History of Gelatine

Before the invention of the first household packets, the reputation of gelatin was vastly different. Gelatin, a protein made up mainly of the amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline, is created by extracting the collagen from animal bones. This food additive was difficult to prepare and its presence at a household dinner was an immediate indication that the family was wealthy enough to have the amount of maids that the food preparation required. Gelatin was prepared by boiling animal bones, often obtained from carcasses left over from the families' meat sources. These bones boiled in large kettles for multiple days with constant supervision. After the collagen was extracted, the protein mixture had to be drained, sifted, and cooled to become a usable texture. The usage of gelatin dates back to the middle ages, where there are records of people boiling deer antlers and calves feet to achieve the same gelatinous texture.

Because gelatin is created using leftover bones, the idea of it became more intriguing as the meat packing industry grew and searched for ways to reuse their animal byproducts.  In 1840, industrialist and engineer Peter Cooper created the first gelatin powder deemed, "Portable Gelatin." Cooper owned a glue factory and wanted to reuse the bones that would have otherwise been discarded. He patented the idea in 1845, describing it as a transparent jelly that may "be drawn into jars or molds of any convenient form, and will be ready for sale." Cooper's product was sold for many years, but the overall lack of advertising led to its decline and eventual failure after the original patent expired.

United States Context

Gelatine was widely used throughout the 1900s, and much of its success came from several distinct events and movements.

Homemaking shift in the early 20th century

For centuries, the "traditional" role of a woman was to tend to the home and the children, cooking each meal to provide to her family and ensuring that her house was clean and presentable. While this principle has stayed similar, the differences in technology changed the specific expectations of the woman homemaker. Before the 1800s it was more difficult to source ingredients beyond what was in the family's farm or adjacent. The average meal did not yield much room for creativity.

After the industrial revolution, there was a higher abundance of factory jobs. Many men abandoned their farming jobs, and some of the maids within wealthier households left to find slightly higher-paying jobs, lowering the prevalence of help within the kitchen. With their homes empty and ingredients more readily available, there was suddenly a heavier expectation for women to provide their husbands with creative, home-cooked meals. Because of this, there was a rise in the production of cookbooks and of utilizing food as a transmission of culture, a way to make money, and an indication of an ideal homemaker. The first self-serve store, Piggly-Wiggly, opened in the early 1900s, and soon after, self-serve grocery stores became more prevalent, yielding even more creativity to the homemaker. While the expectations for women shifted slightly amongst the World Wars and Great Depression, the general expectation of them to contribute to their family by cooking held steady.

World War I

The United States entered World War I in April, 1917, several years after it had begun in Europe. Quickly after the United States' involvement, the government began to emphasize the importance of the average American's support. With less agricultural activity than usual and a stretched budget, the soldiers were not receiving the food they needed. Herbert Hoover began to implement voluntary rationing measures to ensure that foods such as sugar, wheat, and meats were plentiful enough to be sent to the soldiers overseas. He encouraged the purchase of only 8 oz of sugar per week, and began to emphasize rationing days such as "Meatless Tuesday," "Wheatless Mondays/Wednesdays," and "Porkless Thursday/Saturday." Home gardening and canning became more prevalent as families attempted to contribute to the war effort. The restrictions on baking supplies such as flour and sugar forced women to become more creative with their meals. In general, the rationing forced healthier habits onto Americans as they began to consume less sugar and more whole grains. However, because the rationing was voluntary, there was an influx of price inflation, hoarding, and black market sales, as some people purchased and resold goods rather than participating in suggested rationing measures.

The Great Depression

Stretching 1929-1939, the Great Depression was an evolutionary time for Americans. The Depression, coupled with the aftermath of the Dust Bowl, pushed millions of Americans out of a job, hurt the agricultural economy as prices plummeted, and forced families to become as resourceful as possible amidst times of limited income. There were soup kitchens in some major cities, but generally, extra food was scarcely available. The lines to these kitchens were miles long and could not keep up with the desperation of entire starving families. The burden of this financially strenuous time fell onto the homemaker. Women creatively stretched their leftovers and made meals from any ingredients they could find. With the emergence of supermarkets a decade before, brand recognition was important. Brands such as Kraft, Spam, Ritz, and gelatine companies Jell-O and Knox, among others, played key roles in providing cheap and sustaining ways to feed families.