Around 1939, senior management wanted to make the Griffith Laboratories name familiar to the general public. The company came up with an imaginative and highly successful idea. Griffith created a set of twelve high-quality spices, each in its own stylishly designed, gleaming white glass jar. Each jar was sealed with an airtight cap with a convenient sifter top beneath.
The set of spice jars, which came with an attractive plastic rack, contained allspice, celery salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, garlic salt, ginger, dry mustard, nutmeg, paprika, black pepper, poultry seasoning and roast meat seasoning. The company, concerned about contamination from mold and bacteria, used a revolutionary proprietary purifying method to make sure the spices were clean, safe and pure.
Sold through the home furnishings departments of Marshall Field's, Macy's and other fine stores, the Griffith spice set was successful immediately. Over the years, Griffith updated the design and introduced bright colors to coordinate with the popular color schemes of the time.
When the supply of suitable plastic declined dramatically during World War II, Griffith changed the display rack material to wood. After the war, inexpensive and moldable plastic became available and a fresh design was created. The company used polystyrene, a light and sturdy plastic that can be molded into virtually any shape, for its new post-war rack design.
Griffith spice sets became staples in many kitchens across the United States. And Griffith Laboratories became a household name, just as the company's senior management planned.
We don't manufacture or sell our spice sets anymore. But we honor them as an important part of our history.
However, the public's interest in the Griffith spice sets remains high and they have become highly prized collectables. Complete sets and individual spice jars are often offered on eBay.
If you're a collector or want to get further insight into our company history, go to http://search.ebay.com/griffith-spice-jars_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8