Food
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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Page 1 of 192
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Trade catalogs from Highbee's
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- Highbee's
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_42655
- Data source
- Smithsonian Libraries
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Trade catalogs from Parkson Corp.
- Date range
- 1900s-2000s
- Variant company name
- Established in 1971, Parkson Corporation is a supplier of solutions for potable water, process water, and industrial and municipal wastewater problems. Its customer base includes municipalities and utility districts, as well as a diverse list of industries in agriculture, automotive, breweries, chemical processing, food and beverage, iron and steel, metal finishing, mining, oil/petroleum, power generation, and pulp and paper. (see http://www.parkson.com/content.aspx?ntopicid=1)
- Company Name
- Parkson Corp.
- Related companies
- a subsidiary of Axel Johnson, Inc.
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_28868
- Data source
- Smithsonian Libraries
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Trade catalogs from Roberts & Mander Stove Co.
- Date
- 1900s
- Variant company name
- Est. 1865 ; Inc. in 1903
- Company Name
- Roberts & Mander Stove Co.
- Related companies
- Thomas, Roberts, Stevenson Co.
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_12758
- Data source
- Smithsonian Libraries
-
Pamphlet, Wine Tasting Party, 1954
- Description
- This four-page pamphlet accompanied a wine tasting party sponsored by the Industrial Research Institute at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, on April 21, 1954. It featured the wines of two major California producers, Louis M. Martini of St. Helena in the Napa Valley, and the Wente Bros, in Livermore.
- In the 1950s wine tastings were still a new and potentially intimidating activity for many Americans. Organizations like California’s Wine Advisory Board worked closely with producers to help educate the public in the appreciation of wine as part of a larger social, food-related tradition. So the first page of this pamphlet provides guests with a detailed guide on “the procedure as used by enologists in the organoleptic examination of wines,” i.e., how to taste wines. The first step advised examining the wine “for color and clarity,” followed by perceiving the wine’s fragrances and tasting it by “rolling it in the mouth so as to savor the flavor, body, and texture.” Swallowing the wine and noting its aftertaste are the final steps before clearing the palate with a sip of water or bit of bread.
- The inside spread lists the wines to be tasted, a list that reveals the diversity of grape varieties grown in 1950s California. The five vintages from the Wente Bros, famous for their white wines, include a Dry Semillon 1951; Sweet Semillon; Pinot Blanc 1951; Sauvignon Blanc 1951; and Pinot Chardonnay 1951. The six vintages from the Louis M. Martini winery includes two whites and a rosé—Mountain Sylvaner 1951, Mountain Folle Blanche 1950, and Napa Gamay Rosé. Two reds—Mountain Zinfandel 1947 and Cabernet Sauvignon 1947—provided tastes of the Martinis’ signature vintages, and were followed by a chilled dry sherry, to round out the tasting.
- The Industrial Research Institute was founded in 1938 under the auspices of the National Research Council, and is made up of representatives from industry, government, and universities.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1954-04-21
- ID Number
- 2014.0100.06
- catalog number
- 2014.0100.06
- accession number
- 2014.0100
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Outdoor dining table
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1959-11
- ID Number
- 2015.0035.0539
- accession number
- 2015.0035
- catalog number
- 2015.0035.0539
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Vichyssoise
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968-1970
- author
- Waters, Alice
- ID Number
- 2016.0085.27
- accession number
- 2016.0085
- catalog number
- 2016.0085.27
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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plate, food
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1985-1990
- ID Number
- 2015.0286.06b
- accession number
- 2015.0286
- catalog number
- 2015.0286.06b
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Man at counter in diner
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Zalesky, Roy Joseph
- ID Number
- 2017.0306.0123
- accession number
- 2017.0306
- catalog number
- 2017.0306.0123
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Teaspoon
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1800
- ID Number
- DL.380480B
- catalog number
- 380480B
- accession number
- 153231
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Sugar Bowl
- 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Chopsticks or Hair Pins
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1900
- ID Number
- DL.59.1515A
- catalog number
- 59.1515A
- accession number
- 111627
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Chopsticks
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1890 - 1920
- ID Number
- DL.59.1515C
- catalog number
- 59.1515C
- accession number
- 111627
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Nutpick
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1860
- ID Number
- DL.60.1039A
- catalog number
- 60.1039A
- accession number
- 71656
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Dessert Knife
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1855 - 1866
- ID Number
- DL.61.0394C
- catalog number
- 61.0394C
- accession number
- 232677
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Dessert Spoon
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1838
- 1819 - 1838
- ID Number
- DL.62.0169H
- catalog number
- 62.0169H
- accession number
- 238990
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Rolling Pin
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1900 - 1930
- ID Number
- DL.64.0509
- catalog number
- 64.0509
- accession number
- 251849
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
spoon
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1871 - 1880
- 1875 - 1900
- ID Number
- DL.65.2675
- catalog number
- 65.2675
- accession number
- 258259
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
fork
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1914
- ID Number
- DL.65.2677A
- catalog number
- 65.2677A
- accession number
- 258259
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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ladle
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1900
- date made; year pattern introduced
- 1923 or later
- ID Number
- DL.66.0575
- catalog number
- 66.0575
- accession number
- 265238
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Coffeepot
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1890 - 1910
- ID Number
- DL.67.0365
- catalog number
- 67.0365
- accession number
- 263810
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Pages
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- data source
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topic
- Beverage industry 1380
- Distilleries 1380
- Furnishings 649
- Agriculture 624
- Crate Labels 378
- Industrial equipment 277
- Food Culture 266
- Food habits 259
- FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000 238
- Photography 230
- Advertising 213
- Furniture, equipment, etc." 182
- Dairy products industry 170
- Barrels 169
- Bottling 169
- Farms 169
- Household appliances 169
- Equipment 165
- Machinery 160
-
object type
- Trade catalogs 1380
- Labels (identifying artifacts) 383
- Flatware 220
- Spoons 126
- Photographs 124
- Molinillo 68
- Knives 66
- Jar, Fruit 59
- Lids 59
- Prints 56
- Forks (flatware) 49
- Cutlery 47
- Cans (containers) 40
- Containers (receptacles) 39
- Lithographs 36
- Toasters (cooking and heating devices) 32
- carbro print 32
- Wrench, Canning Jar 26
- container, food 26
- Tumblers (drinking glasses) 22
- date
- place
- culture
-
set name
- Food 2445
- Smithsonian Libraries Trade Literature Collections 1380
- Trade Literature at the American History Museum Library 1268
- Cultural and Community Life: Domestic Life 768
- Domestic Furnishings 540
- Agriculture 487
- Work and Industry: Food Technology 471
- Work and Industry: Agriculture 441
- Crate Labels 378
- National Museum of American History 306
- FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000 238
- Photography 223
- Food: Transforming the American Table 218
- Advertising 183
- Work and Industry: Photographic History 167
- Work and Industry: Asian Pacific American Business 108
- Work 103
- Government, Politics, and Reform 78
- Cultural and Community Life: Ceramics and Glass 70
- Work and Industry: Graphic Arts 70
