Collection documents the development and marketing of the Chef's Choice brand of knife sharpeners.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the development, marketing, and sales of the Chef's Choice brand of knife sharpeners to a home-based consumer market. Materials include both American and foreign print advertisements, press releases, press kits, point-of-purchase displays, magazine articles, catalogs, photographs, trade literature, audiovisual materials including VHS recordings of demonstrations, design drawings, business records, and scrapbooks. Of interest is the materials relating to chefs and food service industry professionals and EdgeCraft Corporation's evolution from serving the home cook to manufacturing products for commercial use. The collection is arranged in two series: Series 1, Company Records, 1984-1993, undated and Series 2, Product Information, 1984-2016, undated.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1, Company Records, 1984-1993, undated
Series 2, Product Materials, 1984-2016, undated
Biographical / Historical:
EdgeCraft Corporation, founded by Daniel Denwood Friel (1920-2012), introduced the Chef's Choice brand to the consumer market in 1984. Chef's Choice brand's first product was the electric knife sharpener which debuted in 1985. The electric knife sharpener was the invention of Friel, a retired chemical engineer. Born to Samuel Edward Whiting Friel and Martha Reynolds Friel in Queenstown, Queen Anne's, Maryland, Friel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1942. He began his career on the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago in 1943. Mr. Friel's career path continued with thirty-nine years of experience as a chemical engineer with the DuPont Company. His retirement from DuPont was short lived as he turned his attention to the development of his new company, EdgeCraft Corporation, and an ever-increasing line of products. EdgeCraft Corporation, located in Avondale, Pennsylvania, continues to manufacture a large selection of electric and manual knife sharpeners, kettles, electric food slicers, waffle makers, electric grills, grinders, and hot beverage makers.
Related Materials:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Julia Child Award Winners Collection NMAH.AC.01371
Collection donated by the Edgecraft Corporation, 2016.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Materials consist of correspondence, business records, and photographs relating to well-known people in the culinary trade including American cooking teacher, author, and television personality Julia Child (August 15, 1912- August 13, 2004); cookbook author and host of The Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith (January 22, 1939-July 7, 2004); French-born American chef, author, culinary educator, television personality, and artist Jacques Pepin (December 18, 1935-); Chinese American chef and food writer Martin Yan (December 22, 1948-); meat expert Merle Ellis (January 12, 1934-January 20, 2010) and others. There is a small amount of material relating to the founder of EdgeCraft Corporation Daniel Friel including biographical information, photographs, and correspondence. A photograph album documenting company events and trade fairs, photographs of the company's exterior building, a quest book, and promotional materials from San Francisco gourmet shows are also found among the materials. In addition, there is a file relating to Israeli American violinist, conductor, and music teacher Itzhak Perlman (August 31, 1945-). Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Documents the manufacture, marketing, sales, and distribution of EdgeCraft products. Materials include images consisting of first concept illustrations, design drawings, and photographs of products. Print advertisements, catalogs, and trade literature introduce products to the retail market to drive sales. Promotional and publicity materials include press releases, press kits, point-of-purchase displays, video recordings of demonstrations, and training guides. In addition, there are a few scrapbooks, interviews with Merle Ellis and Craig Claiborne, magazine articles, and newspaper clippings. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
