Alaska Eskimo Pie

Advertising poster for Alaska ice cream Eskimo Pies. Commercial posters use simple bold colours and words to transmit an instant message.

Eskimo Pie was America's first chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar, patented by Christian K Nelson of Iowa in 1922. An extensive Eskimo Pie Archives for the years 1922-1996 is held in the National Museum of American History.

Alaska is a brand name with a long connection to South Australia. In 1882 the Adelaide Crystal Ice Company was formed, which in 1921 became Alaska Ice Cream and Produce Company. The Sands and McDougall South Australian directory for 1921 records the first usage of the company name Alaska Ice Cream. The entry in the directory reads 'Alaska Ice Cream Company Limited, proprietors of Adelaide Crystal Ice Company - manufacturers of Alaska and Peters standard ice creams. Manufacturing - Queen Street, Thebarton. Telephone numbers 4980, 4981.'

The old Alaska Ice Cream Factory in Thebarton was built around 1950 and is now called Alaska Towers and is within the University Research Park. This building was originally an Ice Works before being taken over by the Alaska Ice Cream Company.

The Library has the Alaska Ice Cream and Produce Company [of Adelaide] Directors' report for the year ended... 30 June 1936 which refers to the ice and ice cream plant at Broken Hill. In 1957 the company became part of Alaska Foods, which ceased making ice cream more than 20 years ago. The Library has annual reports for Alaska foods for 1957 to 1981.

Peters Eskimo Pie entered the marketplace in Australia in 1923, and Nestlé Peters still makes Eskimo Pies in Australia.

Another longstanding South Australian ice cream company, no longer in existence, was the Adelaide Milk Supply Co-operative Ltd (AMSCOL) and the Library has AMSCOL archival business records for 1913-1981.

Golden North ice cream is still made in the mid northern township of Laura in South Australia, with links in the region as far back as 1880. The company is Australian owned and is synonymous with the dairying industry and distribution of milk and milk products in the region.

This item is reproduced courtesy of Alaska Foods Limited. It may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires written permission from Alaska Foods Limited. To request approval, complete the Quote for Copy/Permission form.