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Sally L. Steinberg Collection of Doughnut Ephemera

National Museum of American History
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Object Details

Collector
Steinberg, Sally L. (Sally Levitt)
Names
DCA Food Industries, Inc.
Doughnut Corporation of America
Doughnut Machine Company.
Dunkin' Donuts, Inc.
Mayflower Doughnut Shop
Mayflower Doughnuts
Mister Donut
Allen, Gracie
Brown, Joe E.
Durante, Jimmy
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
Levitt, Adolph
Skelton, Red, 1913-1997
Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900-1965
Place
New York (N.Y.) -- Food industry
Topic
Food habits -- United States
advertising
Doughnuts
Celebrities
Entertainers
Periodicals
Provenance
Collection donated by Sally L. Steinberg, December 12, 1991, 1993, and 2009.
Collector
Steinberg, Sally L. (Sally Levitt)
See more items in
Sally L. Steinberg Collection of Doughnut Ephemera
Summary
This collection consists of ephemeral materials gathered by Sally L. Steinberg while she was researching her 1987 publication, The Donut Book: The origins, history, literature, lore, taste, etiquette, traditions, techniques, varieties, mathematics, mythology, commerce, philosophy, cuisine, and glory of the donut.
Biographical / Historical
Sally Levitt Steinberg describes herself as a "doughnut princess," since her grandfather, Adolph Levitt, was America's original "doughnut king." Levitt's family had emigrated to the United States from Russia when he was eight and settled in Milwaukee. In 1920, he moved to New York City, where he invested in a bakery in Harlem. He soon realized that there was a strong consumer demand for doughnuts, sparked by veterans of World War One who fondly remembered those cooked by Salvation Army girls in the trenches in France. Levitt, with a flair for showmanship, placed a kettle in the bakery's window and began to fry doughnuts in it. This attracted crowds of customers, who enjoyed watching the process, smelling the aroma, and eating the doughnuts. Soon, doughnut production could not keep up with the customers' demands. In consultation with an engineer, Levitt soon developed and patented an automatic doughnut making machine, which he then placed in the bakery's window. The result was the creation of the modern doughnut industry in America. In 1920, Levitt founded the Doughnut Machine Company to make and sell the machine across the country and to sell doughnuts under the tradename of "Mayflower." Soon after, the company began preparing and selling standardized mixes for use in the machine, and began to acquire bakeries in which its products could be made. In 1931, the company opened the first Mayflower doughnut shop at 45th and Broadway in New York City; ultimately, 18 shops were opened across the country the first retail doughnut chain. The company, which changed its name to the Doughnut Corporation of America, dominated the doughnut industry. Its operations were characterized by a large scale approach, incorporating a full range of product and equipment systems unique in the food industry. As consumers demanded a wider variety of doughnuts from glazed to jelly filled the company developed and manufactured the necessary machinery, prepared the ingredients, and marketed the products. The company diversified its product line in the 1940s to produce pancake mixes and waffle mixes and machinery, including Downyflake Food products. The company is still in operation as DCA Food Industries, Inc.
Extent
3.5 Cubic feet (7 boxes)
Date
1920s-1987
Custodial History
Collected and donated by Sally Steinberg.
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.0439
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audiocassettes
Advertisements
Photograph albums
Catalogs
Clippings
Magazines (periodicals)
Playbills
Sheet music
Photographs
Posters
Videocassettes
Reports
Packaging
Cartoons (humorous images)
Books
Drawings
Citation
Sally L. Steinberg Collection of Doughnut Ephemera, 1920s-1987, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Craig Orr, 1991
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Audiocassettes
Advertisements
Photograph albums
Catalogs
Clippings
Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century
Playbills
Sheet music
Photographs -- 20th century
Posters
Videocassettes
Reports
Packaging
Cartoons (humorous images) -- 20th century
Books
Drawings -- 1980-1990
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of ephemeral materials gathered by Sally L. Steinberg while she was researching her 1987 publication, The Donut Book: The origins, history, literature, lore, taste, etiquette, traditions, techniques, varieties, mathematics, mythology, commerce, philosophy, cuisine, and glory of the donut. Photographs comprise the bulk of the collection. These depict doughnut making machines, early doughnut packaging, doughnut shops and doughnut production, doughnut promotional activities (many of them sponsored by DCA), celebrities and entertainment figures with doughnuts, and the role of doughnuts in the military. Other ephemeral materials featuring doughnuts include advertisements, posters, newsclippings, music, examples of doughnut packaging, toys, and artwork. Also included are several publications that feature doughnuts, notably such children's classics as Curious George Learns the Alphabet, Who Needs Donuts?, and Homer Price, as well as a copy of Ms. Levitt's book. Materials relating to the history of the Doughnut Corporation of America include a 1947 memo entitled "History of Mayflower Operations, 1933 1944"; pages and clippings from the company's in house magazines, The Doughnut Magazine, 1931 1936, and DCA News, 1945 1947 (most of which are not in their entirety, since Ms. Steinberg seperated them for the production of her book); a script of the "DCA Merchandising Story"; inter office correspondence from 1947; a 1961 DCA Study of the Donut Market; and a 1973 prospectus for DCA Food Industries, Inc. Also included is a store display figure of "Danny Donut," the symbol of Mayflower Doughnuts. In addition, the collection contains 1980 and 1981 Annual Reports from Dunkin' Donuts, Inc., a sample degree from their "Dunkin' Donuts University," and a large training poster for employees. Also included are in house publications relating to other donut companies, including Krispy Kreme and Winchell, the predecessor of Denny's.
Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Materials in the Archives Center
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History The Doughnut Machine Company Scrapbooks (AC #662) contains two scrapbooks documenting the company=s advertising and marketing campaigns, ca. 1928. The Industry on Parade Film Collection (AC #507) contains a 1956 film (reel #273) about the Doughnut Corporation of America. The Earl S. Tupper Papers (AC #470) contain a number of World War One photographic postcards that show Salvation Army doughnut girls. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC #60) contains four boxes of material on "bakers and baking." The N W Ayer Collection (AC #59) contains advertising proofsheets for several bakeries.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1503513405677-1503513405680-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep867d1c8ca-a8fa-4ef6-805d-b7cd6768eac7

