Can: Swel for making Fudge or Frosting. Chocolate Flavor. 3/4 lb. Made by R.B. Davis Co., Hoboken. N.d., ca. 1950-1955.
Entry/Object ID
2010.007.0270
Description
Swel for making Fudge or Frosting. Chocolate Flavor. 3/4 Pound Can. Made by R.B. Davis Company, Hoboken, N.J., U.S.A. No date, circa 1950-1955. Lithographed metal can, 3-3/4" diameter x 4-3/16" high; printed top. Bottom of can is embossed 'L51'; unknown if just a stock can number or refers to a lot or year. Unopened with original contents present.
Product was a powder used for the uses stated with recipes on the can for Swel Fudge and variations as well as Swel Frosting and Fudge Sauce. See notes.
Swel is found followed by an asterisk where it appears. The asterisk refers to it being trademark and is not considered as part of the brand name. Davis was bought by Penick and Ford in the mid-1950s and subsequently the product carried their name rather than Davis. It was made into the 1960s.
Top of can has promotional text - 'Made by the makers of Cocomalt and Davis Baking Powder' with depictions of a can for each product.
Acquisition
Accession
2010.007
Source or Donor
Lukacs, Claire
Acquisition Method
Gift
Credit Line
Museum Collections. Gift of a friend of the Museum.
Made/Created
Date made
1946 - 1950
Notes
Date: 1946-1950
Condition
Overall Condition
Good
General Notes
Note
Notes: The company based in Hoboken was primarily the maker of Davis Baking Powder which is listed in the ingredients for one recipe. It also had been making Cocomalt, an enriched malted chocolate drink in powder form for over 20 years. Swel probably seemed to a natural extension and good fit for the company to extend its product lines. An enlarged detail of a can on the cover shows that the top say's "Cocomalt" and at the right is the outline of two cans (see below.)
See archives 2010.007.0269 for late 1940s Swel recipe pamphlet which depicts the product as being offered in two different cans, as Frosting or Fudge. The graphics on the can are much different than this can, but one aspect is similar: the printing on top of promotional text for Cocomalt and Davis Baking Powder including depictions of their cans.
Status: OK
Status By: dw
Status Date: 2010-11-04
