Alusiv

“Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray” is a new exhibition that explores the surprising story behind one of the most familiar rites of passage—eating a school lunch. It opens Friday, September 27, 2024 at the Science History Institute.

Alusiv designed the 1,600-sq ft exhibition in collaboration with the Science History Institute Team, led by curator Jesse Smith, Director of Curatorial Affairs.

On view through January 2026, this exhibition offers a novel historical perspective on efforts to feed children in U.S. schools. Visitors will also learn about the unique and important Philadelphia connection in jumpstarting a national conversation around children’s access to food in the early 1900s.

Drawing from nearly 250 years of rare scientific instruments, posters, pamphlets, photographs, and period editions of books popularizing new ideas about a proper diet, Lunchtime delves into the history of food science and the difficulty of feeding schoolchildren nationwide.

The exhibition also highlights innovations like dehydrated and frozen foods, preservatives, and cellophane, as well as the leading role the federal government played in the development of the school lunch.

The exhibition is open from September 27, 2024 through January 2026 and free to the public.
Wednesday through Saturday 10am-5pm

Read more about the exhibition on Science History Institute's website