Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales

Cooking Artifacts and Authentic Diner in Rhode Island Museum

Jun 4, 2009

Antique appliances, cake designs, rotating exhibits, kitchen gadgets and all things food related can be found at this university's on site museum

"This is a museum for everyone who eats," said Richard Gutman, director and curator of Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum in Providence, Rhode Island. Considering most people eat three times a day, what better place is there for food professionals and the curious to see culinary history in the making. Founded in 1989, the objective is to show how food and food services affect everyone. Sectioned by subject, the 25,000-square-foot gallery is accented with antique cast-iron stoves, refrigerators with motors on top and a country fair replica. Permanent exhibits and some traveling ones complete the experience.

Paul Fritzsche donated 7,500 rare historical cookbooks to launch the museum's idea in 1979. A decade later, Chef Louis Szathmary, owner of Chicago's "The Bakery" restaurant, gave his enormous culinary collection to the museum. Sixteen tractor trailer trucks arrived with stoves, pots, pans, matchbooks and more. In addition to a large display honoring the benefactor, 600 (out of 5,000) artistic menus are in the "Szathmary Travel Menu Collection" that highlights dining on ships, railroads and airlines from 1860 to 1992.

Additional items were donated from food writers, food-and-wine-related corporations and even museum visitors. Chefs donate as well. Emeril Lagasse and Tyler Florence, both Food Network stars, are Johnson & Wales graduates.

The Art of the Fruit Crate Label

Collectors Marilyn Gelfman Karp and Ivan C. Karp donated to the museum 238 fruit labels from their collection dating from the late 1800s through the 1950s. Many of the colorful images are now cleverly displayed to resemble packing boxes.They are put into historical context with background information and growers' artifacts and the tools used to hand-pick the fruit in the fields. A version of the Rhode Island exhibit will appear at Johnson & Wales' Charlotte and Miami campuses.

This collection includes over one hundred handwritten and signed food-related documents from American Presidents, First Ladies and White House chefs, as well as presidential menus, cookbooks, photographs and china. Visitors will also learn about President Eisenhower's preferred method of making beef stew.

Plan to spend a long time in front of master cake decorator Cile Bellefleur-Burbidge's cakes, many several feet tall. Her "Architectural Fantasy Cake, 2007" is remarkable in its detail. A three-minute documentary helps explain how she makes the exquisite confections with her talented hands. Also displayed in this Pastry section are recent creations by equally talented J&W students.

Diners: Still Cookin' in the 21st Century

From its 19th-century origins in Providence, RI as a horse-drawn lunch wagon to its place as a quintessential American icon, the diner has no rival. An authentic diner, the Ever Ready, now has a permanent home as part of the 4,000-square-foot diner exhibit. Visitors enter the exhibit by walking through a life-size diner facade highlighted with a neon sign. Once inside, the long and fascinating history of the roadside diner is well told with menus, photographs and furnishings. The exhibit is drawn from Gutman's extensive diner knowledge and memorabilia. He is also the author of American Diner Then and Now and The Worcester Lunch Car Company. This diner exhibit is not to be confused with the now-defunct American Diner Museum.

Johnson & Wales University is based in Providence, Rhode Island with other campuses in Charlotte, Denver and North Miami. The school is at the forefront in the culinary and hospitality industries, as well as business, technology and education.

The Culinary Arts Museum is located on the J&W Rhode Island campus and at 315 Harborside Boulevard on the Providence and Cranston line. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and holidays. Admission is adults ($7); seniors ($6); ages 5-18 ($2); under 5 is free. Group rates and special programming are available.

The copyright of the article Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales in North American Culinary Travel is owned by Judith Glynn. Permission to republish Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.