HOOSIER STYLE CABINETS

This is a true Hoosier cabinet produced by the Hoosier Manufacturing Co of New Castle, Indiana. The reason I tell you this is because a real Hoosier cabinet is usually higher priced and desired over all the copy/similar type kitchen cabinets of the time. For most the only way to know the difference is if the cabinet still maintains the original paper or metal tag.

 

 

Also did you know its predecessor was what is called a Baker's Cabinet, sometimes called possum bottom, because of the rounded bins on the bottom, which held sugar and flour?

 

 

Now for some photos and ad's of hoosier style cabinets. These will show you the many different styles that were developed and available, plus many different sizes including additional cabinets to tie in the mix. 

 

Now for some history.

Loaded with labor and time-saving conveniences, the Hoosier cabinet was among the earliest design innovations of the modern American kitchen. This culinary workstation allowed owners to maintain an efficient and clutter-free kitchen by centralizing utensils, cookware, tools, and ingredients all the while providing a space in which to prepare the meals of the day. The typical Hoosier style cabinet consists of three parts. The base section usually has one large compartment with a slide-out shelf, and several drawers to one side. Generally it sat on small casters. The top portion is shallower and has several smaller compartments with doors, with one of the larger lower compartments having a roll-top or tambour. The top and the bottom are joined by a pair of metal channels which serve as the guide for a sliding counter top, which usually has a pair of shallow drawers underside.

 

A distinctive feature of the true Hoosier cabinet is its accessories. As originally supplied, they were equipped with various racks and other hardware to hold and organize spices and various staples The typical Hoosier cabinet consists of three parts. The base section usually has one large. One particularly distinctive item is the combination flour-bin/sifter, a tin hopper that could be used without having to remove it from the cabinet. A similar sugar bin was also common.

Special glass jars were manufactured to fit the cabinet and its racks. A major manufacturer of the glassware was Sneath Glass Company. Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars. Some manufacturers also included a cracker jar. One distinctive form was a cylindrical jar with a ring molded around its center, to allow it to rest in the holes of a metal hanging rack. On the inside of the doors, it was common to have cards with such information as measurement conversions, sample menus, and other household helps.
Houses of the period were frequently not equipped with built-in cabinetry, and the lack of storage space in the kitchen became acute. Hoosier adapted an existing furniture piece, the baker's cabinet, which had a similar structure of a table top with some cabinets above it (and frequently flour bins beneath). By rearranging the parts and taking advantage of (then) modern metal working, they were able to produce a well-organized, compact cabinet which answered the home cook's needs for storage and working space. Hoosier cabinets remained popular into the 1920s, but by that time houses began to be built with more modern kitchens with built-in cabinets and other fixtures.
Beginning around 1899, the first ones were assembled and "built by skilled cabinetmakers." But within a few years, the company standardized parts so they could be replaced and began to manufacture the cabinets on an assembly line. Some of the special features included a sifter mounted on the bottom of the flour bin, places to store potatoes and onions, metal-lined bread drawers, cutlery drawers, spice racks, some of which rotated for easier use, lidded jars for coffee and tea, coffee grinders, and a work table, designed at the optimal height for working while seated. By 1920 the company had made two million Hoosiers and the name became the generic term for the kitchen cabinet.
Caught  between  a market that wanted built-ins and a depression and war that halted the manufacture of consumer goods, the company ceased its business in the early 1940's.

Because these Hoosier Cabinets were so loved by the women of the era many other companies began making their versions.






The time period between 1920 and 1925 was the high water mark for another company with their version the Coppes Napanee Kitchenet.

 

 The “Hoosier” kitchen cabinet was very popular, not only with Coppes, but with several companies in the state of Indiana. Books suggest that as many as 40 different companies were making the “Hoosier” cabinet at the peak of its populiarity. Some of the competition had very similar appearing cabinets and it is difficult to determine the correct mfg. without the proper metal tag. Coppes, Zook & Mutschler Co. and Coppes Bros. & Zook used their trademarked metal name tag with the Dutch Girl in the center. "The Dutch Girl" was featured in advertising during this time period.

Here is a list of the companies in the state of Indiana making the Hoosier Cabinet, and hoosier style cabinets.

(a) The “Boone” or “Hoosier” cabinet made by the Hoosier Manufacturing Co. of Albany, IN .
(b) The “Kitchen Maid” cabinet made by Wasmuth-Endicott Co. of Andrews, IN.
(c) The “McDougall” by the G.P. McDougall & Son, Indianapolis, IN.
(d) The “Sellers” cabinet by G.I. Sellers & Sons Company, Kokomo, IN.

