Vintage ice cream mould of a twin-engine WWI “Red Baron” style airplane, cast in heavy metal and hinged at front end. 8 long, 7′ wide. E & Co #1131 c. Per the Smithsonian, Eppelsheimer & Co. Of New York was one of the three largest American ice cream mold makers at the time of manufacture (1920s-40s). Molded ice cream was a popular treat in the United States from the 1870s to 1950s, with a boom in ice cream consumption driving increases in mold manufacturing between 1921 and 1925. The Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 until it was repealed in 1933, sparked an increase in consumer demand for such things as soft drinks, ice cream, and confections. Indeed, ice cream consumption increased by over 100 million gallons between 1921 and 1929. Once frozen, ice cream makers could embellish their confections by painting on a layer of food coloring. These individual molded ice creams would then be served for special occasions or holiday meals. As American holidays became more commercialized in the early twentieth century, the demand for variety in ice cream molds increased. However, technological advancements in ice cream manufacturing, the development of ice cream novelties such as the Eskimo Pie and the Popsicle, and the advent of packaged ice creams available in groceries, transformed ice cream in the eye of the American public from a seasonal or specialty dish into an everyday treat.
