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 312 items.
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Dolphin-shaped ice cream mold
- Description
- This dolphin is one of 14 pewter ice cream molds donated to the Museum in 1972 by Foremost-McKesson, Inc., of San Francisco, California. Other forms include a lion, a butterfly, an elephant, and patriotic symbols such as an eagle, Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, and George Washington in profile. Like the majority of the molds in the collection, the dolphin was manufactured by Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Eppelsheimer & Co.
- ID Number
- AG*72A1.5
- catalog number
- 72A1.5
- accession number
- 298969
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Apple Crate Label
- 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 Larkspur brand apple crate label was used by the Heller Brothers Company Inc. of Wenatchee, Washington after 1928. The lithographed label was produced by Crocker-Union of Seattle, Washington. The blue label features an image of the stallion Blue Larkspur wreathed in flowers on the left of the label. Blue Larkspur was a race horse who competed from 1928-1930, and was named the American Horse of the Year in 1929.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Heller Bros. Co., Inc.
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.026
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.026
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Homenta Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This Homenta shipping crate side was used by the New York Drug Concern of New York City during the early 20th century. Homenta was a mixture of water, menthol, thymol, ammonia, sugar, water, and alcohol that the New York Concern advertised as a remedy for catarrh (mucus) and colds.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- New York Drug Concern
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.157
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.157
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Oil Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This shipping crate side contained Gargoyle brand “A” mobiloil that was made by the Vacuum Oil Company of New York City, New York in the early 20th century. The Vacuum Oil Company merged with the Standard Oil Company of New York in 1931 and marketed the Gargoyle Mobiloil brand for several years before Mobil became the new company name and Pegasus the new logo. The crate contained ten one-gallon cans of oil.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Vacuum Oil Company
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.204
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.204
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ink Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This is a Sanford Ink Company shipping crate side. The Sanford Manufacturing Company was founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1857. The company relocated to Chicago in 1866 and became a large producer of ink and glue products in its early years before focusing on ink and being renamed the Sanford Ink Company in 1940. Sanford introduced the Sharpie marker in 1964, which went on to become one of its best selling products. Sanford was purchased by the Newell Company in 1992.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Sanford Corporation
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.226
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.226
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Mucilage Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This is a side panel of a Sanford Manufacturing Company shipping crate that contained Sanford glue (mucilage). The Sanford Manufacturing Company was founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1857. The company relocated to Chicago in 1866 and produced ink and glue in its early years before solely manufacturing ink products and renaming itself the Sanford Ink Company in 1940. Sanford was purchased by Newell Company in 1992.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Sanford Corporation
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.260
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.260
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chewing Gum Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This shipping crate side contained Beech-Nut brand chewing gum shipped by the Beech-Nut Packing Company of Canajoharie, New York. Beech-Nut was founded in 1890, and produced a variety of food products. In 1910, the company launched its chewing gum brand whose popularity helped them weather the rough economy of the Great Depression.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Beech-Nut Packing Company
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.274
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.274
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Abrasives Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This shipping crate side contained abrasive cloth manufactured by the Carborundum Company of Niagara Falls, New York. The Carborundum Company was founded in 1891 after Edward Goodrich Acheson synthetically produced silicon carbide (carborundum) in an attempt to create diamonds. Silicon carbide was originally used as an abrasive in products like sandpaper, but is found in a variety of other implementations like bulletproof vests and car brakes.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Carborundum Company
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.275
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.275
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ink Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This is a Sanford Ink Company shipping crate end. The Sanford Manufacturing Company was founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1857. The company relocated to Chicago in 1866 and became a large producer of ink and glue products in its early years before focusing on ink and being renamed the Sanford Ink Company in 1940. Sanford introduced the Sharpie marker in 1964, which went on to become one of its best selling products. Sanford was purchased by Newell Company in 1992.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Sanford Corporation
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.283
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.283
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Evaporated Milk Shipping Crate
- Description (Brief)
- This is an end panel of a Borden’s Evaporated Milk shipping crate. Gail Borden Jr. patented his method for producing condensed milk by vacuum in 1856 and established the New York Condensed Milk Company in 1857. The company changed its name to the Borden Condensed Milk Company in 1899, which was simplified to the Borden Company in 1919.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- referenced business
- Borden Company
- ID Number
- 1979.0441.287
- catalog number
- 1979.0441.287
- accession number
- 1979.0441
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center