 

Now some more examples of styles and advertising.

 

1924 Remodel Ad
 

1920's Art Deco style

1920's notice the table/chair companion
 

1917
 

1909
 

1910

1919
 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

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Rantings of an Antique Dealer

OK I love and appreciate our customers. I am an antique dealer because I love antiques and collectibles and I need to share the passion. But---I'll start with, do not take this personally or directly (unless you are guilty), and understand I do not wish to offend--but----

Let me start again, I love what I do and appreciate our customers and enjoy sharing the love and knowledge I have in the arena of antiques and collectibles. I just need to rant a little which will help me rebuild my stamina and recharge the enthusiasm I do have with those of you that also have a passion. Please bare with me and hopefully understand where I come from on the subjects covered below.

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You are trying to setup and sell the items left to you by a recently deceased relative, or you want to sell off a collection you have and are now downsizing, or possibly you found some things at a garage sale cheap and you desire to profit from them. Maybe you are going to have an estate sale, yard sale, or garage sale and you do not want to give things away and believe you should get full blown retail prices on most of the stuff. Well, I truly wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Really I am sincere when I say that. My advice would be for you to hire a professional and yes pay for their services and have an estate sale or send all off to an auction. No you may not make as much as you would by handling yourself , then again you might make more, in the long run you will profit and not have unreasonable expectations. Or take the time necessary to do some research and list on eBay or craigslist yourself. Expecting myself or someone else in this field of work to provide you with information  freely is not research and shouldn't be expected of us. Plus most of us are not appraisers or have a legal license to do so.

Please do not call me or come by to visit the shop inquiring as to value of such things for these purposes. Why, because everything is worth what someone is willing to pay, bottom line.  All the reference price guides and online eBay searches that one could do will not give a truly reflective picture and price for these items. Yes research helps, as a guideline only, but many factors play into the overall scheme of things.

Condition is the number one factor in value as well as the region you are trying to sell in, and then finding or stumbling onto just the right person in search of that particular item sometimes is difficult and extremely time consuming.  Also you need to consider the market that you are attempting to sell an item in. Example: a yard seller has the attitude of finding bargains only. Lastly local demand for such items matter more than I can express.

When you do contact me with these inquiries you are asking, expecting, or demanding of me my experience, expertise, time, or opinion for free. You are saying to me that all the years I have studied and all the experience that I have should be given away freely (undervalued) and I owe that to you, WHY?  You should not expect those of us in the field that are reputable to educate the world on current values and expect us to be willing.

Sometimes you even insult me with attitude if I do not give you the information you desire or the price you think it should be. Sometimes you imply that the information I give you is wrong or that I am trying to low ball. What information are you basing your facts on, and how dare I question you.  Folks there is no benefit to me what so ever to do that. I have a reputation as a fair and honest antique dealer dealing with the public on a daily basis, for me to do as you suggest would be the failing of all the years of hard work and research I have done to gain the reputation that I have rightfully earned. There may be (are) unscrupulous so called dealers out there but I am not one of them.

Now if your goal is to sell to me directly then please state that instead of first saying "whats it worth". Again I will state everything is worth what someone is willing to pay. Tell me you desire to sell such items to me and I will question how much you want for the items if I am interested in purchasing. After that is settled and if there is room for me to make a profit I will gladly pay for it and if not I will refuse or make you a counter offer. If you really do not have a clue, I ask you have faith in my knowledge and I will make a fair offer.  If you reply back to me with  "oh that's not enough" that tells me you did have a value in mind and knew what you wanted to sell it for.

I base the value according to what I feel I may be able to sell the item for and must consider my overhead expenses and possible discount if the item sits to long. The buying public can be fickle and buy according to trends so I can not judge by so called values based on eBay, American Pickers, Antiques Roadshow, or Insurance Appraisals. So do not say to me "on eBay one sold for" because that is eBay and I sell in New Albany. I base values on recent experiences, the region that I am in, definitely on condition, availability, and or current stock requirements or demands. Also understand that every single item I purchase is a gamble because there is no guarantee I will be able to sell that item or make a profit off of it.

