2006.67.1

1880s
88 in HIGH x 84 in WIDE x 168 in DEEP
(223.52 cm HIGH x 213.36 cm WIDE x 426.72 cm DEEP)
Exchange with Sacramento Archives and Museum Collections Center
2006.67.1

D. Ghirardelli Co. | Chocolate, cocoa, mustard

Horse drawn fifth-wheel devilery wagon from Ghirardelli Company. The loading bed and seat are painted in faux wood finish and on the long sides of the wagon in gold letters it reads: "D. Ghirardelli Co. Chocolate, Cocoa, Mustard" Near the seat on the sides it has a logo of an eagle, with trade mark and a seal that has the letters "D" and "G" intertwined. The wheels and lower parts are painted red with gold color accents. It has four parts: A) Wagon; 88" h x 84" w x 168 d B) horse hitch pole; consisting of a long wood pole with with metal hooks at one end. 8.5" h x 148" l x 6" h C) cover; made of wood frame, with metal bars and covered in canvas treated with paint (oil cloth?) 8" h (closed) x 84" w x 168 d D) cover: wood, iron and nylon or vynil cover. (seems a contemporary reproduction). 8" h x 71.2" w x 164" d. Domingo Ghirardelli of Italy founded this important San Francisco company in 1852. He invented the bromo process for separating cocoa butter from the power that could be used for drinking chocolate. He died in 1894 and is buried in Oakland. In the 1960s, Ghirardelli Co was purchased by Golden Grain Company, which made Rice-a-Roni. They moved the factory to San Leandro. The Roth family purchsed the old site in San Francisco, and converted the old chocolate factory to a tourist shopping center, preserving most of the old buildings. William Roth donated the chocolate wagon to the Sacramento History Center Museum and History Division on July 14, 1981. In exchange for the Sacramento Iron Jail house, OMCA received the chocolate wagon in 2006. A negative exists (2006.67.2) of this or a similar wagon in context at the factory, ca. 1880s. PCK

Used: Ghirardelli Chocolate Company | Chocolate | Transportation | Commerce

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