Tuesday, September 25, 2012

An Interesting Connection

I've pared down my collection of tin cans, but this beauty is one of my remaining favorites. If the Victorians invented Pop Art, this would be it! I believe the can is at least 100 years old, and it's in absolutely mint condition.

vintagepostersnyc.com


As you can see, the new way of making almond paste sure beats the old way of doing it!


The maker of the almond paste was Henry Heide, whose name takes a prominent place on the front of my tin.

chemheritage.org

Henry Heide (1846-1931) came to the United States from Westphalia, Germany, in 1866. By 1869 he had established a candy-making business in New York and was known for making delicious macaroons and almond paste. His business grew from a small store to a large factory as he continued to develop confections. Towards the end of his life, in 1920, Henry Heide created his most famous recipes, still enjoyed by millions of movie-goers.

able2know.org  |  candy.com
Henry Heide's grandson, Philip, sold the Heide brand products to Hershey Foods Corporation in 1995, and in 2002 they were acquired by Farley's & Sathers Candy Co. Inc.
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10 comments:

  1. Hello Mark:
    We should agree that this is most certainly a very desirable tin and to have it in mint condition must be something of a rarity. From our point of view we should like it even more as marzipan, or more correctly almond paste, is an absolute favourite with us.

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    1. Hello, Jane and Lance:

      I have a very sentimental attachment to martzipan. It was a favorite of my mother's, and I always bought it for her at Christmas. I've always associated it with that time of year.

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  2. Mark the art and illustrations for marketing on product containers has always intrigued me!

    Very nice example.

    xoxo,
    Karena
    2012 Artist Series

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    1. Hi, Karena,

      As a graphic designer, the rather dramatic Victorian designs have always been an inspiration. I think you've chosen the right word — they can be intriguing.

      xoxo

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  3. Hi Mark, I can see why this tin is one of your favorites--what incredible graphics. I love the cracquelure pattern on the macaroon on the front of the tin, it almost looks like a giraffe. I noticed that in the "old way" it was the young apprentice who was bent over the mortar grinding up the nuts. I bet that old-timers complained that Heide's product didn't have the proper taste or texture of the hand-ground variety, and also raised an eyebrow over that "added moisture", a phrase that is still extant, especially on Thanksgiving turkeys.
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. The word that pops out for me is "Pure." Some years back, I read the biography of H. J. Heinz, subtitled "The Good Provider," and it explained how food buyers of the 19th century could never be sure of the purity of the food they were buying. One could end up with tainted food and, short of not buying the product again, there was little recourse. Heinz used clear glass (most food products were in amber glass and couldn't really be seen), and he was a big proponent of the Food & Drug Commission. Henry Heide would have been very aware of all that, and the word "Pure" would doubtlessly have been something he insisted upon.

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  4. I love the New Way/Old Way graphics. That's quite fun to see put right on the can.

    I've been back and forth looking and the images several times and notice that this is five-pound tin! That's a lot of almond paste.

    This made me wonder where the name Jujubes and Jujyfruits came from and all I could find is that it came from from a tropical fruit called the Ju Ju Berry that was used as an ingredient to make the gummy.

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    1. Hi, Steve,

      I was not familiar with the Ju Ju Berry until you commented. I googled the fruit, expecting to discover something that had a gummy quality, but what I've found instead is something more closely related to the grape. Perhaps the dried ju ju is more gummy.

      (I have to admit that this candy has never been my choice at a movie.)

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  5. Each time I go to the cinema I'll think of you, Mark, when I see the JuJu's :) Maybe I'll even try a box. Love your almond paste tin can! I will show this to my neighbor who makes macaroons.

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    1. Hi, Loi - If you like the chewiness of licorice, you'll like JuJu's (but I'd stick with macaroons)!

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