Most of the merchandise in the shop was brought to me by people desiring or needing to sell, they walk through the front door with items for sell on a regular basis, or phone calls where we are requested to come to check out an estate for possible purchases. We also know pickers who hunt and find items for us and know we pay fairly. Many of these people come to us because of a reference by someone else that has dealt with us in the past. The phone rings daily with requests and questions. I am just asking for consideration and understanding before you approach us and hopefully we can make each other happy.

My last request is that if you do have something to sell me know that my customers come first in service. In other words, if I am busy or dealing with a customer please do not interrupt or expect me to drop everything and deal with you. Please do not come by on a saturday, usually my busiest, and think I should come out to your truck and do business. Maybe call first and see if convenient for all involved or choose another day of the week, again we will all be happy.

 

 

Cookbook dating from 1570 brings $2,035

Bartolomeo Scappi’s 1570 cookbook, “Scappi Cucina,” which is a guide to managing a well-run Renaissance Tuscan kitchen, sold for $2,037 during a July 1 eBay auction. Above and below left are engravings from the book.
Photo courtesy eBay seller zalocs.

This was posted at Antique Trader (https://www.facebook.com/antiquetrader). How many cookbooks do you have stashed away? 

You may not consider yourself a collector of these, but I know you have some. In fact, if you live in the “average” American household, you have 15 of them: cookbooks.
Whether they were purchased, inherited or given to you as a gift, they are accumulating on a shelf in your home. Even the least able cook leafs through each book he or she gets and won’t toss it out, at least not immediately.
According to “The Bean Counters Cookbook,” three-quarters of the folks who receive a cookbook keep it for years; 65 percent of those who don’t, pass them on to a close friend or relative. Then, there are the rest of us who collect, read, cherish and perhaps even create cookbooks … and assign each one a value.
That price usually isn’t the $2,037 paid on eBay July 1, 2012, for Bartolomeo Scappi’s 1570 “Scappi Cucina,” a guide to managing a well-run Renaissance Tuscan kitchen. The 10-day auction started at 99 cents; it soon went into the hundreds and in the final day more than doubled to that fantastic sum. This book is a treasure. Modern paperback reprints under the title “Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi” translated by Terence Scully are available in paperback for under $40.
Price guides and websites abound for vintage cookbooks. My recent tracking of online auctions and price lists has uncovered factors which generally turn up the bidding heat.

Professionally Published Cookbooks
The value increases if the book is a first edition, in excellent condition, was published before 1950, contains elaborate and colorful covers with many period photographs and quaint illustrations, contains specific recipes with both lists of ingredients and preparation instructions, and also contains additional cultural or historical information regarding the cuisine, cooks or recipes.
The collectability of star authors (Vincent Price, Julia Child, Miss Piggy and Barbie) will also whip up the value.

Several cookbooks intended for children to use continue to attract buyers. Admittedly not as valuable as standing and watching grandmother work in her kitchen, little books like the “Fun to Cook Book,” “Jolly Times Cookbook” and “Barbie’s Easy-As-Pie” all recently sold on eBay for just under $15 apiece. The rarity and desirability – just like Beluga caviar or white truffles – sends the price up.
Community Cookbooks
The above rules also apply with certain additional leavenings. Customer support of the charity, church or club that organized the effort is an attraction. Popular cuisines such as those from Southern Louisiana, New Mexico, Amish Country, pioneer times, and Old Cape Cod all have interested enthusiasts. Additionally, the price for vintage community cookbooks goes up for pre-template issuances.
In the 1970s, several companies began to “help” nonprofits raise money by providing formats into which groups could insert their recipes. Look around. You’ll find identical covers and dividing pages being used by a church guild in North Carolina and a Woman’s Shelter in Michigan. These books are worth less than the older, cruder, locally printed, saddle-stitched efforts (no plastic gbc or spiral bindings). The authenticity and uniqueness of the cuisine (River Road Recipes by the Junior League of Baton Rouge) and the usefulness of a cookbook theme (Canapé Caprice by the Columbus, Ohio, Symphony Orchestra) attract gourmands.

