Runkel's Cocoa Tin

Object Details

Description

This large, rectangular container contains a multicolored design all over. The front has the name of the product as well as manufacturer and at one time held five pounds of powdered cocoa. The manufactuer, Runkel Brothers, was formed around 1870 in New York City, and remained in business until at least the early 1900s.

Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.

The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.

Location

Currently not on view

ID Number

1990.0018.132

catalog number

1990.0018.132

accession number

1990.0018

Object Name

container, food

Physical Description

tin (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 8 1/4 in x 5 1/2 in; 20.955 cm x 13.97 cm

place made

United States: New York, New York

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Work and Industry: Food Technology

Food

Advertising

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_1359890

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-f6bd-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa