Fabulous Food of the 30s and 40s

From Hunger to Hope

Jul 14, 2022–Aug 28, 2022

J. Gilbert Smith House

From frozen foods to Jell-O molds, the 1930s and 40s saw a huge upsurge in convenience foods. Building on the popularity of brands like Wonder Bread, Kool-Aid, Velveeta Cheese, and Hostess Cakes, American supermarkets stocked up on mass-produced items. Discover how creative and economical cooks transformed these products during the Depression era and through the rationing of World War II.

About the Exhibit

While in 2022 we have the convenience of Uber Eats or Doordash, families in the 30s and 40s had no such luck. Food was prepared in the home, and in times of economic hardship, families needed to get creative with the products available to them. This led to a rise in convenience foods, some of which are still popular today. Come take a look inside Margaret Hill’s cookbook and see how families thrived, even in hard times.