Antiques, Chocolate, and A Hershey Story

We do not live that far away from Hershey, home of the wonderful chocolate factory.

 

Recently I purchased a deal where you could tour the Hershey Story Museum and take part in a chocolate tasting.

 

While my Mother was here for the Easter holiday, we decided to go check it out.

 

I did not realize that a chocolate tasting meant liquid chocolate, nor did I know they would be flavors from different cocoa beans from around the world.

There are some very different type of beans....and some were tasty and some were not! It really depended on the person's preference.

Each little glass was color coded to match the country on the sheet of paper they gave us.

It was a pure delight and I ended up with three that I enjoyed the most.

Here are some shots from inside the museum where you learned the history behind Hershey chocolate and how Milton Hershey began this sweet empire.

He failed over and over but never gave up. This is the main point I have always taken from his story.

How many times do we try something and give up?

Sometimes it is not about how many times we fail but about how many times we try again.

He started out making caramel candies! He actually finally had success with this endeavor but switched to chocolate because he saw that this was where he could really do well.

 
And "did well" is an understatement!

This is a kiss wrapping machine... you know that I wanted to eat chocolate more than anything while going through this place! In the early days of their factory work, people would HAND wrap each kiss. Finally they came up with the machine.

Also, during the war, aluminum was needed so for about 7 years there were no kisses.

No kisses!

I mean, we have them for every holiday around here. I can't imagine seven years with no little kisses.

This is an AMAZING piece of art!

A gorgeous chandelier stand made of French Baccarat crystal.

Milton paid about $5,000 -$6,000 dollars for it. He had seen it in his travels
and really wanted it but didn't buy it at first. After a few years he finally acquired it.

It ended up in their house! I can't imagine that either!

 

Although small, this was one of my favorite examples of Hershey chocolate.
A fan chocolate bar. This is an example of the packaging as well as the chocolate mold that was used to make it.

Sigh. IF only I could fine either in my travels antiquing.

Then in another area of the museum was another exhibit.
About early childhood in America.

These were original outfits worn by children of the time.
The pink and petite rose dress was actually worn by a boy!

They wore them too!  We read it was mostly to make it easier for the Mother to clean up after them and toilet train.

I just adore the beautiful blue plaid dress.

Rocking horse.

Wow. All I can say is WOW!

Dolls and cradle.

 

Ice skates.

(1820 - 1880)

These antique samplers from the 1800's are so sweet.
Here is what is "written"-

Wrought by Anna Martha Reinhard in

the 11th year of her age,

October 4th 1839

Lebanon, Pennsylvania

 

This one is much harder to read.

 

Here is what I tried to decipher:

Emanuel Lone
Anny Lone

Harriet Lone is my name
(Portist?) hill is my ______ (station?)
Anerlog?______ is my dwelling place
And Christ is my salvation
When I am dead and in my grave
And all my bones are rotten
And this you see remember me
Lest I should be forgotten

Worked by Miss Harriet Lone in the 12th
year of her age 1820



I hope you enjoyed my quick tour of the Hershey Story Museum!
If you are ever in the Hershey, Pennsylvania area it is something you should stop in to see. There is much, much more I did not share as my camera battery was going...

Linking to Etsy Cottage Style's "Cottage Vintage Style"
and Ivy and Elephants "What's It Wednesday"

I'll be back in a day or so with some NEW arrivals.... one that is really going to be a hot pick so be sure to catch it early before it is GONE!

Here is a hint: It would fit into my industrial category AND it was used in the early days of newspaper...

Enjoy the day!