Food - Overview
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
"Food - Overview" showing 6 items.
Bundt Pan with Teflon Coating
- 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.
- Nordic Ware produced this Bundt pan with blue Teflon coating in the 1960s.The Bundt pan was one of Nordic Ware’s most successful products, but early Bundt pans had to be floured and greased with shortening to prevent the cake from sticking. When Nordic Ware licensed the non-stick Teflon coating from DuPont in 1964, sales boomed.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.12
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.12
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Twin Bells Cake Mold
- 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 bell-shaped cake mold was manufactured by Nordic Ware during the early 1950s. The mold is used to make the pan seen in object number 2007.0034.13. The mold is made of sand-cast aluminum. Nordic Ware manufactured a variety of seasonal cookware products, including several Christmas-themed cake pans like this one.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.15
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.15
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Tyrolean Cake Mold
- 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 is a sand-cast aluminum prototype mold that was used for making Nordic Ware’s Tyrolean cake pan. The design is clearly demarcated on the inside, but the outside is unadorned and has a rough finish. The Tyrolean pan this mold made is one of Nordic Ware’s earliest products, and came with a set of recipes.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.29
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.29
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Rosette Iron Mold
- 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.
- Nordic Ware used this mold to manufacture the irons for Swedish rosettes. The mold is made of heavy metal and has a flower, circle and star design repeated four times to make twelve irons at a time.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.32
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.32
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lamb Cake Mold
- 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.
- Nordic Ware used this mold to manufacture an aluminum Lamb Cake Pan. The mold is made of heavy metal and is composed of the front and back halves of the Lamb Cake Pan. Nordic Ware has always produced a variety of seasonal bakeware, such as this lamb pan made for the Easter season.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.33
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.33
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Bundtlette Mold
- Description (Brief)
- Nordic Ware, a family-owned manufacturing firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1946 by brothers Dave and Mark Dalquist. The company is notable for its innovative product engineering and continued production of cookware in the United States. Nordic Ware (previously Northland Aluminum) used this mold to manufacture bundtlette pans. The pan is made of heavy metal and is used to cast a pan that would cook six bundtlette (mini-bundt) cakes at once.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Nordic Ware
- ID Number
- 2007.0034.34
- catalog number
- 2007.0034.34
- accession number
- 2007.0034
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center