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

Chocolate Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side was used by Eline’s Incorporated of Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the early 20th century. Eline’s produced chocolate and cocoa during the time when Prohibition outlawed brewing beer in Milwaukee and factories needed to be repurposed.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side was used by Eline’s Incorporated of Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the early 20th century. Eline’s produced chocolate and cocoa during the time when Prohibition outlawed brewing beer in Milwaukee and factories needed to be repurposed.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Eline's Incorporated
ID Number
1979.0441.145
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.145

Iron Sap Spout

This iron sap spout was used by settlers in upper New York in the 19th century. After boring a hole into a maple tree, one would insert this spout to drain sap into a bucket.
Description
This iron sap spout was used by settlers in upper New York in the 19th century. After boring a hole into a maple tree, one would insert this spout to drain sap into a bucket. Sap was typically collected and boiled down to make syrup or sugar to use an alternative to the expensive processed, cane sugar. Later, when cane sugar became cheaper and took precedence in the American diet, maple syrup was more often produced for either personal use or for supplemental income.
Maple syrup production is one of the few agricultural processes in North America that was not a European import but learned from Native Americans. Sap is typically collected from the Sugar, Red or Black maple, though it can be collected from other tree types. Northeastern North America is the most common area for maple syrup production, with Vermont, New York and Maine leading production in the U.S. Once the sap is collected, it must be boiled down to reduce the water content. It can require anywhere from 20-50 liters of sap to make one liter of syrup, depending on the sugar content of the sap. Each tree is capable of producing 35-50 liters of sap.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.52A05.03
catalog number
52A05.03
accession number
194893

Grape Picker’s Gloves

These gloves, made of nylon and polyester, were marketed as “Pick-Up Country Gloves” by the manufacturer, Napa Glove Company, Inc., in Napa, California. Grape pickers use gloves like this during harvest to help protect their hands.
Description
These gloves, made of nylon and polyester, were marketed as “Pick-Up Country Gloves” by the manufacturer, Napa Glove Company, Inc., in Napa, California. Grape pickers use gloves like this during harvest to help protect their hands. The “supergrip” feature—a web-like pattern of plastic on the surface—helps workers keep hold of the grapes as they quickly cut the clusters from the vines.
This pair of gloves was purchased for $2.99 at the Napa County Farm Supply store during harvest 1997.
ID Number
1997.3128.03
catalog number
1997.3128.03
nonaccession number
1997.3128

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 T brand apple crate label was used by the Northern Fruit Company of Wenatchee, Washington during the early 20th century. The lithographed label had a blue background with three dimensional block lettering. Wenatchee, Washington was well known for its apple production, and claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Northern Fruit Co. Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.085
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.085

Santa Claus 3-D Cake Pan, Front

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.
This three-dimensional Santa Claus cake pan (front) was manufactured by Nordic Ware during the early 1950s. The pan is made of heavy cast aluminum in two sections to create a three-dimensional cake that looks like Santa Claus emerging from a chimney. Nordic Ware specialized in manufacturing a variety of seasonal cookware products, including several Christmas-themed cake pans.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Nordic Ware
ID Number
2007.0034.09.1
accession number
2007.0034
catalog number
2007.0034.09.1

Pineapple Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Ukulele brand canned pineapple slices that were packed by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Ltd. of Honolulu, Hawaii. The crate bears the J.D. Dole trademark.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Ukulele brand canned pineapple slices that were packed by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Ltd. of Honolulu, Hawaii. The crate bears the J.D. Dole trademark. Dole founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, which was bought by Castle & Cooke in the 1960s and became the Dole Food Company in 1991.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Hawaiian Pineapple Co. Ltd.
ID Number
1979.0441.232
catalog number
1979.0441.232
accession number
1979.0441

