The Ebony Test Kitchen

1971

A history of Black foodways would be incomplete without Ebony’s contributions. Since 1947, the magazine instructed millions of readers on how to prepare hundreds of recipes. Testing, developing, as well as styling recipes for photography required a dedicated space — a test kitchen. Located in the Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company’s headquarters, the test kitchen above was originally designed and constructed in the early 1970s. Today, it’s the only surviving space from the iconic building’s famously eye-popping interiors. Its function was to ensure that the measurements and techniques shared in Ebony’s food column could be replicated by readers at home – with reliable and tasty results. NMAAHC is honored to have the Ebony Test Kitchen as part of its collection.