Celery Vases, Photograph and Pamphlet

Pamphlet, c.1900
Orange County, California The Most Celebrated Celery District in the World
31462 Printed for the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce about 1900 this pamphlet heralds Orange County as The Most Celebrated Celery District in the World. The pamphlet is an early example of promotional material intended to draw investors and residents to the area – but why use celery? Celery gained popularity as a food especially during the late 19th century. Difficult to grow and costly to buy, celery was an extravagant delicacy. Stalks placed in water were the featured centerpiece of tables - small indicators of a home’s status and wealth. Celery Vases like the ones pictured below were used specifically for this purpose. (Incidentally the Celery Vase was replaced by the horizontal Celery Dish once the food became more ordinary and easier to obtain). In 1900 Orange County celery growers were able to produce an abundant two crops a year and were exporting 1800 train car loads of the food annually! The photograph below shows men working an Orange County celery field circa 1900. On the horse drawn cart are hundreds of well crated stalks. Celery Fields, c.1900
Photograph by Cochems
33578

Celery Vases
Wheeling, West Virginia, c.1870-1881; 10 in. height Indiana Glass Company c.1890; 6 in. height
Pressed glass designs
82.49.4 and 33756A
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