Visitors to Cape May this summer can learn about New Jersey’s role in the fascinating history of everyone’s favorite summer treat at an exhibit at the Emlen Physick Estate, We All Scream for Ice Cream, sponsored by Cape May’s MAC (Museums + Arts + Culture).
Some form of ice cream has been around since antiquity. But in the early 1800s, ice cream was reserved for the wealthy and came in flavors like oyster and green tomato. Later, it became more accessible (and sweeter) for the general public and was served in ways commonly enjoyed today. Many of the sweet treat’s innovations took place during the Victorian era in the greater South Jersey area.
During this time, Augustus Jackson, a Black innovator from Philadelphia- who’s often referred to as the Father of Ice Cream, created Philadelphia style eggless ice cream, which made ice cream easier to package and distribute. This recipe is still widely used in modern-day ice cream production. In 1861, Bassetts Ice Cream, the oldest ice cream maker in the United States, began utilizing this recipe and making their own ice cream with mule power in Salem, New Jersey. The family-owned business moved to Philly’s Reading Terminal Market in 1892, where they still scoop today.
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Along with learning fun facts and more about the local impact of ice cream, you can view antique packaging, ice cream molds and photographs at the exhibit, which is free and open daily through November 3 in the Physick estate’s carriage house.
Curator Ben Ridings says they try to connect the Caroll Gallery exhibit with the theme of the estate house tour, which is Down the Shore: Summers in Victorian Cape May. Ice cream was a fitting choice.
While at the estate, you can get more Victorian history by taking a guided tour of the 18-room mansion, which is considered one of the best examples of Victorian Stick style architecture in the country. (20 for adults; $15 for kids.)
Sadly, samples aren’t available at the exhibit, but if visiting leaves you in the mood for a cold treat, head to one of the Shore’s most iconic ice cream shops; several are located in Cape May.
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