Gallery

Benjamin Heller named his first major brand "Zanzibar," attracted by the exotic sound of the word. He first applied it to the meat additive "Zanzibar Carbon." The brand was later extended to a diverse range of products, from spices to ink thinner. In a 1909 letter, a representative of B. Heller & Co. responds to a complaint about a Zanzibar-branded laundry agent, urging the customer to try the product again at the manufacturer's risk

Household and industrial cleaning products such as insecticides were an important secondary line of B. Heller & Co. offerings; many of these were marketed under the "$1,000.00 Guaranteed" brand. Promotional literature was often scientific in tone, as in a pamphlet for "Dr. Heller's" Liquid Bug Killer and Roach Food.

Bull-Meat-Brand Flour, used in sausage making, was one of B. Heller & Co.'s popular meat additives. Their meat products were promoted in Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making, which also contains recipes, butchering instructions, and advice on compliance with new federal food regulations.

The development of stabilizers and thickeners such as "Meloine" and "Snow" contributed to rapid expansion of the ice cream industry in the early 20th century. The company also supplied this growth industry with Heller's Guide for Ice Cream Makers, which includes hundreds of recipes using the company's products.

Formulas for products such as "Pink Mist," "Golden Shine," and "Snow Drift," are recorded in this notebook, along with notes on manufacturing procedures and product development.