The history of animal crackers

_Elsa_

Elsa comes up with a brilliant idea!

“Hey guys, how about I look online for a recipe on how to make them,” says Elsa. “I’m heading home in a few minutes so let me look for a good recipe and I’ll get back to you.”

Sounds like a plan!

As soon as Elsa walks into her house she turns on her computer and then heads into the kitchen to make some coffee. Once she’s back on the computer she begins to look for articles about animal crackers. Aha! She finds the history behind these cookies and begins to read the article.

‘In the late 19th century, animal-shaped cookies (or “biscuits” in British terminology) called “Animals” were imported from England to the United States. The demand for these crackers grew to the point that bakers began to produce them domestically. Stauffer’s Biscuit Company produced their first batch of animal crackers sometime around the end of the century  in York, PA (1871). Other domestic bakeries, including the Dozier-Weyl Cracker Company of St. Louis and the Holmes and Coutts Company of NYC, were the predecessors of the National Biscuit Company, today’s “Nabisco Brands”.

Animal biscuit crackers were made and distributed under the National Biscuit Company banner. In 1902, animal crackers officially became known as “Barnum’s Animals” and evoked the familiar circus theme of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Later in 1902, the now-familiar box was designed for the Christmas season with the innovative idea of attaching a string to hang from the Christmas tree. Up until that time, crackers were generally only sold in bulk (the proverbial “cracker barrel”) or in large tins. These small cartons, which retailed for five cents at the time of their release, were a big hit and are still sold today.

The number and variety contained in each box has varied over the years. In total, 54 different animals have been represented by animal crackers since 1902. In its current incarnation, each package contains 22 crackers consisting of a variety of animals. The most recent addition, the koala was added in September 2002 after being chosen by consumer votes, beating out the penguin, walrus and cobra.

In 1948, the company changed the product name to its current designation of “Barnum’s Animals Crackers”. Later, in 1958, production methods changed to improve the crackers’ visual details. Until then animal shapes were stamped out of a dough sheet by a cutter. This produced outlines with little sophistication. By installing rotary dies, bakers can actually engrave details onto each cracker, creating a more intricate design. The rotary dies are still used today.’ (Source)

“That was an interesting article about the history of animal crackers,” Elsa thinks to herself. 

She continues her search and finds a cool video that talks about the history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aZKoLgM9Gk

She definitely has to hold on to this video link to show the community members! She continues her search.

Let’s continue - Some Facts About Animal Crackers

Start at the beginning – What are animal crackers?