Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate - Hardcover

Folster, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0864924801 ISBN 13: 9780864924803

Publisher: Goose Lane Editions, 2006

Synopsis

Nothing says love like a box of delectable chocolates. And selling love is how Ganong, famous for its century-old Delecto brand, became one of the world's leading candy-makers. Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate is an illustrated history of the family and its business, from its humble beginnings in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, to its current niche in a world dominated by super-sized conglomerates.

For more than 130 years, the company has amassed an impressive list of firsts: it concocted the first All-day Sucker, the five-cent chocolate nut bar, and that Maritime Christmas favourite — the Chicken Bone. Ganong was one of the first companies to sell boxed chocolates, and it was the first company in Canada to use the heart-shaped chocolate box, first for Christmas and later for Valentine's Day.

Along with the colour reproductions of many of Ganong's packaging and marketing materials from days gone by, author David Folster has selected a rich array of archival photographs of the original Ganong factory (now a retail outlet and museum) and the many loyal employees who have contributed to the sweet success of this company.

About this title

About the Author

David Folster is a journalist, social historian, and heritage and conservation activist. He has written for a wide assortment of magazines and newspapers including the Globe and Mail, Maclean's, Sports Illustrated, Canadian Geographic, and the Christian Science Monitor. He has also been a frequent contributor to CBC Radio and Television programs. He is the author of The Great Trees of New Brunswick and The Chocolate Ganongs of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, a narrative history of the business that was shortlisted for the 1990 Canadian Business Book of the Year Award. Mr. Folster is fascinated by history, particularly New Brunswick history, at which he has spent "an irresponsible around of time." He believes his native province is still the "unknown province in what was once called the Unknown Country." He lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

From the Back Cover

Creators of the all-day sucker, chicken bones, and the five-cent chocolate nut bar, Ganong Brothers pioneered streetcar posters, collector cards, and exquisite chocolate boxes and advertising as appetizing as their famous chocolates. Photographs of colourful memorabilia and of the candy-making process over the years make Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate a rich showcase of this venerable company's storied history.

From the Inside Flap

Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate is the lusciously illustrated story of a family-owned company that rediscovered its niche in a world dominated by huge corporations. In 1873, James Ganong persuaded his brother Gilbert to open a tiny grocery store in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. Since then, five generations of Ganongs have transformed that fledgling business into one of the world's leading candy-makers. Creators of the all-day sucker, chicken bones, and the five-cent chocolate nut bar, Ganong pioneered streetcar posters, collector cards, and exquisite full-page magazine ads. They cheered up Depression-era sweethearts with the heart-shaped chocolate box, and their sturdy "soldier's box" sent a sweet taste of home overseas in two world wars. Delecto chocolates have been Canadian favourites for a full century, the boxes becoming treasures in themselves.

Photographs of colourful memorabilia and of the candy-making process over the years make Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate a showcase of this venerable company's storied history.

Edition details

• Publisher: Goose Lane Editions
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0864924801
• ISBN 13: 9780864924803
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 136