"View of Cow Stables Attached to the Distillery" from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, May 15, 1858

Summary

Frank Leslie's scathing articles exposed New York City's "swill milk" scandal in 1858. Whiskey distillers had been keeping dairy cows in cramped sheds and feeding them leftover mash, sickening them and tainting their milk. In turn, the milk--masked with other ingredients and marketed as "pure" to urban consumers--poisoned thousands of infants. New York State finally issued milk regulations in 1862.

Frank Leslie's scathing articles exposed New York City's "swill milk" scandal in 1858. Whiskey distillers had been keeping dairy cows in cramped sheds and feeding them leftover mash, sickening them and tainting their milk. In turn, the milk--masked with other ingredients and marketed as "pure" to urban consumers--poisoned thousands of infants. New York State finally issued milk regulations in 1862.

Artifact

Article

Subject Date

15 May 1858

Collection Title

Gwinn Dairy Collection 

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

71.1.746.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of David M. Gwinn.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Printing (Process)
Woodcut (Process)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 16 in

Width: 11 in

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