Aunt Jemima????

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

riverrat

Active member
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Messages
30
Location
SPRINGFIELD MO
Hi there everyone. I have this Aunt Jemima stove that I got for Xmas 20 years ago. Since then I have not been able to find much information about it. I have been told that it was taken to stores to demonstrate the pancake mix. I have contacted the company and they told me they do not have a historical department. I was just wondering if anyone out there may have any information on this or even remember ever seeing one. Thanks for any help you can provide.

riverrat-2019101810215508231_1.jpg

riverrat-2019101810215508231_2.jpg

riverrat-2019101810215508231_3.jpg

riverrat-2019101810215508231_4.jpg
 
Wow! That is a one-of-a-kind griddle. I'd love to have a kitchen large enough to have it installed. What a unique relic from the past.

Can't say I recall seeing one in a store as advertisement for the pancake mix or anywhere else.
 
That's a really neat piece of advertising nostalgia there. I've never seen anything like it either. 

 

I do know that the logo portrait image shows that it's pre-1990, but you obviously knew it was older than 20 years anyway. In the mid and late 1980's several food and beverage mascots were 'reimagined' for a then modern audience with updated drawings of the characters, in some instances having stayed exactly the same since the 60's prior.  Among these were old favorites like Little Debbie, The Chef Boyardee Chef, Uncle Ben, Rastus The Cream Of Wheat Chef, Betty Crocker (portrait version logo), and others.

 

In 1989 Quaker Oats Co updated Aunt Jemima and the Quaker Oats Quaker so I mention that so that you know it would be no less than 30 years old at any rate.

 

In Jemima's case, much like with Uncle Ben and Rastus, the update wasn't just to make the artwork itself appear more modern looking but meant to address the racial stereotypes of the characters themselves. Her headscarf, shawl, bulky frame and general 'slave' appearance were changed to a trimmer, well dressed (with pearl earrings) modern black woman. It didn't erase the murky history of the character but it made her image less offensive from then on anyway.

 

I read that Quaker Oats has been sued by family members of past actresses that had played the part historically since the 1800's and of course have gotten flak for decades about the mascot being racist so it's very possible that's why you got the cold shoulder from them when you tried to find out any info directly from the company.

[this post was last edited: 10/18/2019-13:49]

sudsomatic-2019101813483209639_1.jpg
 
Aunt Jemimas Pancake House at Disneyland

I was curious about the history of the logo and looked around a little more to try to narrow down a year that font style (from the griddle) was used.

 

As I was looking I remembered an old video I watched years ago where Disneyland had a restaurant Casa De Fritos that was loosely centered around the company (and it's products) that would eventually become Frito Lay. I was thinking in the video they mentioned something about Aunt Jemima too. I couldn't find the video but a quick Google of Disneyland Aunt Jemima brought up plenty of hits and jogged my memory.

 

Disneyland had a restaurant called Aunt Jemima's Pancake House that featured a walk around character playing Aunt Jemima. It stands to reason the interior would be very 'Disneyfied' right down to it's cooking equipment. Check out the main image on this website about the restaurant

 


 

If you look at the hanging sign (even though it's at a bad angle) you can see both the portrait image and the Aunt Jemima logo on it are the same as the griddle.

 

Doesn't specifically answer the question but it's a possibility. I read that while the restaurant originated in Disneyland it opened a few other franchises elsewhere, so that makes for a possibility of several of these griddles being around (if they are from that chain of course)


sudsomatic-2019101814020007475_1.jpg
 
<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">What a very fun thing. Although I live within "day-trip" driving distance of Disneyland, I haven't been there since college. The neighbors I just went to lunch with are there every other week. They have "Big Cheese" seasonal passes. I will have to ask them about AJ's.</span>
 
Riverrat.. very welcome. Like I said it may not be any connection to the stove but worth a shot. Good idea posting to the site there as well. Good luck.

 

twintubdexter.. it is fun, sadly it hasn't been Aunt Jemima's since the 70's from what I've read the restaurant was renamed and all references to Aunt Jemima removed when Disney lost sponsorship from Quaker Oats.
 
I'm not overly fond of pancakes or waffles, so rarely have them. The Aunt Jemima product I miss is the Easy-Mix Coffee Cake. It was quick to make, and so tasty. It was difficult to find toward the end, then disappeared altogether.
 
I never liked Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, particularly because of the corn flour it contained. My favorite pancake mix is Krustez, just add water and you’re good to go and there is no corn flour in the mix.

Eddie
 
Was that easy mix coffee cake the one that came with the foil pan in the box and the mix in a plastic bag? You added the liquid to the bag, squished it around and squeezed it into the pan, opened the little packet of streusel topping, sprinkled it onto the cake and baked it?

One of the two earlier versions of Imitation of Life revolved around pancakes with the black character having a secret flour recipe and the enterprise growing from a boardwalk stand to an empire.
 
I was also thinking about the 1934 version of “Imitation of Life” with Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers in regards to this thread about the Aunt Jemima Griddle. In this movie Claudette opens up a Pancake House with the griddle right in the front window and eventually turns the enterprise into an empire of wealth, thanks to her loyal employee played by Louise Beavers. Its just as worthy of viewing as the 1959 Lana Turner version.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025301/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
Eddie
 
Yes

The griddle does work and I also have all of the accompaniments that go with it including a pancake shaker and mold. I have found information on the individual pieces but none on the stove itself. Thanks everyone for writing.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top