Sweet exhibition features summertime staple
"From Cow to Cone" highlights the evolution of ice cream.
University Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives' new exhibition “From Cow to Cone” features a glimpse into the production, marketing, sales, and enjoyment of ice cream.
Modern ice cream dates to 17th century Italy, eventually making its way through Europe and the U.S., and the exhibition illuminates the sweet treat’s field-to-table journey through history. “From Cow to Cone” is on display in Newman Library’s first-floor cafe outside of Special Collections and University Archives until Labor Day.
Born from random curiosity
The idea for the exhibition came from Kelsey Hammer’s love of antiquing. The University Libraries’ coordinator of student engagement programming found Banner Ice Cream items in local antique stores. Hammer’s curiosity about the company led to a robust and fun-filled investigation with library colleagues Scott Fralin, exhibit curator and learning environments librarian, and Kira Dietz, assistant director of Special Collections and University Archives. They found some information about the company from the Montgomery Museum, but it sparked bigger questions about local ice cream history.
“In the course of this inquiry, Kira and I started talking about what kinds of ice cream history we had in Special Collections and University Archives at Virginia Tech,” said Hammer. “I’ve learned a lot about food history from Kira over the years, but this was such a fun way to focus on something new together.”
Flavorful fascination
Rather than trying to cover all frozen treats, including sherbet, sorbets, or water ices, the exhibition only centers on milk and egg ice cream or custards. The colorful signs hanging between the cases of pamphlets, books, and photographs are from the newly acquired Eat-It-All Ice Cream Cone Collection from the 1940s and '50s. The collection includes nearly 70 display and price card pieces that sell a variety of cones.
“It’s an amazing collection that I couldn’t stop looking at because the pieces are so vibrant,” Hammer said. “The versions you see in the exhibit are recreations for size purposes. I also really enjoyed how many artifacts we found about how ‘healthy’ ice cream is, it would have taken the whole exhibit to fit them all.”
The exhibition includes an unusual list of flavor options found in the archives’ cookbooks, including almonds and prunes, hickory nut, brown bread, corn flake, and rose water.
“Kira, of course, has all the recipe knowledge, and when I asked if she could find us the weirdest flavors — boy did she. We were so inspired, we created our unusual menu that visitors see outside the exhibit,” said Hammer.
The exhibition includes a Jack and Jill ice cream company driver’s manual from 1936, the 1947 book “Let’s Sell Ice Cream” on how to start an ice cream shop, an ice cream scoop from 1878 donated by Hammer, and pictures documenting scientific experiments with ice cream binders and melting times.
“The book on how to start an ice cream shop includes an oddly extensive quiz on whether you have what it takes to sell ice cream. It seems to be a favorite among patrons,” said Hammer. “My favorite pieces in the exhibit are historical photographs where they were melting ice cream to test different mixtures. We found them unexpectedly as the exhibit was being finalized, and it was a great surprise.”
A dash of inspiration
Hammer hopes visitors are intrigued by the history and inspired.
“I would love for visitors to learn how much science, culture, and history can go into one special treat and for folks to see how exciting it can be to follow a topic you are interested in through Special Collections and University Archives,” said Hammer. “I knew the collections and experts in special collections would be able to feed my curiosity, but who knew it would be this delicious.”
