A history of food at the Smithsonian

WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian's first major exhibition on food history—FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950–2000, opening at the National Museum of American History on November 20—explores some of the major changes in food and eating in post-war America. Amongst the topics are changes in food production and processing, in who cooks and why, where and when meals are consumed and what people know (or think they know) about what is good for them.

Julia Child's kitchen (in photo), which she donated to the museum in 2001 along with its hundreds of tools, appliances and furnishings, serves as the opening story of FOOD, demonstrating her influence on the culinary field, food television and the ways many Americans think about food and cooking.

"Food is a fundamental subject that everyone can relate to," said Paula Johnson, museum curator and project director for the exhibition. "The second half of the 20th century was a time of rapid change in America. This exhibition taps into the widespread and robust interest in food-related topics and encourages dialogue about food and the forces and factors that influenced how and what we eat."

FOOD looks at the impact of innovations and new technologies and the influence of social and cultural shifts in four sections with 160 objects:

Resetting the Table reveals the influences of new immigrants and how the foods and flavours from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico and Central America have become an integral part of daily life for many Americans. This section also explores the impacts of the counterculture and "back to the land" movements in the 1960s and 1970s and the increased consciousness for "good food"—local, organic and artisanal.

Wine for the Table is devoted to the growth and expansion of American wine and winemaking after 1950. This section examines how new approaches to vineyard planting and management, new technologies and practices, and innovative marketing strategies helped winemakers overcome challenges that remained from the Prohibition era. Whilst most of this section focuses on California, one of the most significant changes revealed is that by 2000, wine was being produced in all 50 states.

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