The
history of Aunt Jemima
The
A.B. Frost painting of Aunt Jemima, as she was in the early
days. See below for the modern Aunt Jemima, as well as some
great collectibles!
Who is the Woman Behind Aunt Jemima.
She
was not only one of the greatest advertising icons of all
time, but Aunt Jemima was also the advertising world's first
living trademark. And, as with any such icon, she's had
her fair share of controversy. But did you know who the
real Aunt Jemima was?
Born into slavery in 1834, the woman who would become known
to millions as Aunt Jemima was really named Nancy Green.
She was a warm, friendly woman who also happened to be an
excellent cook (though, interestingly enough, the famous
Aunt Jemima pancake recipe wasn't hers. It belonged to a
company called the Pearl Milling Company). And it was in
1893 that she was discovered in Chicago, at the age of 59,
by one R.T. Davis.
Head
of the R.T. Davis Milling Company, Davis bought the pancake
formula from Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood when the Pearl
Milling Company went bankrupt. And though it was Rutt and
Underwood who came up with the name "Aunt Jemima,"
it was Davis who decided to use a living person to endorse
it.
History
was made that year at the World's Columbian Exposition in
Chicago, the very first time Nancy Green went public. It
was there that she, with her charming and animated personality,
engaged the crowds and supplied them with thousands of pancakes.
In fact, she was such a sensation that police had to be
assigned to keep the crowds moving!
The
rest of the story made marketing history. Soon, Nancy Green
signed a lifetime contract with Davis, and her image was
on billboards and advertisements all over the world. Davis
was up to his eyeballs in pancake orders, and flour sales
skyrocketed. Even after the Davis Company had to sell years
later, Nancy Green remained the "pancake queen."
It wasn't until 1923 when her legacy as a living trademark
ended - when she was tragically struck and killed by a car
in downtown Chicago. Two years later, the Aunt Jemima Mills
were purchased by the Quaker Oats Company.
The
famous image of Aunt Jemima was based on the real image
of Nancy Green, an original painting of which recently sold
for $9,030 at MastroNet. This painting was rendered by A.B.
Frost, now regarded as one of the great illustrators of
the Golden Age of American Illustration.
Aunt
Jemima's image, however, has been modified since the days
of Nancy Green and A.B. Frost. As social climates started
to change and the 20th century wore on, many became offended
by Aunt Jemima's image and felt that it was an outdated
and negative portrayal of an African-American woman. If
you take a look at today's Aunt Jemima, you'll notice that
her kerchief is gone and her hair is styled. She wears earrings,
and appears slimmer and younger. She does, however, have
the same warm and inviting smile that she's always had.
