Bonbons in Brooklyn: The Many Lives of Candy Tongs

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Artifacts are More Than Enough: Recentering the Artifact in Historical Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Chocolate is one of very few things that can bring joy to nearly everyone and yet, little evidence of the consumption of chocolate has been documented in of New York City’s historical archaeological record. A 2016 CRM investigation documented 19th century shaft features in the rear yards of three historical properties in Downtown Brooklyn. Among the thousands of artifacts recovered from adjacent parcels were two small brass strips embossed with the name of a local chocolate shop. These “bonbon tongs” were often part of high-end packaging and were sometimes marketed for special occasions. They were frequently repurposed for use in party games for adults and children alike. The tongs show that despite cultural, ethnic, and economic differences of those who used/reused them, chocolate remains a universal delight.   

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Artifacts are More Than Enough: Recentering the Artifact in Historical Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow