Need Some Help With WW II Era Food Products

[coastie]

Next week is my annual bring out all of my stuff to show to the students at my High School.

 

One of the things I was thinking about including was food/candy products that were around during WWII and are stil around today.

 

So far I have:

 

SPAM

M&M's

Hersheys

Mars (?)

Wrigley's Gum

Life Savers

Cracker Jacks

Coca Cola

Pepsi

Dr Pepper (?)

 

 

I'm not limiting it to GI rations but what was available to everyone

 

Anything else? I'm sure I can think of more but my brain is on a holiday right now.

[craig_pickrall]

I pulled 3 copies of LIFE Magazine at random. They are from mid 1943. This is the list from them of products still around under the same name.

 

If you still need more I can check further.

 

HEINZ

Ketchup

Chili Sauce

57 Sauce

Horse Radish

Mustard

 

CAMPBELL'S SOUP

Tomato

Chicken

Vegetable

 

FRENCH'S

Mustard

Worcestershire Sauce

 

NABISCO / NATIONAL BISCUIT CO

Many cookies and crackers

 

KELLOGG'S

Rice Krispies

Bran Flakes

Shredded Wheat

Corn Flakes

 

RITZ'S CRACKERS

 

DURKEE'S DRESSING

 

CARANATION'S MILK

 

NESCAFE COFFEE

 

CLICQUOT CLUB GINGER ALE

 

UNDERWOOD DEVILED HAM

 

And what better to top it off with than PEPTO-BISMOL?

[jgawne]

Actually, according to Hormel, they only sold a very small order of genuine SPAM to the Army at the very start of the war. Afterwards the Army contracts for "canned meat" went to their cheaper compeditors that used far lesser quality meat. The actual SPAM was used only for civillian food packages such as being sent to England and liberated France.

 

Hence, and again this comes right from Hormal- in all probality US soldeirs in WW2 never actually ate any "SPAM." They were served a lesser product, which Hormel had to work hard to get their customers back after the war from GI's that assumed the canned spiced ham was SPAM. Whereas many civillians who had real SPAM it (such as in England) continued to buy it after the war as they felt it was of good quality.

 

Heck,. I eat it. I can only stomach half a can raw, but fry it up and Ummm UMMM Spamburgers!

 

Fun Food Fact #2

 

In WW1 Lt Hormel (of Hormel fame) obtained his commision after serving as an EM by suggesting shipping space could be saved by cutting beef off the bones in the USA and just shipping the meat. The boned meat saved so much space they promoted him and put him in charge of the operration.

[coastie]

Actually, according to Hormel, they only sold a very small order of genuine SPAM to the Army at the very start of the war. Afterwards the Army contracts for "canned meat" went to their cheaper compeditors that used far lesser quality meat. The actual SPAM was used only for civillian food packages such as being sent to England and liberated France.

 

 

In WW1 Lt Hormel (of Hormel fame) obtained his commision after serving as an EM by suggesting shipping space could be saved by cutting beef off the bones in the USA and just shipping the meat. The boned meat saved so much space they promoted him and put him in charge of the operration.

 

 

I understand about the SPAM. I'm looking for food products mostly available to the general public during the war years.

 

Nice tidbit about Lt Hormel.

 

"I pulled 3 copies of LIFE Magazine at random. They are from mid 1943. This is the list from them of products still around under the same name.

 

If you still need more I can check further."

 

 

Craig thanks for the list I don't have many war year LIFE magazines, I'll have to go through my National Geographic cd's and see the adds and what they have.

 

That's a real good start, if you happen to see products we take see all the time in the present and were available back then, That's kind of what I'm looking for.

 

In looking at razor blades I only see one or two brands that I don't think were around during WWII, it would be nice to know if Gillette still made safety razors.

 

I see a new topic coming up.

 

 

BTW my wife was surprised and said "UH-UH" about M&M's so I had to pull up their history page to prove it.

[craig_pickrall]

I thought you were just interested in food items. There are tons of other items that are still around.

 

I assume you do not want booze or cigarettes. What about cars? You also see ads for firearms and ammo, are they okay or banned?

 

I'm pretty sure Gillette has just made cartridge razors for the past several years. They haven't made safety razors for a very long time. There was an injector razor available that is close to the cartridge razor family of today. I'm not sure when they started making those but it was a long time ago.

 

Tell me what sort of things you are interested in and I'll do some looking.

[craig_pickrall]

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=1386

 

We already have a section that covers much of the personal type items used by GI's. Take a look through and you will see many familiar items.

[coastie]

I thought you were just interested in food items. There are tons of other items that are still around.

 

I assume you do not want booze or cigarettes. What about cars? You also see ads for firearms and ammo, are they okay or banned?

 

I'm pretty sure Gillette has just made cartridge razors for the past several years. They haven't made safety razors for a very long time. There was an injector razor available that is close to the cartridge razor family of today. I'm not sure when they started making those but it was a long time ago.

 

Tell me what sort of things you are interested in and I'll do some looking.

 

 

Due to time constraints I will probably stick with food items since that will be the cheapest and easiest, but if you think of something easily found let me know.

[craig_pickrall]

CHAP STICK is a good one, cheap and easy to find.

 

There are many items like shoe polish, ALKA-SELTZER, LISTERINE, tooth paste, clothing brands, over the counter drug items, etc. It really is amazing how many things are still around and even look very similar to the WW2 period items.

[Old Marine]

 

 

 

Coastie,

 

I don't know where you live and maybe this is a bit too regional for you to use. But anybody that has ever lived in the Philadelphia area will instantly recognize the "Tastykake logo on the package of the soldier on the bottom left.

 

Tastykakes are a Philadelphia staple.

 

Also, unrelated but neat, check out the new knife on the soldier with the Tastykake package.

[UPNATM]

 

Coastie,

 

I don't know where you live and maybe this is a bit too regional for you to use. But anybody that has ever lived in the Philadelphia area will instantly recognize the "Tastykake logo on the package of the soldier on the bottom left.

 

Tastykakes are a Philadelphia staple.

 

Also, unrelated but neat, check out the new knife on the soldier with the Tastykake package.

 

 

That is too funny! My wife was born and raised in South Philly, and now that she lives out here in

Cali she is always having here sister send some out here. Tastykake, just like Geno's cheese steaks are for sure a staple of Philly.

 

 

 

[Old Marine]

Ah, your wife is a true Philly girl. As a lifetime resident of Philadelphia, I knew Tastykake was an old company and I thought it was pretty neat to see their logo in this photo.

 

Coastie; If you want a box of Tastykakes for your display, let me know and I'll send you a box.

 

 

Dennis

[notinfringed]

I don't know if you are still looking for these, but one must not forget, Planters peanuts, moon pies, twinkies (as well as a whole ton of other hostess goodies), sunkist produce, carnation evaporated milk, and lots of others.

Hope this helps

 

Levi

 

Sorry, I should have read your post more throughly. Seeing as how your "next week" was last week, I don't think this will be any help for this time around, but perhaps for future reference?

[coastie]

I don't know if you are still looking for these, but one must not forget, Planters peanuts, moon pies, twinkies (as well as a whole ton of other hostess goodies), sunkist produce, carnation evaporated milk, and lots of others.

Hope this helps

 

Levi

 

Sorry, I should have read your post more throughly. Seeing as how your "next week" was last week, I don't think this will be any help for this time around, but perhaps for future reference?

 

 

Thanks Levi for the additions.

 

I've finished with the display and over all the kids loved it. I just had a few food items there and when I told them what was available then and now they were surprised. Of course it didn't take much to surprise them; they didn't know what a double edged saftey razor was or 78 records for that matter.

[fraukriegbaum]

Correct me if i'm wrong. Were'nt "donuts" served also during WWII? And donuts are still available today.

[Teutonen]

I had a nice big poster (which I have sold a few years back) that was used in supermarkets during the war showing the ration points required for each type of item. That and a ration coupon book would have looked good with the display.

[Bsquirrely]

Might be a it of help here;

 

http://www.spam.com/about/history/default.aspx

[themick]

Don't forget to add a bottle of Coca Cola to your display, in the classic looking green tinted glass bottle. If you look on the back of National Geographic magazines of that period, you'll often find great Coca Cola ads.

 

Steve

[sgtbrown]

Here's a good information source:

 

http://www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html#1940s

 

Tom

[Bill in VA]

Don't forget Charms (they were a staple in many of hte K rations) and Swift meats. (Gustavus Swift is generally credited with the first refrigerated railroad car for sending cuts of meat.)

[ithaca37]

Ground coffee was packaged in glass jars for the duration of World War II. This was done to conserve steel for the war effort. Many of these jars are available in antique stores today.

[USARV72]

Might want to check a Cracker Barrel restaurant, they have "repro's" of many 30's-40's and 50's snacks. They have a nice repro "Moon Pie" box circa WWI....................

[lamarhooten]

I pulled 3 copies of LIFE Magazine at random. They are from mid 1943. This is the list from them of products still around under the same name.

 

If you still need more I can check further.

 

HEINZ

Ketchup

Chili Sauce

57 Sauce

Horse Radish

Mustard

 

CAMPBELL'S SOUP

Tomato

Chicken

Vegetable

 

FRENCH'S

Mustard

Worcestershire Sauce

 

NABISCO / NATIONAL BISCUIT CO

Many cookies and crackers

 

KELLOGG'S

Rice Krispies

Bran Flakes

Shredded Wheat

Corn Flakes

 

RITZ'S CRACKERS

 

DURKEE'S DRESSING

 

CARANATION'S MILK

 

NESCAFE COFFEE

 

CLICQUOT CLUB GINGER ALE

 

UNDERWOOD DEVILED HAM

 

And what better to top it off with than PEPTO-BISMOL?

HEY! All you CAJUN boys (and girls!) how about TABASCO SAUCE!!! Even wound up in the MREs! :thumbsup: