Bounty from the Sea

February 4 - February 28, 2025

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Give a man a can of fish, and you have the potential to feed him for twelve to thirty-six months, depending on preservation methods and storage conditions." – Unknown

Since the dawn of time, humanity has desired to preserve food for later consumption. Stored in containers of clay or modified gourds, placed in cool ground or dried in the sun, the quest has been a never-ending journey towards a perfect solution.

When we speak of the can proper - a container typically taking the form of a hermetically sealed metallic cylinder - we must thank Napoleon Bonaparte for this innovation. In 1795, the French government offered a prize to anyone who could devise a method of preserving food for the army and navy. In 1809, Nicolas Appert (coincidentally known as the “Father of Canning”) was awarded the prize for his method of food sterilization. As exemplified by Sir William Edward Parry’s Arctic expeditions in the 1820s, the can was opening new frontiers, granting access to distant lands where preserved food provided vital nourishment to the brave souls traveling to the far-flung corners of the Earth.

Appert’s initial research involved experiments with canning fish in jars. By the 1860s, the canning of fish - primarily salmon, sardines, and tuna - had become big business. Today, the process allows for the frugal use and aesthetically pleasing presentation of what is often considered the ‘less choice’ sections of the catch.

Celebrating National Canned Food Month, this exhibit offers but a taste of the wide world of canned food and preserved sea life. Be it the scuttling crab or the majestic salmon that thrive in the Pacific Northwest, preserved in oil or aromatic tomato sauce, each can waits patiently for the opportunity to share its story.