202 Finding aid prepared by Laurie Sather, 2017.. Last updated on February 12, 2018. Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department
Table of Contents Summary Information...3 Biography/History...4 Scope and Contents... 4 Administrative Information... 4 Controlled Access Headings...5 Collection Inventory... 6 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Hagley Museum and Library: Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department Creator Automatic Merchandising Company. Title Automatic Merchandising Company album Call number 202 Date circa 1955 Extent 1 volume General Physical Description 22 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 2 magazine article reprints. Removed from album for preservation purposes. Language English Abstract Automatic Merchandising Company operated and installed vending machines. A signature product was the Auto-Snak, a set of food vending machines which dispensed soda, coffee, milk, sandwiches, soup, salads, pastries and ice cream. This album is a promotional salesman sample album of automatic food vending machines for factories, universities, and offices. The album promotes the company's Auto-Snak machines. - Page 3 -
Biography/History Automatic Merchandising Company operated and installed vending machines. A signature product was the Auto-Snak, a set of food vending machines which dispensed soda, coffee, milk, sandwiches, soup, salads, pastries and ice cream. These automat style vending machines emerged in America after the invention of the first coffee vendors in 1946 that allowed for the use of vending machines for coffee breaks, cutting needed catering staffs in large factories. By 1950 the first refrigerated sandwiches were being sold. During the 1950s companies like Automatic Merchandising expanded their operations to include support kitchens, and staff to allow factories to continually maintain vending stations in several locations in factories for their workers. Automatic Merchandising Company was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and had a branch in Detroit, Michigan. Executive William S. Fishman (1916-1991) ran the company from 1941 to 1959 when the firm was merged with Davidson Brothers to become Automatic Retailers of America Inc. In 1994, the company changed its name to Aramark Corporation, which today is one of the largest food service, facilities, and uniform service providers. Scope and Contents This album is a promotional salesman sample album of automatic food vending machines for factories, universities, and offices. The album promotes the company's Auto-Snak machines which sold milk, fresh salads, sandwiches, hot coffee, pastries, ice cream, hot soup, and soda. Budd Manufacturing Plant, Marquette University, Columbia University, and the Goodrich School all used Auto-Snak machines. The images show close-up views of products such as Pepsi-Cola, Dad's Root Beer, Campbell Soup and others. There is also an article about the Budd plant installing the machines and a report about solving issues related to feeding employees. The promotional album is from the Detroit Branch. The contents have been removed from the album for preservation, however, the original order of the album has been maintained. Administrative Information Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department Finding aid prepared by Laurie Sather, 2017.. - Page 4 -
Access Restrictions This collection is open for research. Automatic Merchandising Company album Existence and Location of Copies Controlled Access Headings Subject(s) Food service Vending machines. - Page 5 -
Collection Inventory Volume Page "Automatic Catering at Budd" article by G.R. Schreiber, circa 1955.. 1 1-3 Automatic coffee vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 4 Auto-Snak machine at Budd Wheel Plant, circa 1955.. 1 5 Hamtramck, Michigan. Auto-Snak machine at unidentified locations, circa 1955.. 1 6-9 Scope and Content Includes workers using the machines. Active kitchen, circa 1955.. 1 10 Scope and Content Unidentified location. - Page 6 -
Auto-Snak machine at Marquette University, circa 1955.. 1 11 Milwaukee. Active kitchen, circa 1955.. 1 12 Unidentified location. Cambell's Tomato Soup vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 13 Soda vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 14 Dispenses: Pepsi-Cola, Ginger-Ale, Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer, and Cherry. Rosebud Milk/chocolate milk vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 15 Jersey Creamery Co. Sandwich vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 16 - Page 7 -
Potato salad and fruit cocktail in cherry jello, circa 1955.. 1 17 Ice cream vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 18 Good Humor. Pastries vending machine, circa 1955.. 1 19 Auto-Snak machine at Columbia University, circa 1955.. 1 20 Auto-Snak machine at Goodrich School, circa 1955.. 1 21 Uniondale, Long Island. People using Auto-Snak machine, circa 1955.. 1 22 Unidentified location. Back of machine, circa 1955.. 1 23 - Page 8 -
Alley, circa 1955.. 1 24 Scope and Content Unidentified location. Auto-Snak machine at the Budd Wheel Plant, circa 1955.. 1 25 Hamtramck, Michigan. "A Report to Management: Solving the Problem of In-Office Feeding", 1954 June.. 1 27-30 From Management Methods. - Page 9 -