The smell of fresh popcorn can bring up wonderful memories of watching movies at home with friends and family.  The smell of buttered, sweet, cheesy or spicy popcorn is guaranteed to remind us of childhood memories which revolve around this popular treat.  Who can forget walking by a movie theater and being forced to buy a ticket just by smelling popcorn in the concession stand?  The love of popcorn goes back many years and an antique popcorn machine can bring those memories to life.

Popcorn History
Dating back to the 4th century, popcorn kernels were discovered in archaeological digs in Mexico and in Peru.  The Spanish explorer, Henrnando Cortes, wrote about the Aztecs adorning their idols and themselves with ceremonial head coverings made from popcorn. This was done by placing kernels on heated stones or sometimes placing them in heated sand until they popped.  Before the invention of the microwave, popcorn was made in a heated pan with oil. Even today, some people prefer to cook it this way.

Antique Popcorn Machine
Just as we lifted the lid, the popcorn always seemed to start popping.  Perhaps catching a few kernels out of the pan is something you’ve tried.  Ancient people played a game catching popcorn as it popped.  Some archaeological sites have uncovered popping devices made from soapstone, metal and pottery.  These were filled with popcorn kernels and placed over a fire.  Also used were baskets made from metal mesh which were mounted on a metal handle.  Most ancient techniques were tricky and hard and resulted in burn or under cooked popcorn.

Other techniques involved placing an oiled cob on a stic over a fire or into boiling oil until it popped.  Recognized as the forerunner of the modern popcorn machine was metal cones that rotated around a metal shaft over a fire which was made by blacksmiths in the 17th century. T he first popcorn machine was designed and crafted in 1885 by Charles Cretors.  He ran a sweet shop and a peanut roasting machine that he created for his business that cooked popcorn and could be moved from place to place.  This machine became a fixture of parks and was used for fairs and in shows. Charles used lard, salt and oil to season his popcorn which cooked evenly with his machine.

By 1912, popcorn became a popular snack and was a staple of most movie theaters in the country. The Cretors family is still building popcorn machines today. The first industrial sized machine was invented by Dan Tolbert in 1914. These machines were marketed by Fred Hoke and James Holcomb. The machines became popular until the The Great Depression hit in the 1930’s and people could no longer afford them. The snack itself remained popular and affordable and continued to be a hot seller.

During World War II when sugar was striclty rationed, popcorn consumption tripled.  This popularity continued through the health conscious craze of the 70’s and 80’s and the first microwave popcorn was born.  Although, most people agree that the smell and tasted of movie theater popcorn remains the best. Watching a movie in the big screen with a bucket of buttered popcorn is an experience that cannot be duplicated at home.  No matter how good or bad the movie is, the experience is not complete without eating popcorn.
Popcorn remains a popular snack in American culture.  This will continue for generations to come.