Presentation: The Two Sides of the Tin Can


​Presentation: The Two Sides of the Tin Can

​A History of Industrial and Domestic Art in the Bay Area


​Slide 1: Title Slide – The Valley of Heart’s Delight

  • ​The Land: Before it was "Silicon Valley," the Bay Area was the fruit basket of the world.
  • ​The Symbol: A tin can represented the triumph of science over nature—making summer fruit available all year long.
  • ​The Goal: To explore how "Modernity" was sold by corporations, while "Tradition" was kept alive in home kitchens.

​Slide 2: The Industrial Giants

  • ​The Big Names: Del Monte (San Francisco), Hunt’s (Hayward), and S&W Fine Foods.
  • ​A Global Hub: San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf housed the largest fruit cannery in the world (Del Monte Plant No. 1).
  • ​Modernity for Sale: Companies marketed canned goods as "scientific" and "hygienic," convincing the public that factory-sealed food was the peak of progress.

​Slide 3: The Labor in the Fields and Factories

  • ​The Workforce: The industry was built on the backs of immigrant and migrant labor—Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Mexican, and African American workers.
  • ​The Seasonal Rush: In the summer, the entire Bay Area moved to the rhythm of the harvest.
  • ​The Connection: While men often worked the heavy machinery, women were the primary force on the canning lines—and in their own kitchens.

​Slide 4: The Domestic Cannery (Our Mothers’ Kitchens)

  • ​The Backyard Legacy: Women like my mother and Edna Conwright didn't rely solely on the store; they harvested from local orchards and backyard gardens.
  • ​The Skill: Home canning was an art. It required precise timing, sterilized glass jars, and "elbow grease."
  • ​Community & Care: In the summer heat, women worked together, sharing recipes and techniques to stock the pantry for winter.

​Slide 5: Why It Matters – A Dual Legacy

  • ​Self-Sufficiency: While the giant industries grew, the domestic cannery was about family survival and pride.
  • ​The Taste of Home: A store-bought tin was "modern," but a hand-sealed jar of peaches carried the story of the person who picked and preserved them.
  • ​Preserving History: We remember the brick buildings of Del Monte, but we honor the humid kitchens where women turned local harvests into a legacy.

​Slide 6: Conclusion

  • ​The Bay Area has transitioned from fruit to tech, but the history remains in our memories.
  • ​The Industry gave us the "Modern" world.
  • ​The Women gave us the "Heart, Family, and Community."

​

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers go to the St Louis Jazz Festival

Image
WikiExplorers go to Senegal, a children’s story for ages 10–12, to learn about their shared history in music.  From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers Travel to Senegal   Ten WikiExplorers sat in a circle on the classroom floor in Harlem, laptops open, backpacks half-zipped, and ready to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Dakar, Senegal.  “Dakar is right here,” said Amina, pointing at the map on her screen. “And St. Louis is way up north,” Malik added. “It used to be the capital of Senegal!” They were traveling to Senegal to attend a jazz festival in St. Louis, a city known for its music, rivers, and beautiful old buildings. Their assignment was special: learn about the shared history of African and African American music, find knowledge gaps on Wikipedia, and help fill them—with words, photos, and interviews. None of the children had ever been to Africa before. But Africa didn’t feel far away. Research Before the Journey Before the trip, the WikiExplorers met ...
Read more

Edgar Cayce’s prophecy and African Americans

  Edgar Cayce, sometimes called the “Sleeping Prophet,” gave thousands of psychic readings in the early 20th century. Much of his work focused on health, spirituality, and esoteric subjects like Atlantis, but in his life readings he also spoke about the destiny and role of various groups of people in history—including African Americans. Cayce’s prophecy and his views as they relate to African American history: 1. Spiritual Destiny of African Americans Cayce suggested that African Americans carried a deep spiritual mission. He often spoke of “souls” incarnating in different races and regions to fulfill certain purposes. About Black people in America, he indicated that they held a role in bringing balance, humility, and spiritual renewal to a world overly focused on materialism. He stated that African Americans would play a key role in the spiritual awakening of America . He connected their history of suffering and resilience with a kind of spiritual refinement—what he descri...
Read more

The WikiExplorers and the Brilliant Mind of David Blackwell

Image
An educational children’s story designed for ages 9–12 about a group of curious kids called the WikiExplorers , who take on a Wikipedia research assignment and discover the story of David Blackwell and his surprising connection to AI and NVIDIA . The WikiExplorers and the Brilliant Mind of David Blackwell Written for Young Readers | Ages 9–12 Once a week, in a quiet corner of the school library, a special group of kids gathered. They called themselves the WikiExplorers—because their mission was to explore, discover, and share knowledge with the world by editing real Wikipedia articles. The club had five members: Zora, the thoughtful writer Miles, the math genius Kai, the tech whiz Luna, the fact-checker Tariq, the big-picture thinker One Friday afternoon, their club advisor, Ms. Ocampo, arrived with a special assignment. “Today, WikiExplorers,” she said, placing a stack of printouts on the table, “you’re going to add new information to a Wikipedia article—about NVIDIA, the computer c...
Read more