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: 1980s

Sushi Chef Coat

Inspired by the Japanese short kimono, this coat is the first design worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chefs. It is white with a blue collar that extends down the front of the coat.
Description
Inspired by the Japanese short kimono, this coat is the first design worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chefs. It is white with a blue collar that extends down the front of the coat. The fit is loose, with the sleeves hitting a few inches above the wrist and the body reaching mid-thigh. The wearer secures the coat by crossing the right panel to the left, the left panel over to the right, and finally tying the attached strings to hold it in place. This creates a V-neck style that is further emphasized by the navy blue trim.
The first AFC chef uniform consisted of this coat, a full length green apron, and a chefs hat. It was worn between 1990 and 2006. Each component of the uniform includes the first generation AFC Corp. logo, which shows the initials 'AFC,' an image of two pieces of nigiri sushi, and 'Since 1986' within an oval. The two pieces of nigiri sushi on the logo are individually wrapped with a piece of seaweed, probably a tamago nigiri (egg sushi).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
unknown
ID Number
2012.0182.01a
accession number
2012.0182
catalog number
2012.0182.01a

Chopsticks, First Generation

Wooden chopsticks packaged in a white and green paper slip-cover display the first generation logo for the Advaned Fresh Concepts Corporation.
Description
Wooden chopsticks packaged in a white and green paper slip-cover display the first generation logo for the Advaned Fresh Concepts Corporation. The pair of chopsticks are actually one piece that the customer easily splits into two.
The corporation’s decision to manufacture disposable chopsticks is intended to provide a more authentic sushi eating experience. Chopsticks are versatile utensils but require skill, and are particularly useful in picking up fine garnishes. These types of disposable chopsticks are often widely distributed and used for packaged lunch at supermarkets in Japan, holding not only a convenience value but also a cultural one. The lack of instructions or directional images on these chopsticks assumes the consumer to have enough knowledge of its use.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
Advanced Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp.
ID Number
2012.0182.08b
accession number
2012.0182
catalog number
2012.0182.08b

Annapolis Fish Market & Raw Bar

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0054
catalog number
2017.0306.0054
accession number
2017.0306

John Campo

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1981-05-18
photographer
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2014.0112.227
catalog number
2014.0112.227
accession number
2014.0112

Apathetic Baby in grocery cart

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0111
accession number
2017.0306
catalog number
2017.0306.0111

ring, napkin

Black ceramic napkin ring with a decorative red/orange monarch butterfly attached to the top. Butterfly has black forewings with white spots. Center of wings red and yellow. Thoranx of butterfly is red with a yellow oval with black dots.
Description
Black ceramic napkin ring with a decorative red/orange monarch butterfly attached to the top. Butterfly has black forewings with white spots. Center of wings red and yellow. Thoranx of butterfly is red with a yellow oval with black dots. Two wire antennae protrude from the top of the butterfly's head. The butterfly also has two yellow eyes. Appears hand painted. Sandra Gutierrez acquired the napkin ring in Guatemala.
Cook and author Sandra Gutierrez is at heart a culinary educator. Gutierrez was born in the U.S. in Philadelphia, but raised in Guatemala, where she attended an American school that brought Guatemalan and U.S. cultural practices together.
Gutierrez’ life was not defined by two distinct cultures, but by a single culture that shared the traditions of Guatemala and the U.S. “Food at home was also a reflection of my fused reality: we ate tamales for special occasions. . . . and Carolina hot dogs every chance we got,” she explains in her cookbook, “The New Southern Latino Table.”
As an adult, Gutierrez and her husband, Louis Gutierrez, moved to the U.S., eventually settling in Durham, North Carolina. There in the American South, Gutierrez learned about Southern food traditions from her neighbors and in turn taught them about diverse Latin cuisines. It was while living in the South that she began to take note of the culinary movement that combines regional Southern and Latin American foodways and which now lies at the center of her culinary career. She notes in her cookbook that the regional cuisines of Latin America and the Southern United States share many ingredients and cooking techniques in common: ingredients like tomatoes, corn, pork, beans, sugar, potatoes and key techniques like barbecuing, braising, roasting and deep frying.
Culinary writing is one of the many ways Gutierrez builds interpersonal relationships. Inviting people into her family’s inner sanctum, she also hosts cooking classes in her home. In her kitchen, where ceramics from Guatemala share counter space with antique Jell-O molds found in Southern antique shops, Gutierrez shares her migration story and passion for food cultures.
date made
ca. 1985
ID Number
2018.0039.08
accession number
2018.0039
catalog number
2018.0039.08