Promotional Cookbooks
Yes, there was a time before Crisco! The manufacturers of condensed milk, self-rising flour and Spam needed to train the public to use their products. So they provided shoppers with recipe booklets which demonstrated the deliciousness of these items. The same can be said of freezer manufacturers, appliance makers and cooking utensil companies. All new items needed to tempt buyers with some excellent carrot recipes to dangle before us horses. Look around on your shelf and you might own a book published by Kerr canning supplies, Sunbeam Mixmaster or The Lorain Stove Co. Keep looking and you’ll probably unearth ones by Carnation evaporated milk, Campbell’s Soup, Grandma’s Molasses, Rumford baking powder and others.
The pricing rules noted above apply, especially when these handy little pamphlets contain charming period illustrations. A lone Crystal Baking Soda pamphlet with a vintage mom-in-the-kitchen on the cover from the 1920s went for $18.50. The price will definitely go up when you not only own the Mirror Aluminum Cookie Press from the ’50s but also have the recipe booklet that came with it.
To save time and add attraction to your online sales, list the more modern items in lots. Buyers will often purchase the entire lot just to get the one they grew up with and have lost. A recent auction on eBay for 25 of these little usually free booklets brought the seller $51.
The Pillsbury Flour Co. is the undisputed champion of food manufacturer-issued cookbooks. Through the many years of challenging cooks from America’s Heartland to invent and share new “Bake-Off” recipes, Pillsbury created an undeniable demand for its excellent products.
My most cherished book from this series dates from 1960. It features Leona Schnuelle, a bespectacled farmer’s wife from Crab Orchard, Neb., who won the top prize of $25,000 for her “Dilly Casserole Bread.”
In the “Bake-Off’s” prime, hundreds of winners, television host Art Linkletter and Mrs. Schnuelle herself gave hope to millions. The everyday chore of putting delicious food on the table could now also provide national notoriety and a fat cash prize, plus the well deserved gratitude for a job well done. A case can also be made that the televised final rounds of Pillsbury’s Bake-Offs were the original reality television show.

Cleverly, Pillsbury documented all the winning recipes and issued them in a long series of checkout-line cookbooks. The first “Bake-Off” recipe book dates from 1950 and the final one in 1978, but other books continue the tradition today.
The 1974 Pillsbury’s Best Bundt Cake Recipes book, originally priced at 99 cents, contains 100 great recipes. It sold on eBay recently for $21.50. That’s 20 times the original price in just 38 years. These booklets are very collectible because they contain delicious recipes, idiot-proof instructions and beautiful photography.
A Sticky Point
Whenever I leaf through a used cookbook, I try to find some evidence of what the former owner tried to make. More than occasionally, I’ll find a cookbook that has written commentary. “Great but double it.” But usually, I find no written word, only tell-tale fingerprints that show that the banana nut bread recipe on page 128 of GE’s “Cooking with a Food Processor” is a winner.
Antique dealers and used book sellers have been trained to price according to pristine condition. But a buttery smudge, dried bit of batter or remnant of ancient flour dust on one or more pages in a cookbook escalates its value to those of us searching for something good to make.
Real cooks want to know what tastes delectable not what looks nice on the shelf.

Homemade Cookbooks
Recently, a pencil-written notebook of 122 pages from a Bethel Church in rural Missouri sold for $167.50. Debbie, the eBay seller, had found it in a box of miscellaneous items she bought at an estate sale. There were also several Bethel Churches in the surrounding area so she couldn’t trace it to any one of them. Its tattered cover showed signs of use. The first page contained these charming sentences: “This little cook book is composed by the Ladies Aid Society of Bethel Church with the aid of a few friends to whom we feel very grateful. You will find index classed on last page and you have 150 good tried recipes. We think too you will be pleased.”
Similarly, a three-ring binder of more than 500 clipped recipes, prepared by a cooking enthusiast, sold for $41.99. A certain minor class of hoarding sickness does apply here. Many of us feel that a recipe is a free gift and it shouldn’t just be thrown away.
These two examples demonstrate the value of used cookbooks and private recipe collections. Scribbled down recipes in the margins or blank spaces of other cookbooks, add value rather than detract from it.
Dr. Chase’s 1888 Cookbook, by the way, just sold for $78.88 on eBay. It was this helpful home manual that guided homemakers in improving life around the house.

So, take a look at the cookbooks on your shelf and value them for what they can help you do, in addition to how pretty, rare or interesting they are.
Joseph Truskot is a collector and freelance writer based in Salinas, Calif.

What does your home say about you to others?

I have always been somewhat a rebel and independent spirit. As far back as I can remember thinking on such matters (early childhood), if the majority liked a certain color, lets say blue, I would choose a different color for my favorite. Not just to be different, but because I needed to choose what I thought reflected me as an individual.

