what's cooking, uncle sam? prologue summer 2011

8/3/2019 What's Cooking, Uncle Sam? Prologue Summer 2011

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B A ce Ka

F k n. meye w s ec uite by the U.S. dep t e t a icultu e(USda) his p ssi pl ts his willi ess t w lk list ces. dete i e t p ve he w s the the j b, meyet vele s e 10,000 iles, stly t, u i expe iti s t Chi ,Sibe i , wh t w s the m chu i , u kest , m li .

Te pu p se his t vels, i his w s, w s t ski the e th i se ch thi s .

Te thi s he s u ht we e i ly ew v ieties uits, uts, gr i s r a eric griculture. He trekke the r c r ers the e rth r

1905 t 1918, ve turi g i t y territ ries th t h ever bee expl re .m e th 2,500 types see s sh ts su vive the j u ey h e t beteste i a e ic s ils.

Opposite: Vitamin-enriched products, including donuts, were produced in response to two smallstudies that ound that Americans were deprived o Vitamin B1 (thiamine). The National NutritionDivision declined to endorse the term Enriched Donuts. Top left: Apricots (seen here), pistachios,pomegranates, and what is now known as the Meyer Lemon are a ew o Meyers contributions toAmerican agriculture. Top right: To skim the earth in search o things good or man is how Frank N.Meyer described his work as an agricultural explorer. He is pictured in Chinese Turkestan, ca 1910.

What's

Cooking,UnCle sam?New A ch e Exh b Exa ne

G e n en E ec n he A e can D e

PrologueWhat's Cooking, Uncle Sam?


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U.S. g ve e t e ts t ee a e ic s ple, s e, ut iti us iet.

Sp i g the rev luti y W eth u h the l te 1900s, the cu e ts, l s,

ph t gr phs i the exhibiti ech y u cu e t c ce s b ut g ve e ts

r le i the he lth s ety ur supply.

WilEy CAmpAiGNs AGAiNstADultErAtioN of fooD

Te exhibiti expl res g ver e t ctivi-ties i u e s ( , ct y, Kitche ,

ble) th t h i p ct i a e ic . S eti es the i p ct w s sig-

ifc tthe Pu e d ug act 1906 e it illeg l t sell pr ucts ct re

with t xic che ic ls. S eti es the i p ct w s less ticLy B. J h s sPe e les Chili ecipe spice up the c k-i epe t i e s e his s.

S eti es the e w s little i p ct tll, espite the g ver e ts best e rtsthe

W l W II ut iti c p i h e -ligible e ect e ti g h bits. a s eti esthe i p ct w s c pletely u i te e

y chil e i i t p e ts c e tpre er the white bre they frst t ste i theirsch l lu ches. Te st ies el te he e, like

I the USda we e t evel p li e cti fgu es, meye w ul t p the list.

access ies s l sep tely w ul i clu ehis rev lver r righte i g be rs, tigers,

w lves B wie k i e e e -i g hi sel g i st u e us utl ws b its.

Te USda sti i usly cu e te theeig pl t expl ti s u e t ke by

meye the s. Te ph t g phs, c e-

sp e ce, ps t ci thei j u eys isc ve ies li e ultiple shelves i the

st cks the n ti l a chives.rec s illust ti g meye s ve tu ese ispl y i Wh ts C ki g, U cle

S ? exhibiti i the L w e ce .oB ie g lle y t the n ti l a chives i W shi gt , d.C., thr ugh J u ry 3, 2012.Wh ts C ki ? c p ises eclectic s-s t e t ec s with e thi i c -

they we e p uce i the c u se

the the s i the exhibiti , p vi e c i sight i t t ys c ve s ti

the le ve e t i u ily iI the ct y secti the exhibit

we le b ut u usu l expe i e tt k pl ce i the b se e t the Bu eChe ist y. Just ew ye s be e mey

t ve si u t i p sses st e s i Ce t l asi , H vey W shi

Wiley bec e the USdas chie che ist.

Wiley h cuse his c ee hisi e ble skills, biti , e e y subject ulter ts. ll, b rrel-e , with lithic he pe et

ze, Wiley w s i p si u e. He jecte t ulter ti r l gr

pp che his w k with the zep ssi crus er. ulter ti

u pe pet te the a e ic per u he w s eter i e t exp se t jus

h sh li ht.

I ust i l ge stu s we e cct re with rse ic, r l ehy e, s

be z te, b ric ci , c pper sul te, er subst ces. Tese che ic ls were e

s s yes r preserv tives r t sst i e ie ts sp il e. Chpreserv tives, Wiley believe , p se the

ger t the c su er. But he ee e pr

Opposite: President Lyndon B. Johnsons frst statedinner was a Texas-style barbeque. He held so manyo these casual events during his time in o fce thatthe term barbeque diplomacy was coined. Top left:With the world at war in the 1940s, armers had to

eed troops, civilians, and overseas allies. Top right:With canned goods in short supply during WorldWar I, people were encouraged to grow more ruitsand vegetables at home.

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spECiAl mEAls prEpArEDfor 12 BrAvE youNG mEN

Wiley evise expe i e t esi e tp vi e evi e ce th t these subst ces we ei ee h ul. He u e up 12 y u ,

bust ell ws, t v lu tee wh t hec lle the Hy ie ic ble.

Pe h ps tiv te by the p ise eee ls, the e ic l stu e ts a icultu e

dep rt e t u erli gs sig e t e t l ce with p essively i c e si u ts

che ic l p ese v tives. Tei tt :n e but the b ve e e t the e.

Te y u e ls c itte t c llect sub it ll thei w ste p ucts

the ur ti the experi e t ( s tchel c t i e s we e p vi e this pu p se.)

