O.Y. BARTHOLOMEW “TASTY CRISP” PEANUT & POPCORN ROASTING CART

American Commercial Street-Vending & Concession Machine — c.1920s–1930s
TASTY CRISP
PEANUT AND POP CORN MACHINES
VINELAND, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.
Trade name: Tasty Crisp
Manufactured: Vineland, New Jersey, USA
Date: c.1920s–1930s
Type: Mobile peanut & popcorn roasting/vending machine
Construction: Painted and galvanized sheet metal, steel, timber and glass
Features: Roasting drum, mechanical drive equipment, glazed display cabinet, four-wheel carriage and original manufacturer's plate
Condition: Substantial unrestored vintage condition with age-related paint loss, scratches, oxidation and general commercial wear. Mechanical and heating systems have not been represented as currently operational and should be professionally inspected before use.

A spectacular and increasingly scarce piece of early American commercial vending history — an original O.Y. Bartholomew “Tasty Crisp” Peanut & Popcorn Roasting Cart, manufactured in Vineland, New Jersey, USA.

Dating from approximately the 1920s–1930s, this substantial mobile machine was designed to roast and merchandise hot peanuts and popcorn at fairs, carnivals, street concessions and public events.

Constructed predominantly from painted and galvanized sheet metal on a heavy steel carriage, the machine retains its impressive cylindrical roasting apparatus, mechanical drive components and upper glazed merchandising cabinet.

The exterior is particularly striking, finished in brilliant red with elaborate yellow and gold foliate scroll decoration, black pinstriping and a contrasting yellow glazed display cabinet.

Importantly, the machine retains its original manufacturer's plate identifying:

O.Y. BARTHOLOMEW

The four large spoked wheels and hard-rubber tyres give the machine tremendous presence, while the surviving internal mechanical equipment makes it considerably more interesting than purely decorative concession carts.

Manufacturer: O.Y. Bartholomew