My actual favorite color, hmmmmm, I do not have one. My choices happen to be multiple colors but deep saturated colors are where I lean. Now don't get me wrong I am also drawn to soft soothing colors found in nature but I can't live and thrive in a home with all neutrals or an all over repeated color theme.
 I need colors and objects to speak to me or jump out at me and sometimes even make me laugh or smile.




This room says welcome to me. It has colors that are warm and playful and does not shock or go overboard. It tells me this person has their own style and wants to feel invited and inviting to others when in their home. This person is warm, friendly, sharing, artistic and wants you to stay awhile. Notice the beauty of the wood against these colors, if these walls were white maybe the cabinet would stand out but it wouldn't look so warm.

 

When I enter a home that the over all color is lets say beige and kinda sparse (boring), two thoughts automatically pop in my head. Where is the homeowners true personality and can I really feel comfortable in their home for very long. True some homes have a dull or neutral color theme through out and then are decorated in accessories with colors, shapes, attitudes, and maybe a bold statement or two. That is great and I can appreciate that because it shows character and gives warmth and a welcoming experience.

This is a deeper neutral that I like on the walls, colorful objects hanging on the walls would really pop out and not clash with the color. Now this is not my style for many reasons but I can appreciate it. What I do like is the use of an antique wood writing desk for warmth, with retro pottery on top. The use of the retro chair, which I would reupholster in a pattern, shows how you can mix styles or periods. But the over all feel of this room doesn't say to me comfort, it does say styled and shows some personality.

 

I have a theory or thought process about design, and that is that if you don't get something unique, antique, custom or vintage in the mix why bother trying to decorate at all. Did I mention I can be somewhat opinionated also, ha!

I know this speaks to many but for me it is to sterile and not enough personality. I do love the pop of green on the cushions which help draw your eyes to the table and reflects the great outdoor view. I would probably add on the wall some art of  landscapes and or florals. It does look well styled but does it say come over for dinner sometime?  I also like the mix of wood with modern chairs and light fixture, but only because I do like mixing different styles and periods.
 

Might not want the whole room this color but what about one wall? What you have here is a good mix again, bold and yet simple or peaceful artistic display. This person shows that they are sometimes bold, other times thoughtful and at peace. They love art and objects but not clutter, and want to share why they have grouped these items and tell you about the objects and their stories.

 

Go cheap, inexpensive if your home is not going to showcase who and what you are or welcome others into your world. Just the idea of buying a $900 coffee table that many other people have isn't terribly appealing to me.

 

 I'd rather have a a trunk with a glass top, or use an item (recycle/repurpose) that normally wouldn't be thought of as a coffee table. Plus 99% of the time that unusual item you use is cheaper dollar wise, has already stood the test of time for durability, speaks to you and others about you and your character, shares history, but mostly feels warm and inviting. With this option you have many choices and decorating styles.

Put your feet up, cuddle up, let your home embrace you and others with interest and style. Also consider a little whimsy or personal flair somewhere.

 

 

Whatever your style celebrate who you are in your home decor and with what you love. Share yourself with those you deem worthy and invite them to your home.

Hopefully you will consider adding some Antique, Vintage, Retro, Collectible, or Repurposed items.

Lucite Purses

Green/Black with Shells unmarked

unmarked pearlized White Clutch

Lucite purses got their start in the early 1950’s, when post war technology came up with the idea for a higher class of plastic called lucite. This material was ideal for use in boxy style handbags and could be manufactured in opaque or translucent color. 

Decorations were easy to add and included confetti, shells, flowers, or just about anything else you could stick on a purse!

Pieced Gray/Black  pearlized Shoulder  unmarked

 

 

 

These purses became all the rage of bigger cities such as Miami and New York City and the handbag companies loved these bags because they could be made into unusual shapes easily. The most expensive lucite purses were made by Wilardy of New York and were showcased in major department stores throughout the country. Of course with popularity came replication and many cheaper versions were made.

marked Y & S pearlized chain shoulder bag



Wilardy  Original Black

 

 

Do you think you have found a genuine high quality lucite purse? The best of the designers were Wilardy, Rialto, Llewllyn, Gilli Originals, Patricia of Miami, Evans, and Myles and Maxim. These companies marked their handbags on the inside with a stamp on the metal frames or a clear label. These bags are now collectors items that sell for large sums but, unfortunately, some of clear labels have fallen off with age making absolute identification difficult.