Wiley h il kitte ut s i ih ll c plete with white t blecl ths. olB x, s Wiley c e t be k w , evep ep e s e the e ls hi sel .

he expe i e t su p ise Wiley tw c u ts: the sci ti it hel thep esswh lee ully ubbe it Te P isSqu the seve ity the ill ess

c use by the ulter ts. news the P isSqu c t ibute t the u ti g publicutc y p tecti . Te esults the tests

( w i the Bu e u Che ist y ec st the n ti l a chives) c vi ce Wiley

th t these subst ces sh ul t be ll wei s. I 1906 Wiley, ther supp rters

the Pu e d u act, p ev ile .

our EAtiNG HABits BEComEmAttErs of NAtioNAl sECurity

I the Kitche secti Wh ts C kU cle S ? we le h w the vetrie t pr tect a eric s t ly r us e but b e ti h bits I the ye s pp chi g a e ic s e

e t i W l W II, ut iti bectte ti l secu ity.

at the ti e, it w s wi ely believe th tsig ifc t p ti a e ic s we e

u ishe . Te he lth ft ess t

To learn more about Tis exhibiti , twww.archives.gov/exhibi ts / whats-cooking/. Tis exhibiti s cu e ts

i es, t lick thttp://tinyurl.com/ usnatarchives-fickr-cooking. othe n ti l a chives li e exhibits,

t www.archives.gov/exhibits/.

Opposite top: This ood group poster, ca. 1945,recommended that in addition to the Basic 7, youcould eat any other oods you want. Oppositbottom: As soon as the Pure Food and Drugs Actwas passed, products, such as Extra Fancy CreamSugar Corn, began to proclaim the purity o theiringredients. Top: The slogan and special insignia, U.SNeeds Us Strong, was used on oods approved bythe Nutrition Division as part o a healthy diet duringWorld War II.

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p pul ti were critic l r b th s l iers civili s i a e ic w s t ht the w

i t i pr ucti we p s the h e t.

c b t this hi e hu ge , thenut iti divisi the W

a i ist ti esig e epl ye ew ui e t efect the e lities w -

ti e sh t ges ti i g e t,sug r, eggs, butter. Previ usly i sep r te

ups, e t e s we e c bi e withbe s sh s lte tive p tei s.

Te d ily 7 w s illust te s se e ts ci cle. Te eshly i te sy b l

he lthy a eric ily esig e with help c e ci l ve tisi g ge cy v lu -

tee sw s pl ce i the ce te . a u thesy b l spi e -up sl g pr cl i e , U.S.nee s Us Str gE t the B sic 7 Every d y.

a ve si th t sl , U.S. nee s Us

St E t nut iti l w s p t sep r te i iti tive th t c - pte the c er-ci l i ust y. Te sl speci li si i ele theGood Housekeeping se l pp v l c ul be use s

s its ull-ti e executive sec et y. alth ume w s c f e t she c ul isc ve thli ks betwee cultu e iet th t w ullight the w y rw r , she see s ly t h

eve le h w c plex i cult such u e t ki w ul be.

Te e e y e sci ti g sti Wh ts C ki g, U cle S ? With

e th 100 igi l ec s ispthe e is uch t isc ve b ut the sc p

hist y the g ve e ts e ect the a e ic iet. Te ec s t thn ti l a chives c t i ele e ts te y, i y, vity, eve yste y.

our her r k n. meyer is g ex ple the l tter. He e b rke his urth l expe iti i 1916. We ryi g his tr v

xi us b ut the ete i ti p lisitu ti i Chi , he h be u t c si

esi i his p st. Still, he kept , c llecti wil pe s, pe ches, the pl ts.

o i y, m y 31, 1918, he b e riverb t the Y gtze b u r Sh gT t ight, he w s rep rte issi g. ive yl te , his b y w s u i the ive . Te ccu st ces his e th e i u k w .P

pp ve by the nut iti divisi s p t he lthy iet. requests this e se-

e t p u e i t the nut iti divisi .E ti g b e k st ce e l the s

w s quickly p te s p t i tic c t i-buti t the w e t. Eve the d u h utC p ti a e ic s ught pe issit p te thei p ucts s E iched u h uts. a te seve l ths p es

c rresp e ce, the ter E riche l urd u h uts w s ci lly s cti e .

AssEssiNG uNClE sAmsimpACt oN our DiEts

e chi pe ple b ut the ut iti l v l-ue s w s e thi ; etti the tch e thei e ti h bits w s quite the .

Te n ti l rese ch C u cil e C ittee H bits t expl e w ys

t get a e ic s t pply the ew ules tthe p cki lu ch p ils lli -ce y c ts. me be s the c ittee we ele i g s ci l scie tists, i clu i g cultu l

th p l gist m g et me , wh se ve

Left:Wiley recorded his subjects headache, nausea,and vomiting on this page o his meticulous notes.Although there was no o fcial ollow-up, anecdotalreports suggest that none o the volunteers su eredany long-term harm.

Alice Kamps bec e cur t r t then ti l a chives i 2009. Beth t, she w s eel ce exhibit vel pe i Chic g , whe e she c

te exhibits She aqu iu the museu n tu l Hist y. She st te he useu c ee t Chic Chil e s museu . She h s bee e t

si ce he e liest i t ucti likes t

she k ws he i s.

Author

Wha C k ng, unc e sa ? n d a n he law ence f. oB en Ga ea he Na na A ch e n Wa h ng n, D.C., h gh Jan a 3, 2012.

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what's cooking, uncle sam? prologue summer 2011

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