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Baltimore Makes Ice Cream History
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View of a Hendler's Ice cream Packard Truck.
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At any given time, 87 percent of Americans have ice cream in their freezer, according to icecream.com. But it was not always so.
Due to the labor-intensive effort that was required to make ice cream it started out as an expensive delicacy for special occasions. But in the 1850s, a Baltimore milkman named
Jacob Fussell
discovered a way to produce ice cream on a large-scale helping to brand Baltimore as the birthplace of commercial ice cream production.
On Saturday, August 4th, the Baltimore Museum of Industry will host a pop-up exhibit on Baltimore's ice cream industry as part of its Year of the Market series. Guests will learn about Charm City's commercial ice cream production from the 19th century to present day and sample ice cream flavors from local artisan vendors.
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Hannah Spiegelman
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Held in the BMI pavilion during our weekly Farmers' Market, the program will be curated by Hannah Spiegelman, founder of A Sweet History--the Baltimore-based company that creates ice cream flavors inspired by people and places of the past. Spiegelman will be sampling a few flavors inspired by Baltimore's ice cream history including "The Velvet Kind," a beet red velvet ice cream named after the famous Hendlers Creamery slogan.
"The fact that Baltimore was the birthplace of commercial ice cream production in this country is huge and awesome! I hope event attendees will be intrigued by Baltimore's past role in ice cream history, learn something new, and get excited about the ice cream scene in Baltimore currently," Spiegelman says.
Join us on Saturday, August 4 from 11 AM - 12:30 PM at the BMI Pavilion for this FREE event.
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Enjoy a Pint of History!
Until August 20, order custom pints of ice cream from A Sweet History by emailing Hannah Spiegelman at [email protected]. Prices will vary.
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Spotlight on Staff:
The Comedy of Aviva & Elizabeth
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BMI educators are the backbone of our museum tours and hands-on, educational activities and they bring many diverse talents to the table. Baltimore native Elizabeth Norman joined our team of museum educators in the spring of 2017. Less than a year later we welcomed Aviva Woolf-Manas. Elizabeth and Aviva have something funny in common--they are stand-up comedians!
Originally from New York, Aviva always loved stand-up comedy and decided to add performing to her bucket list. After a friend suggested attending a stand-up workshop by the Gotham City Comedy Club in NYC, Aviva quickly transformed comedy into a career path. She revealed that the highlight of her career, thus far, has been performing on the Lifetime Channel.
"In the beginning, I put a lot of pressure on myself to eventually turn it into a career," says Aviva. "After doing it for a few years and meeting professional comedians, I understand how brutal that choice is, and what it really entails. So for now, I do it when I can because I'm good at it and I like it."
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Elizabeth Norman
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Elizabeth has spent the past year running Club Out-of-Town, a monthly Baltimore show for women and LGBTQIA+ comedians, at The Crown every third Thursday. Her stand-up story started with writing and performing sketch comedy while attending college in Ohio. She made the jump into stand-up comedy during a summer break she spent in Baltimore before her senior year.
"Armed with a single joke that I had written, I went to my first open mic night, and have been doing stand-up ever since," Elizabeth says. "After graduating and coming back to Baltimore, I have been performing consistently in Baltimore and Washington D.C., and occasionally in Pennsylvania--I'm working on expanding."
When it comes to being BMI museum educators, Aviva and Elizabeth have found that their stand-up experience--using humor to relate to visitors and students, feeling the energy of a group, thinking creatively, and going with the flow--has proven to be invaluable.
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Hey, Teachers!
Looking for an exciting field trip destination? Discover your classroom's connection to Baltimore's Industrial past and future with our rich selection of grade-specific activities!
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Behind Exhibits: Inside the BMI Collection
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Former BMI artifact transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command.
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Every museum artifact has a story. The BMI collections team works hard to unearth and preserve the stories behind each artifact. Every once in a while, an object, within our collections, needs to be revisited and reassessed per the museum's collecting criteria.
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Colonel Jones' invitation from 1929.
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During an inventory of the museum's cold storage space, a Geisha doll and its ephemera turned up. "When we looked into it, we discovered that it had a very broad history and didn't really focus on industry per se to what our mission guides us towards now. So it went before the collections committee back in April, and it was decided that it would be better off in another institution that focused on that part of our history," says Jane Woltereck, Director of Collections & Exhibitions at the BMI
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Gifted to the BMI by Patricia Stanek in 2000, the Geisha doll had been passed down several times as a celebratory gesture. Stanek inherited the doll from her father, who had received it in 1943 from Colonel Harry C. Jones at a luncheon to celebrate the birth of Stanek's sister. The doll was accompanied by its original wooden box, the luncheon program, event
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Hand-painted luncheon program.
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invitation with envelope address to Colonel Jones, two hand-painted seating cards, and a business card of Vice Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who would later serve as the U.S. ambassador during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Colonel Jones originally received the doll aboard Flagship Asama on October 1, 1929 from Vice Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura in celebration of the port of Baltimore opening trade with Japan.
After receiving final approval from the museum board of directors to remove the artifact from the collection, in July, the Geisha doll was officially transferred to the Naval History and Heritage Command--located at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.--for its connections to both Maryland and Naval history.
"I got back in touch with the donor to let her know that the Navy wanted the doll, and she was thrilled. As I explained to her, it's going from a local collection in Baltimore to a national collection, so it's really elevated its status as a museum collection piece and will be well cared for," says Woltereck.
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Have an Artifact You Want to Donate?
The BMI's extensive collections are built primarily through donations such as yours! Click the link for more details on making artifact donations.
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Upcoming Programs at the BMI
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Year of the Market: Baltimore's Ice Cream Industry, Then & Now |
Hear about commercial ice cream production in Charm City from the 19th century until today and sample sweet treats from local ice cream artisans.
WHEN
Sat, August 4 | 11 AM-12:30 PM
COST
Free
Year of the Market: Waterfront Yoga |
Stretch your muscles and enliven your spirit with a yoga class on the waterfront terrace, and then stop by the Farmers' Market after class.
WHEN
Sat, August 18 | 9:30 AM-10:30 AM
COST
$10 suggested donation
Classic Car Show |
See a showcase of collector vehicles from the Chesapeake Region Antique Automobile Club of America. Step inside the BMI to explore our newest exhibition, "Fueling the Automobile Age," where you can meet "The Art of the Car" author Bob Paulding. 20% of book sales benefit the museum.
WHEN
Sun, August 26 / 10 AM-2 PM
COST
Outdoor portion free / Exhibit and signing included with admission
Weekend Workers | It's all about fun as you discover how things work. These engaging activities allow children of all ages to investigate the world around them.
WHEN Saturdays | 11 AM-2 PM unless noted
COST Free with museum admission
UPCOMING THEMES
AUG 4
: Create Your Own Board Game (Time Change: 10 AM-1 PM) | AUG
11:
Kids Stained Glass
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AUG 18:
Engineering with You Make a Difference STEMMA |
AUG 25: Drawing Like a Shipbuilder with the BMI Archives
What Color Should We Paint the Crane?
| We're gearing up to paint the 1942 shipyard crane that graces the museum's campus, and we need you to help choose the color. Once freshly painted and dramatically lit, the crane will take its place as a symbol of economic progress and a beacon on Baltimore's skyline. Stay tuned for the big reveal in September, as we announce the winning color. Voting closes August 31 so be sure to cast your vote today.
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