Doughnuts, again
We last wrote about doughnuts on August 26, focusing on 1920's newly-created machines for mass-producing the item, also addressing doughnut history. The post spurred some enthusiastic responses, so we thought to revisit the topic.
One hundred years ago today … The popularity and cultural centrality of doughnuts were in evidence in various ways. On Ellis Island, Immigration Commissioner Frederick Wallis joined the Salvation Army in distributing doughnuts to new arrivals.
Daily News, 8 November 1920, p. 1. Chronicling America.
Note: See our October 1 post about about Commissioner Wallis and Ellis Island.
New Yorkers could buy pre-packaged boxes of doughnuts–jelly, rings, crullers, and de luxe–at the multiple locations of Gem Soda Luncheon Stores, whose advertisements appeared frequently in the News in 1920.
Daily News, 19 August 1920, p. 5. Chronicling America.
Is there any lineage from this franchise to the more recent Gem Spa at 131 Second Avenue? We at NY1920 cannot find it, though we'd welcome reader input.
Daily News, 11 September 1920, p. 4. Chronicling America.
Gem’s doughnuts made it a featured business, one hundred years ago today, in the latest issue of the National Druggist.
National Druggist 50, November 1920, p. 556. H.R. Strong. University of Michigan Library. Google Books.
Doughnut recipes were available in the NYC papers.
New York Tribune, 14 November 1920, p. 51. Chronicling America.
And doughnuts were a selling point in Mazzola Corn Oil's ad campaign.
New York Tribune, 17 November 1920, p. 24. Chronicling America.
WRITTEN BY JONATHAN GOLDMAN, NOVEMBER 7, 2020
TAGS: doughnuts, donuts, food, baking, advertising, immigrants, Salvation army