While debate remains surrounding the precise origin of the cookie cutter, the kitchen utensil’s influence on American culinary culture has only grown since it rose to popularity in the mid-1800s. Initially folk objects and handicrafts created by tinsmiths or other metal workers, the mass production of cookie cutters at the end of the nineteenth century ushered in their ubiquity and made the desserts created with them a common sight on dinner tables across America. This collection contains an array of cookie cutter styles and shapes produced during the twentieth century and made from materials including tin, wood, aluminum, and plastic. Featuring cookie cutters whose shapes coincide with the iconography of national, ethnic, or religious holidays, this collection highlights seasonal celebrations and American foodways.
For an inventory of this collection, consult the Cookie Cutter Collection finding aid.