Sushi Chef Hat

This polyester and cotton hat was worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chefs between 1990 and 2006. The hat is round and cap-like rather than a traditional chef's toque. Designed to fit snug at the base and loose at the top allowing the hat to retain its shape.
Description
This polyester and cotton hat was worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chefs between 1990 and 2006. The hat is round and cap-like rather than a traditional chef's toque. Designed to fit snug at the base and loose at the top allowing the hat to retain its shape. The AFC logo would be centered over the chef's mid-forehead.
The first AFC chef uniform consisted of a kimono-style coat, a full length green apron, and this chef's hat. Each piece of the uniform includes the first generation AFC Corp. logo, which consists of an oval containing “AFC”, two pieces of nigiri sushi, and “Since 1986” written below the oval. The two pieces of nigiri sushi on the logo are individually wrapped with a piece of seaweed, probably a tamago nigiri (egg sushi).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
unknown
ID Number
2012.0182.01b
accession number
2012.0182
catalog number
2012.0182.01b

Woman drinking coffee

black and white photograph; elderly woman seated at a formica table with her left elbow resting on the tabletop and her left hand cradling her face, cup and saucer are on the table in front of her; stool for a counter in background; seem to be looking through a window at herCurre
Description (Brief)
black and white photograph; elderly woman seated at a formica table with her left elbow resting on the tabletop and her left hand cradling her face, cup and saucer are on the table in front of her; stool for a counter in background; seem to be looking through a window at her
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1983
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0001
catalog number
2017.0306.0001
accession number
2017.0306

Apron

The green apron is a piece of the first generation uniform worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chef between 1990 and 2006. The green bib-style apron has two large pockets right next to each other, perhaps for sushi making tools.
Description
The green apron is a piece of the first generation uniform worn by Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation sushi chef between 1990 and 2006. The green bib-style apron has two large pockets right next to each other, perhaps for sushi making tools. The apron has two strings on both sides that are to be tied at the back. It also has another string with a black plastic adjustable strap to be worn around the neck. The general shape of the apron is boxy with clean straight edges, and hits the knee area.
The first AFC chef uniform consisted of a Kimono syle coat, this full length green apron, and a chefs hat. Each component of the uniform includes the first generation AFC Corp. logo, which consists of an oval containing “AFC”, two pieces of nigiri sushi, and “Since 1986” written below the oval. The two pieces of nigiri sushi on the logo are individually wrapped with a piece of seaweed, probably a tamago nigiri (egg sushi).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
unknown
ID Number
2012.0182.01c
accession number
2012.0182
catalog number
2012.0182.01c

Saucepan with Cover

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1989
year purchased; year used
1989
retailer
Woodward & Lothrop
purchaser; user
Smulyan, Susan
ID Number
1990.0308.01
catalog number
1990.0308.01
accession number
1990.0308

Saucepan with Cover

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1989
year purchased; year used
1989
retailer
Woodward & Lothrop
purchaser; user
Smulyan, Susan
ID Number
1990.0308.02
catalog number
1990.0308.02
accession number
1990.0308

Environmental Button

Like the preservation of wilderness areas, the protection of rural landscapes–including family farms–has been an important element of the environmental movement. The American Farmland Trust, an organization founded in 1980, produced this button.Currently not on view
Description
Like the preservation of wilderness areas, the protection of rural landscapes–including family farms–has been an important element of the environmental movement. The American Farmland Trust, an organization founded in 1980, produced this button.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1980
ID Number
2003.0014.1174
catalog number
2003.0014.1174
accession number
2003.0014

Barbara Bush with bakers at an adult education center

Barbara Bush with bakers at an adult education center in the Brixton section of London, England, June 1, 1989.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Barbara Bush with bakers at an adult education center in the Brixton section of London, England, June 1, 1989.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989-06-01
depicted (sitter)
Bush, Barbara
maker
Walker, Diana
ID Number
2003.0250.020
catalog number
2003.0250.020
accession number
2003.0250

"WEAR•EVER®" Cookware Set Box

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1989
year purchased; year used
1989
retailer
Woodward & Lothrop
purchaser; user
Smulyan, Susan
ID Number
1990.0308.05
catalog number
1990.0308.05
accession number
1990.0308

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