Food & Drink

Museum Artifact: Crown Baking Powder Container, c. 1900s

Made By: The J.P. Dieter Company, 60 Waldo Place (Randolph and Desplaines St.), Chicago, IL

Unlike his Chicago contemporaries and rivals over at the Calumet Baking Powder Co., J.P. Dieter’s successful food products company didn’t survive long into the 20th century. This tin of Crown Baking Powder, however, still looks vibrant in its fire-hydrant-red more than 100 years after it was made.

Museum Artifact: Jays Potato Chip Tin, 1950s

Made By: Jays Foods, Inc., 825 E. 99th Street, Chicago, IL

For over 75 years, Chicagoans have voraciously chomped away on handfuls of Jays Potato Chips—sharing in the communal assumption that some guy named Jay must have invented the salty snack for them back in the proverbial day. If you give it a closer look, however, the familiar Jays logo—with its conspicuous lack of an apostrophe—raises some questions.

Museum Artifact: Ferndell Brand Crystallized Ginger Tin, c. 1920s

Made By: Sprague, Warner & Company, 600 W. Erie Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Museum Artifact: California Club Seltzer Water Bottle, c. 1930s

Made By: California Ale & Beverage Company, 3006-3030 West Fillmore Street, Chicago, IL

The vintage seltzer bottle above was personally donated to the collection by Marc Schulman, a man known to many Chicagoans as the president of Eli’s Cheesecake and the son of one of the city’s great restaurateurs, the late Eli Schulman.

Museum Artifact: Peter Pan Peanut Butter Tin, 1920s

Made By: E.K. Pond Company / Derby Foods, Inc., 517 W. 24th Street, Chicago, IL

In 1929, the Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie made a charitable contribution the likes of which we may never see again in the modern age of intellectual property. And it didn’t have anything to do with peanut butter.

Having already enjoyed international acclaim for his various tales of Peter Pan,

Museum Artifact: Millar’s Nut-Brown Brand Coffee Just-Rite Tin, c. 1930s

Made By: E.B. Millar and Company, 426 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Museum Artifact: Silver Cup Brand Coffee Tin, c. 1930s

Made By: Central Wholesale Grocers, Inc., 1001 S. California Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Museum Artifact: Monarch Cocoa Tin, 1920s

Made By: Reid, Murdoch & Co., 325 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL

“When a Chicago business attains dimensions which overshadow those with which it may be compared, it becomes in the broadest sense a Chicago institution and belongs in a manner to every Chicagoan. It stands for Chicago pluck, Chicago brains and Chicago energy.”— Frank H.

Museum Artifact: Liberty Dairy Milk Bottle, c. 1920s

Made By: Liberty Dairy Products Co., 851 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Museum Artifacts: Peter Hand “Old Chicago” Dark Beer & “Old German” Style Beer Cans, c. 1970

Made By: Peter Hand Brewing Co., 1000 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.