congress in January 1919 to prohibit the manufacture, transport, sale, export, and import of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Lasting almost 14 years (Repeal took effect on December 5, 1933), Prohibition had a tremendously negative impact on the American wine industry. Yet this Angelica was produced legally during Prohibition, due to an exception in the law, which permitted certain wineries to make wines for sacramental and medicinal purposes. The Concannon family made altar wine for the Catholic Church during this period.
Concannon Vineyards was established by James Concannon, a native of County Galway, Ireland, who arrived in Boston in 1865 and San Francisco in 1878. As a rubber stamp salesman whose territory extended into Canada and Mexico, he was a well-traveled entrepreneur. In 1883 he bought 47 acres of land in California’s Livermore Valley and established vineyards there, with a winery to follow in 1895. James’s son Joseph took over the business and kept it going through Prohibition. By the 1950s another generation—Joseph Jr. and James (Jim)—were running the company. Although the winery has been owned by the Wente family since 1992, the Concannon family is still very much involved in the management of the operation. John Concannon is now the fourth generation vintner at his family’s historic vineyards and winery.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2014.0095.04
catalog number
2014.0095.04
accession number
2014.0095

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