Grape Crate Label, Mont’Elisa

By the 1880s, fruit growers and shippers were marking the ends of their wooden shipping crates with colorful paper labels made possible by advances in lithographic printing.
Description
By the 1880s, fruit growers and shippers were marking the ends of their wooden shipping crates with colorful paper labels made possible by advances in lithographic printing. The labels identified the source of the fruit, while the designs, images, and names helped encourage brand recognition among buyers. California growers used such labels on grape crates until the 1950s, when printed labels on corrugated cardboard boxes replaced the old wooden crates.
This label for Zinfandel grapes, branded “Mont’Elisa Beauty” along with an image of a pretty young girl, was used by the Riolo Brothers, Italian Americans who packed and shipped grapes out of Roseville, California, near Sacramento. The label boasts that the grapes were not irrigated, indicating a traditional approach to vineyard management called “dry farming,” a practice that concentrates the flavors in fruit.
date made
before 1950
ID Number
2010.3091.02
nonaccession number
2010.3091
catalog number
2010.3091.02

Teriyaki Sauce Bottle

First generation AFC teriyaki sauce bottle:The plastic bottle is clear with a green plastic lid. The graphic on this label includes the original AFC logo, which is an oval consisting of the letters “AFC” and an image of two pieces of nigiri sushi below.
Description
First generation AFC teriyaki sauce bottle:
The plastic bottle is clear with a green plastic lid. The graphic on this label includes the original AFC logo, which is an oval consisting of the letters “AFC” and an image of two pieces of nigiri sushi below. “Teriyaki Sauce” is printed in the center, with an image of a red Japanese fan and a skewer of beef and vegetables behind it. The combination of the red fan and the beef and vegetables skewer markets this product as a fusion flavor. While the American favorite beef and vegetable skewer provides comfort to the consumers, the Japanese fan marks this product as Asian-inspired. “All Natural” is written across the top, implying that the product is healthy. The contents have a NET of 6.8FL. Oz. (205 ml), and underneath the weight, it reads 2003.1.5. On the back of the container there is a barcode, the nutritional facts, the ingredients, and the AFC Corporation address.
Teriyaki sauce is made of soy sauce, mirin, sugar and ginger. It is typically used to marinate meats and vegetables before cooking, or used as a dipping sauce for cooked meats and vegetables. It has a tangy sweet taste that appeals to a wide range of audience, and has become a staple for Asian-inspired flavors.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980s
maker
Advanced Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp.
ID Number
2012.3099.09
catalog number
2012.3099.09
nonaccession number
2012.3099

Orange 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 Bell Cove brand orange crate label was used by the Earlibest Orange Association of Lemon Cove, California during the early 20th century. The lithographed label has an illustration of a bell surrounded by flowers, and an image of a house surrounded by orchard trees on the bell. The label also has the Sunkist orange logo on the lower right, a designation given to high quality oranges grown by the California Fruit Growers Exchange.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Earlibest Orange Association, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.079
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.079

Soup

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

Whisk, ca 1950

From the moment when, in 1963, Julia Child whisked up an omelet on the pilot for her new cooking show, The French Chef, Americans wanted that whisk for their kitchens, just as they came to want any tool or utensil that Julia used.
Description
From the moment when, in 1963, Julia Child whisked up an omelet on the pilot for her new cooking show, The French Chef, Americans wanted that whisk for their kitchens, just as they came to want any tool or utensil that Julia used. Certainly, egg beaters of all sorts were common in American kitchens, and they whipped up the heavy cream and egg whites (for meringues) as well as eggs. But they didn’t have the leverage offered by the European-style whisks that Julia introduced, and they were especially successful in getting air into those soufflés and omelets they were just learning how to cook.
Although whisks varied in sizes, from tiny to giant, people loved the gigantic balloon whisks Julia had used on television, almost like props, to dramatic and comic effect. Julia loved giant tools, the more outrageous the better. Audience remembered the lessons when Julia deployed her giant whisks, blowtorches, salad spinners, and they learned that some of these tools were actually useful. Still, they especially remembered Julia AND her whisk when next they went to the kitchen store, creating a whole new market for these useful tools. This whisk, a part of Julia’s batterie de cuisine, had served her well in her home kitchen and television kitchen, in some cases the very same space.
ID Number
2001.0253.0638
catalog number
2001.0253.0638
accession number
2001.0253

Butter Pick

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890
ca 1900
ID Number
DL.67.0785
catalog number
67.0785
accession number
269842

Pastry Server (Pie Knife)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1850
owner; user
Washington, Mary Anne Hammond
ID Number
DL.60.1034
catalog number
60.1034
accession number
71656