In the Collection

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  • Zero Mostel in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in costume, dunking giant donut in giant cup held by young woman: black-and-white photoprint

  • Durante / for / President / National / Dunking / Assn. black-and-white photoprint

  • Don't Forget the Salvation Army (My Doughnut Girl) sheet music

  • Children eating donuts and milk: black-and-white photoprint

  • Doughnut Promotions and Publicity

  • Blindfolded child pinning doughnut to Jack-o-Lantern's mouth : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Size of the donut hole / down through the years black-and-white photoprint

  • Publications

  • Woman and girl dressed in similar dresses made of doughnut print fabric : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Doughnuts and the Military

  • Entertainment and Celebrities with doughnuts

  • Machinery

  • Still Life with Donuts : photographic copy of painting?

  • Odd Aircraft book?

  • The entrance to the Doughnut Hut at the World's Fair: black-and-white photoprint

  • Pert young waitress in restaurant peeking through a donut hole : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Elderly man dunking a donut with a young boy watching : black-and-white photorprint of hand-rendered illustration.

  • Service man being served donuts by two USO ladies : document

  • Aids to expert dunking poster

  • Stan Stan the Donut Man in front of microphones and a large group of children : black-and-white photoprint.

  • General Eisenhower and other military staff posing with a Salvation Army Donut Girl and donuts : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Lucille Ball eating a doughnut while in costume : black and white photoprint

  • "Dr. J. Howard Crum's Famous Donut Reducing Diet" : document

  • Dunkin' Doughnut Degree certificate

  • Buddies / Again! / Doughboy Donuts do their bit again magazine tear sheet

  • Always use pure Vermont Maple recipe

  • Statue of Captain Hanson Gregory, inventor of the donut hole : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Artwork 3

  • Donuts to Dollars advertisement?

  • Celebraties Dunking Donuts : document

  • Other Donut Companies

  • Woman giving donuts to injured (?) soldiers: black-and-white photoprint

  • Three men frying doughnuts in a garbage can black-and-white photoprint

  • Pink frosted and chocolate chip? frosted donut : slide?

