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. |
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Selected Objects |
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CARE Package
This cardboard CARE package, contains seven smaller boxes and bags of macaroni, cornmeal, Carnation instant chocolate flavored drink mix, and nonfat dried milk. It has a paper insert reading "August ...
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George Washington's Camp Chest
Armies on campaign must carry with them much beside their weapons. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, various boxes and chests transported soldier's individual effects, wardrobes, official military ...
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Health Food: Macrobiotic Brown Rice
Brown rice became popular in the United States as part of the whole and organic foods movement that began in the 1960s and 1970s. Health food stores sprang up to ...
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Infant Food, Nestle's Lactogen
This example of Nestle's Lactogen, a pediatric food product claiming to be "highly suitable for nursing mothers, convalescents and others in delicate health," was collected from the shelves of Tupper's ...
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Krispy Automatic Ring-King Junior Doughnut Machine
The Krispy Automatic Ring-King Junior was introduced by the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation of Winston-Salem, N.C., in the 1950s. It was designed for making the company's signature product—hot glazed doughnuts—in ...
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Photograph of McCall's Cheese
Paul Outerbridge Jr. (1896–1958) was one of the first people to fully appreciate the impact color photography would make on the field of magazine publication. He developed a version of ...
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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. As highways spread across the nation, Main Street ...
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Prototype “Servodyne” Klystron-powered Microwave Oven
Roger F. French, Donald R. Lester, and John A. Gunnarson made this prototype microwave oven in 1961. Only two were produced. Instead of using a magnetron to generate the microwaves, ...
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Tupperware Bowl and Cover
Few products are more symbolic of household life in post-World War II America than Tupperware. Made of plastic, intended for service in the suburban kitchen, and with clean and modern ...
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Y2K Millennium Meltdown R-U-Ready? Hot Sauce Bottle
As the “Millennium Bug” gained media attention, some businesses used the hype to market special millennium foods. From cars to breakfast cereal, companies like the Figueroa Brothers, Inc., cashed in ...
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Related Items from the Archives Center |
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Goya Foods, Inc. Collection, 1960-2000
This collection includes advertising, publicity materials, photographs, labels, and packaging.
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Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation Records, ca. 1937-1997
Krispy Kreme doughnuts originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
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Eskimo Pie Corporation Records, 1921-1996
In the 1920’s the Eskimo Pie Corporation used new food processing technology to create a frozen ice cream novelty. During World War II, Eskimo Pie, along with the rest of the nation, had to adapt its production methods in response to material shortages.
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