Scotch Whisky Shipping Crate

This shipping crate side contained Black & White brand Scotch whisky made by James Buchanan & Company of Glasgow, Scotland during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This shipping crate side contained Black & White brand Scotch whisky made by James Buchanan & Company of Glasgow, Scotland during the early 20th century. The whisky was originally known as House of Commons whisky, but became known as Black and White Whisky due to its black bottle and white label. Eventually this was adopted as the official brand name, and the company launched a popular ad campaign featuring a black Scottish terrier and white West Highland terrier.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
James Buchanan & Co. Ltd.
ID Number
1979.0441.277
catalog number
1979.0441.277
accession number
1979.0441

Postcard of Main Street

Postcards, once used as souvenirs, now help us reflect on what a small part of Main Street America used to look like.
Description
Postcards, once used as souvenirs, now help us reflect on what a small part of Main Street America used to look like. As highways spread across the nation, Main Street views like this changed and in some cases disappeared as travelers were diverted to roadside eateries away from small towns.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1920s
ID Number
1986.3048.1587
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1587

Golden Crown Marshmallow Tin

This yellow, rectangular tin with a black design was used by Ginna & Co. and once contained one pound of Golden Crown Marshmallow Drops.Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence.
Description
This yellow, rectangular tin with a black design was used by Ginna & Co. and once contained one pound of Golden Crown Marshmallow Drops.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.77-FT-15.0283
accession number
283681
catalog number
77-FT-15.0283

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 Sails brand apple crate label was used by Fruit Sales, Inc.
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 Sails brand apple crate label was used by Fruit Sales, Inc. 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 the illustration of a small sailboat in a choppy blue sea. Wenatchee, Washington was one of the largest apple producing regions in the United States, an area that claimed to be the “Apple Capital of the World.”
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Fruit Sales, Inc.
ID Number
1979.0441.097
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.097

Coffee Cup Lid, Benders

This is a Benders pucker type coffee cup lid. Pucker type lids require the drinker to place his or her mouth over a protrusion with a hole in it. With these lids, the drinker does not drink directly from the cup—mouths do not make contact with the rim of the cup.
Description
This is a Benders pucker type coffee cup lid. Pucker type lids require the drinker to place his or her mouth over a protrusion with a hole in it. With these lids, the drinker does not drink directly from the cup—mouths do not make contact with the rim of the cup. Instead, one drinks from only the lid.
Architects and collectors Louise Harpman and Scott Specht donated 56 plastic cup lids to the National Museum of American History in 2012. Their donation is a sample from their much larger collection of “independently patented drink-through plastic cup lids,” which they began in 1984 and discussed in a 2005 essay, “Inventory / Peel, Pucker, Pinch, Puncture,” in Cabinet Magazine: http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/19/harpman.php. The collectors’ categorization scheme reflects the primary way the lid design functions, which helps differentiate between the varieties and styles of lids.
Plastic, disposable coffee cup lids and other single-use food packages reinforce the social acceptability of eating and drinking on the go in the United States and reflect increasing expectation for convenience products. Cup lids are also examples of how humble, and even disposable, objects are sometimes the result of meticulous engineering. Patents for lid innovations describe peel-back tabs and the pucker-type shapes that make room for mouths and noses, and describe the nuances of “heat retention,” “mouth comfort,” “splash reduction,” “friction fit,” and “one-handed activation.”
ID Number
2012.3047.31
catalog number
2012.3047.31
nonaccession number
2012.3047

Sugar Bowl

Hemispherical bowl with applied molded rim and foot ring or base; rounded bottom. Underside of bottom struck with a partial incuse "V"; possible other marks (numbers?) removed.Currently not on view
Description
Hemispherical bowl with applied molded rim and foot ring or base; rounded bottom. Underside of bottom struck with a partial incuse "V"; possible other marks (numbers?) removed.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1850
ID Number
DL.388366
catalog number
388366
accession number
182022

Stocking Ice Cream Mold

This stocking-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 stocking-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.
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, “590.” While the mold’s exterior is otherwise nondescript, the interior, where the ice cream was poured and frozen, beautifully depicts the stocking’s knitted pattern. 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 Christmas. 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.72A1.9
catalog number
72A1.9
accession number
298969