*****All Photos above of purses are what we currently have available*****

Wilardy History  (http://wilardy.com/index.html)

Wilardy Originals began in 1946 as Handbag Specialties.  The original offices and factory were in New York, and moved to Union City, New Jersey in 1953. 

As a boy, I remember seeing all of these women's handbags in various states of completion throughout the factory and thinking, "I know my mom has lots of these but, where are these all going to, I don't see many of my friends' mothers with them?" What I didn't realize was that these were very exclusive items costing plenty at the time. These lucite purses were being sold in Hollywood, Miami, Paris, London, and Fifth Avenue in New York.



1950's catalog pages

These last few decades have shown a renewed interest in the Wilardy handbags, as they become sought-after collectibles. I'm grateful that my dad, Will, is here to experience the recognition of his work as the designer and owner of Wilardy during his own lifetime. Many books have been published on handbags, and in each one Wilardy is given a special place, known to have had the highest quality standards of design and manufacture from that time period. Perusing the catalogs and photos on this site should prove to be enjoyable for casual and serious collectors alike. Any serious research questions may be sent to Will.

- Billy Hardy 2008

Great Summer Refreshment then and now

                                       THE COLD, HARD TRUTH ABOUT POPSICLES
                                                                  By Ben Marks

During the past couple of years, artisan ice pops, what you and I know generically as popsicles, have outpaced those hipster favorites, cupcakes, in the race to be America’s most popular nostalgia dessert. Like cupcakes, popsicles are portioned controlled, which limits over-consumption by those watching their waistlines. Unlike cupcakes, today’s ice pops are a healthy sweet, usually made from organic fruit picked at the height of the season. No wonder trendy ice-pop shops and paleterias (paleta is ice pop in Spanish) have popped up all over the country, from the Chelsea Market in Manhattan to the streets of Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’d definitely draw the line at a turkey-leg popsicle.”

Other than their temperature, these fancy new lower-case popsicles have little in common with the upper-case trademarked treats that preceded them. “The Popsicles we had when we were kids were just frozen water and artificial flavors,” says pastry chef, cookbook author, and all-around dessert expert Emily Luchetti, “but now popsicles are seen as a low-calorie, delicious dessert made with fresh fruit and good quality ingredients.”

Rebecca Rouas, who runs SF Pops and sells her chocolate avocado, tangerine beet, and grapefruit cinnamon clove ice pops at farmer’s markets north of San Francisco, also grew up on upper-case Popsicles. “I’m sure my first popsicles were made by Popsicle,” she says. “My favorite flavor would’ve been cherry, but I also liked the artificially flavored grape and orange.”
Ironically, the very first Popsicles may have had more in common with the contemporary versions of the treat than we might think. According to the official Popsicle website, Popsicles were the accidental invention of an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson, who, in 1905, “left a mixture of powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick in a cup on his porch. It was a cold night, and Epperson awoke the next morning to find a frozen pop.”

At the height of the Depression, Popsicle introduced a two-stick version of its frozen novelty, which was first introduced as a one-stick treat (see image at top).

For many years, the corroborating detail in this gauzy creation myth was the “fact” that young Frank was living in San Francisco at the time. Indeed, this crucial bit of evidence even made it into Epperson’s 1983 obituary in The New York Times. Problem was, weather records show that it never got that cold in San Francisco in 1905, leaving some to speculate that the birthplace of the Popsicle must really have been Oakland, where the adult Epperson patented his novelty in 1923 (the first flavor is thought to have been cherry, but the data is sketchy on this). Significantly, in 1905, Oakland temperatures did dip below freezing, but only three times.
Within two years, Epperson had unloaded his stake in Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Corporation, which immediately began suing competitors such as Kold Kake Company of New Jersey, M-B Ise Kream Company of Texas, and Good Humor of Ohio, for patent infringement. Ultimately, Popsicle and Good Humor (which are now both owned by Unilever) came to a wary truce, in which Popsicle would only make frozen desserts from water and Good Humor would own the ice-cream market. Popsicle, however, wanted to diversify, which led to the development of an ice milk (not cream) product in chocolate or butterscotch called the Fudgicle, later renamed the Fudgesicle.

In 1927 and 1928, the words "Frozen Suckers" were found on Popsicle ads, the result of a complicated marriage between Popsicle and its chief rival, but by 1929, the words were dropped.

