Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at this Heinz sales pamphlet from 1910. The pamphlet is an advertisement for all of the different products that Heinz offered in 1910. Most of us know Heinz as simply a ketchup company, but as you can see in the pamphlet, they had a large variety of not only savory, but sweet condiments. Let’s learn a bit more about the history of the H.J. Heinz Company.
Henry John Heinz started selling his condiments in Pittsburgh in 1869. By the age of 16 Heinz had several employees working to cultivate he had built, and to deliver his produce to local grocers. Heinz was selling horseradish, pickles, vinegar, and other sauces, all in clear bottles so that his customers could see the quality of his goods. The original name of the company was the Anchor Pickle and Vinegar Works. By 1876, Heinz had developed its now world famous ketchup and starts manufacturing and selling it. Also in 1876 they introduce the very first sweet pickles to the market. In 1893, Heinz had a booth at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Their booth was a bit out of the way, and so Henry decided to hand out free pickle pins and samples. By the time the fair had ended, the Heinz company had handed out more than one million pins. In 1896 the company coined the slogan 57 Varieties. This was not because that’s the number of products they sold, but simply because Heinz thought the number sounded lucky.
By 1908 the Heinz company had become the largest tomato manufacturer in the world. They had also become the largest producer of pickles, vinegar, and ketchup in the United States. By 1919 the company had over 6,000 employees and 25 factories. Heinz was also a relatively progressive employer for his time. He was one of the few food manufacturers to support the federal Pure Food Act of 1906. This act prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs. It also laid the groundwork for the Food and Drug Administration.
Our pamphlet lists 57 of Heinz’s products. The range of condiments that they offer is quite large. They have a number of baked beans for sale, including a vegetarian offering. They also have soups and even canned spaghetti (A L’Italienne). They have fruit preserves, butters, and marmalades. They have a wide variety of pickled goods, ranging from pickled onions, pickled walnuts, and the one that makes us scratch our heads the most, pickled stuffed mangoes. The description for these is as follows; “small melon mangoes cored and filled with finely chopped sweet pickles, deliciously spiced and seasoned, then preserved in Heinz sweet pickling liquor.” They sold for $1.00 a jar. They also sold olives, olive oils, and vinegars. Of course they have a wide variety of Ketchups, they have regular tomato ketchup, but they also have mushroom ketchup, mustard ketchup, and the oddest one of all, walnut ketchup. All of the ketchups sold at the time for 25 cents a bottle. Our pamphlet is in great condition. It has little to no wear on it, and the color is beautiful. This is a fantastic look back at vintage food advertising, and we are so lucky to have it in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Music: Acoustic Breeze by Benjamin Tissot, www.bensound.com