Coffee Cup Lid, Sweetheart LT-510

This is a Sweetheart LT-510 pinch type coffee lid. Pinch type lids are a variation of the peel type, but the motion for removing a piece is the result of a specifically placed pinch to tear away a perforated piece of plastic.
Description
This is a Sweetheart LT-510 pinch type coffee lid. Pinch type lids are a variation of the peel type, but the motion for removing a piece is the result of a specifically placed pinch to tear away a perforated piece of plastic. The lid is covered by patent number 4,518,096 assigned to Maryland Cup Corporation on May 12, 1983. The patent covered a lid with “a tear-away section removable by initially squeezing the lid and subsequently lifting and pulling at the point of squeeze to permit beverages to be consumed from the container. . .without removing the lid therefrom.”
Architects and collectors Louise Harpman and Scott Specht donated 56 plastic cup lids to the National Museum of American History in 2012. Their donation is a sample from their much larger collection of “independently patented drink-through plastic cup lids,” which they began in 1984 and discussed in a 2005 essay, “Inventory / Peel, Pucker, Pinch, Puncture,” in Cabinet Magazine: http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/19/harpman.php. The collectors’ categorization scheme reflects the primary way the lid design functions, which helps differentiate between the varieties and styles of lids.
Plastic, disposable coffee cup lids and other single-use food packages reinforce the social acceptability of eating and drinking on the go in the United States and reflect increasing expectation for convenience products. Cup lids are also examples of how humble, and even disposable, objects are sometimes the result of meticulous engineering. Patents for lid innovations describe peel-back tabs and the pucker-type shapes that make room for mouths and noses, and describe the nuances of “heat retention,” “mouth comfort,” “splash reduction,” “friction fit,” and “one-handed activation.”
ID Number
2012.3047.07
catalog number
2012.3047.07
nonaccession number
2012.3047

McDonald's Clam Shell Container

This off-white, polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s Big Mac™. Writing on overall container is brown for “Big Mac™” and the name “McDonald’s®” with McDonald’s® golden double arches logo.
Description
This off-white, polystyrene clam shell food container held one McDonald’s Big Mac™. Writing on overall container is brown for “Big Mac™” and the name “McDonald’s®” with McDonald’s® golden double arches logo. The Big Mac™, introduced in 1968 to the national market, consists of two regular beef patties with an extra bun slice separating them. The Big Mac™ was created as a way to compete with a similar sandwich offered at Big Boy®.
The McDonald’s Corporation is one of the most recognizable hamburger restaurants in the United States. As of 2011, the McDonald’s Corporation and franchisees were operating in 119 countries with 1.9 million employees, making it the 4th largest employer in the world.
In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
Location
Currently not on view
Associated Date
1975-1990
ID Number
1998.0349.06
accession number
1998.0349
catalog number
1998.0349.06

Nabob Oil Shipping Crate

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 Nabob Oil crate side was used by the Texas Company (Texaco) of Beaumont, Texas during the early 20th century. The crate side bears the Texaco star logo in the center, with the circle around the star reading “The Texas Company U.S.A Petroleum Products.” The crate contained Nabob Oil, a medium-bodied lubricant manufactured by Texaco to be used on a variety of machines.
Location
Currently not on view
referenced business
Texas Company
ID Number
1979.0441.143
accession number
1979.0441
catalog number
1979.0441.143

Photograph of Vegetable Hodgepodge for Burpee Seed Co.

Frederick Eugene Ives (1856–1937) was a brilliant man interested in patenting his ideas (the first in 1881), but not so much in licensing them. Ives's first three-color single exposure camera was patented in 1899.
Description
Frederick Eugene Ives (1856–1937) was a brilliant man interested in patenting his ideas (the first in 1881), but not so much in licensing them. Ives's first three-color single exposure camera was patented in 1899. Over the next thirty years, Ives patented a variety of cameras and printing processes for color photography. After the Smithsonian hosted a show of Ives's photography company's work in late 1949 or early 1950, Associate Curator Alexander Wedderburn selected five prints for the color photography portion of the Photographic History Collection. This photograph represents the culmination of Ives's long series of patents and work with color photography.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1940s
maker
Ives Color Processes, Inc.
ID Number
PG.004680
accession number
187952
catalog number
4680

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