From 1942 to 1945 , the mill workers of the Whitman confect imperium in Philadelphia aid ship well over6 million poundsof free chocolate to soldiers post oversea . Tucked inside their Whitman ’s Sampler boxes — a rectangular bundle of assorted chocolate treats — were handwritten note of hand of living from the woman working the mill ’s conveyor belt .
To get a stash of candy was one thing , but to know someone back home was wishing you well was another . When the soldiers returned home and take hold of sight of the familiar bad-tempered - stitched packaging , a sale was almost guaranteed .
Patriotism was just one of the ways the Whitman ’s Sampler became virtually as iconic a confect presence as the Hershey stripe . From itsdebutin 1912 , the Sampler has been the guide candy gift item , take up residence on table during the holidays , on Valentine ’s Day , and on virtually any occasion that could utilise a stash of Cocos nucifera or cherries dripping in chocolate . And thanks to some very measured marketing , that ’s no stroke .
Whitman ’s was the inspiration of Stephen F. Whitman , a Quaker who open up a confectionary memory board in Philadelphia in 1842 [ PDF ] . smell out demand by straw hat for candies that stood up to the expensive European treats they were accustomed to , Whitman introduce a line of gourmet chocolates . Through alteration in leadership — to his son , Horace , and finally to president Walter Sharp in the other 1900s — Whitman ’s soon arrive on the Sampler , which was packaged using a design inspire by a cross - stitching taste-tester that hung in Sharp ’s mansion . ( In needlecraft , sampler are made to show off a stitcher ’s skills . )
Whether consumers were disport by the double import or not , Whitman ’s Sampler quickly became the company ’s signature intersection . The box were envelop in cellophane , a means of keeping the dainty fresh that also made for a distinctive entrepot presence . ( For years , Whitman ’s was thelargest userof cellophane in America . ) In 1945 , the company developed a “ French boundary , ” put out the lines of the cover and bottom outside the parentage of the box .
Thanks to its unique packaging and wartime support , Whitman ’s was ubiquitous in memory board . But the company did n’t block there . Beginning in the 1950s , they struck deals with popular film stars of the epoch to second the confect in ads forThe Saturday Evening Post .
Actors like Jimmy Stewart , John Wayne , and Elizabeth Taylor were depicted with Whitman ’s Samplers in hand . In exchange , the spots would plug whatever current movie the star topology wanted to promote . It was an ideal arrangement , and one that further embroidered Whitman ’s into the American consciousness . In the ads , Whitman ’s would wager up the idea of give someone with the chocolates as a romantic gesture . “ A Woman Never Forgets the Isle of Man Who Remembers , ” read one slogan .
Whitman ’s fancier may have been enticed by the ads , but it was the product that impressed them . Unlike many boxed umber of the era , the society printed anindexon the underside of the lid so people would n’t have to get their fingers into the candy , or take a pungency , to ascertain what was inside .
While it comes in a mixture of sizes and assortments , today the Sampler is largely unaltered from its 20th century roots . The company , now owned by Russell - Stover , has reported that roughly a billion boxwood have been sold since 1912 . It also seems more than deserve of its romantic repute : Those wartime content to troopsresultedin many long - terminus friendship and more than a few marriages .
