Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell started the company that introduced condensed tomato soup in 1897. Today, the Campbell Soup Company (2007) is 50 to 60% owned by the Dorrance family.

Chronology of Campbell and his company

• 1869 -- Campbell opened a canning factory at 41 North 2nd Street in Camden, New Jersey, with Abraham A. Anderson as a partner. They called it the Anderson & Campbell Preserve Company. Previously, Campbell had been a fruit merchant; Anderson was an icebox maker.
• 1877 -- Campbell bought Anderson out, and renamed the business to "Joseph Campbell & Company."
• 1891 -- The company's bestseller was "Beefsteak Ketchup." It wasn't what we'd think of as a tomato ketchup. Theirs was more of a sauce, closer to the original meaning of ketchup like Worcestshire sauce. It was made from anchovy, lobster, mushroom, soy and walnuts, flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, mace, mustard and vinegar.
• 1892 -- Campbell renamed the company to the "Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company." The company produced canned tomatoes, condiments, jellies, mincemeat and vegetables.
• 1894 -- Campbell retired. Arthur Dorrance became President.
• 1895 -- The company started selling ready-to-serve "Beefsteak Tomato" soup (not the condensed tomato soup they would later become famous for.)
• 1897 -- A chemist working for the company, Arthur's nephew Dr John T. Dorrance, who was only 24 at the time, invented condensed soup. Condensing soup by taking the water out of it meant that the packaging and shipping costs were lowered. John had chemistry degrees from MIT and from Gottingen, Germany. The first condensed soup introduced was tomato.
• 1898 -- The company introduced its red and white colours, when a company executive (Herberton Williams) saw how good the colours looked on Cornell University's new football uniforms.
• 1900 -- Joseph Campbell died. In the same year, the soup won a gold medal in the Paris Exhibition. This is the gold medal still displayed on the tins. At this time, a tin of Campbell's condensed soup sold for ten cents. The uncondensed soup his competitors still made was selling for over 30 cents.
• 1904 -- The Campbell's Kids are introduced, designed by Grace Wiederseim Drayton, an illustrator and writer.
• 1914 -- John T. Dorrance becomes President.
• 1915 -- Campbells buys the Franco-American Food Company.
• 1916 -- First publication of a cookbook, "Helps for the Hostess," showing how to use condensed soups in recipes.
• 1922 -- By now, soup was so much the focus that the company name was changed again to reflect that, becoming the "Campbell Soup Company."
• 1930 -- John T. dies. He is succeeded by his brother, Arthur.
• 1930s -- The "Mm! M'm! Good!" jingle is introduced on the radio.
• 1934 -- Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Noodle condensed soups are introduced.

In the UK and in North America, the same varieties of condensed soups are sold. In China, the varieties include Watercress, Duck-Gizzard, Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken with Winter Melon Soup and Cream of Pumpkin. In Argentina, Chicken Noodle is not popular, but Split Pea with Ham is.
Campbell's opened a UK factory in King's Lynn, England in 1959, and one in Shepparton, Victoria State, Australia in 1962.

In the fall of 2006, Campbell's sold its UK division to Premier Foods, including the recipes for its soups, but did not sell to them the right to use its label. Consequently, as of March 2008, all the soup was rebranded as "Batchelors Condensed Soup", with text on it saying "Formerly Campbell's. Same great taste." There were 22 flavours of Campbell's soup being made in England at the time of the sale.

"Campbell Soup's Green Bean Casserole" was invented by Dorcas Reilly (born 1926) in 1955. She was in charge of the Campbell's test kitchen. Her original 8 X 11 recipe card was donated in 2002 to America's National Inventor's Hall of Fame. It uses Cream of Mushroom soup. Campbell's estimates that 40% of its Cream of Mushroom soup sold is used for this recipe alone.

Andy Warhol painted his Campbells' Soups tins from 1962 to 1968.

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