Two-stick Popsicles were introduced during the Depression, when the company was looking for ways to make its products more affordable to consumers, who had little money to spend on frivolous frozen confections unless they were a really good deal. Eating a regular Popsicle had always been a drippy, sticky undertaking, but these two-sticked pops posed a new quandary: Should you break ’em in half and share with a friend or sibling, or figure out how to eat the melting mess before it fell apart into your hands?
“I had a sister very close in age,” says Rouas, “but I never broke my pop in half. I definitely ate both pieces. It’s a very awkward shape. Everybody just seemed to gag themselves with the stick as the pop got shorter and shorter. We didn’t understand that we could eat it as far down as we could, get rid of one of the sticks, and then start going at it from the side.” Luchetti was more of a purest. “I ate the whole Popsicle, with two sticks,” she says proudly. “I kept it even on both sides.”

Other players in the contemporary artisan ice-pop scene are unburdened by such memories. “Being from Italy, born and raised, I had my first pops on the Italian Riviera beach during summer vacations,” says Reuben BenJehuda, who runs Popbar in New York. “Since moving to the United States, my tactic has been to start from the top and when I get about halfway down, split it in two to get to the bottom.” Fany Gerson, owner of La Newyorkina, also doesn’t know from two-stick Popsicles. “I grew up in Mexico,” she says simply, “and we didn’t have those kinds of paletas.”
Of course it’s the range of ingredients and flavors, rather than the number of sticks, that sets contemporary ice pops apart from their mass-produced forebears. Ingredients such as cardamom, jicama, and saffron are not unheard-of in artisan pops, although familiar fruits such as strawberries, peaches, and raspberries are just as typical. Sometimes the familiar is paired with the unexpected, as in a mango-chile ice pop, which is the best-selling paleta at La Newyorkina.

In the early days of Popsicles, ads for the product had to explain what it was by calling it a "Frozen Lolly-Pop" and "A drink on a stick."

Like a lot of her contemporaries, Rouas also uses some ingredients for the textures they produce and the associations they conjure. “Don’t be turned away by an avocado pop,” she counsels those who might hesitate at the prospect of a chocolate-avocado ice pop. “The avocado is for texture not taste. Think chocolate pudding, not guacamole. And vanilla is a wonderful ingredient for imparting an ice-cream-like flavor, as if there’s ice cream in the pop, even when there’s not.”
Still, not every flavor lends itself to an ice pop. For example, you wouldn’t want to make, let alone eat, sushi ice pops, would you?
“Do they make those?” asks Luchetti, taken aback. “That’s disgusting.” How far is too far for her? “I’d definitely draw the line at a turkey-leg popsicle,” she decides. Rouas has her own line in the sand. “I love pickles,” she confesses. “I’ll eat pickles with almost everything, but a pickle pop? I won’t go there.” Gerson, on the other hand, is not ready to rule that out. “I’ve heard that pickle-juice ice pops are popular in Texas, but I haven’t done them. I would never do an anchovy popsicle, though, or anything with bell peppers.”

               In England, ice pops are called ice lollies. In Mexico, they are called paletas.

One of the hottest trends in ice pops is something little Frank Epperson never could have imagined, the alcohol pop. Rouas is enthusiastically in favor of such products. She’s experimented with a few recipes at home, but as someone who’s trying to make a living on ice pops, she’s a bit skeptical about building a business around them. “A booze pop is a great idea,” she says, “but it’s hard to get the liquor to freeze. Usually I just take my fruit popsicles, cut them up into cubes, put them in a glass, and then top with the alcohol of my choice. For example, I’ll cut up a Meyer lemon pop and flood it with tequila. It makes a really good margarita.”
Or, as Luchetti puts it: “Who’s going to say ‘no’ to a mojito popsicle?”

                              This cardboard sign from 1931 was designed by G.W. French.

Strawberry Orange Popsicles, by Emily Luchetti

What’s the best thing about ice pops, other than eating them? Well, they’re super easy to make, as this recipe, courtesy of Emily Luchetti, proves. This recipe makes 8 ice pops, each 1/3 cup.
Ingredients
2 pints strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Large pinch kosher salt
Hull the strawberries. Cut them in half and puree in a food processor. Strain the puree through a
medium sieve into a medium bowl, discarding the seeds. Add the orange juice, water, sugar, and
salt. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Measure the puree and add more water as necessary to
make 3 1/3 cups of puree. Stir until blended.
Pour the puree into molds. Insert sticks and freeze until frozen, about 6 hours.