  • Man dunking donuts while standing on his head on top of a sky scraper: black-and-white photoprint

  • Young girl eating a donut standing next to a boat wheel : black-and-white photoprint.

  • The Discount Store document

  • Contortionist eating a donut: black-and-white photoprint

  • Peanut Butter Donut Sandwich / Made with... Downyflake / donuts and Peanut Crunch peanut butter black-and-white photoprint of advertisement

  • Call out the Donuteers * sic advertisement

  • Early Donut Machine black-and-white photoprint

  • Pin in the shape of a hand dunking a donut into a coffee cup plastic object?

  • Two men mounting a plaque commemorating Captain Hanson Gregory, inventor of the donut hole : black-and-white photoprint

  • "So you want to go into / the Donut Business?" sic black-and-white photoprint

  • Enjoy these delicious Word's Fair donuts at home...today! : document

  • Slides

  • Photographs

  • The Doughnut Magazine, Clippings

  • Adolf Levitt : black-and-white photoprint

  • Like Mother / used to make copy photoprint

  • Advertisements

  • Summer After Noon Crowd : black-and-white photoprint

  • Henderson, Le Grand. Cap'n Dow and the Hole in the Doughnut. Nashville, Tenn., and New York: Abingdon Press

  • Dunkin' Donuts, Inc.--Publications

  • Cap'n Dow and the Hole in the Doughnut book

  • Mayflower Doughnut Company

  • Salvation Army doughnut girl : black-and-white photoprint copy of a drawing.

  • Illustrated Doughnut poem : color photomechanical print.

  • Doughnut making machine: black-and-white photoprint

  • Camp Fire Girls Annual Doughnut Sale / Mayflower Doughtnuts illustrated advertisement with photomechanical reproductions

  • Harvest Time / is / Donut Time / 1949 21st annual / October donut month" flier

  • Boy with Doughnut Eating Champion award, Boys' Club, October 1938 : black-and-white photoprint

  • "A Mechanical Achievement" sic: label beloiw image black-and-white photographic print

  • Artwork

  • Donut machine for small bakeries : black-and-white photoprint.

  • Sheet Music

  • Oversized Ephemera

  • Around the World with Doughnuts magazine page

  • "Danny Donut," Symbol of Mayflower Doughnuts

  • Doughnut Corporation of America

  • Ephemera

  • Zestful Nourishment / Give to National War Fund. Defense workers eating doughnuts : black-and-white photoprint

  • Donut Princess: black-and-white photoprint

  • Duplicates of Advertisements and Photographs

  • Woman on ladder changing street sign to "Donut Corner Broadway" : black-and-white photoprint

  • Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation Company Newsletters, Informational Brochure

  • Rey, H. A. Curious George Learns the Alphabet. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

  • Miscellaneous

  • Steinberg, Sally L. The Donut Book. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

  • "History of Mayflower Operations

  • Miscellaneous Advertisements/ Promotions

  • Doughnut Making

  • Clippings from Miscellaneous Magazines

  • Correspondence to Steinberg, re: The Donut Book

  • McCloskey, Robert. Homer Price. New York: Puffin Books

  • Winchell Company Newsletters

  • DCA Food Industries, Inc. Publications

  • Hoffman, David. The Joy of Pigging Out. New York: Warner Books

  • Newspaper Clippings

  • Advertisements from Magazines

  • DCA News

  • DCA Company Information and History

  • Feiffer, Jules. Sick, Sick, Sick. New York: McGraw Hill Book Co.

  • Negatives

  • Baking Publications

  • Packaging

  • 1979 Donut Industry Survey, by Ralph Chapek, Inc

  • Wilding White, Ted. All About UFO's. The World of the Unknown Series. London: Usborne Publishing,

  • Ephemeral objects--Flite Donuts and Burt Ives's Little White Duck, "The Donut Song" (side 1)

  • Miscellaneous magazines

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Sally L. Steinberg Collection of Doughnut Ephemera: 1920s-1987.
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