Cornelius Swarthout’s patent design drawing. Courtesy of the U.S. Patent Office.

A holiday for every brunch lover- it’s National Waffle Day! These delicious, versatile treats can be served with a range of toppings from syrup, fruit, powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or even savory delights like fried chicken. Waffles are enjoyed throughout the world, with each region giving the waffle its own special twist. Brussels waffles, originating in Belgium, are light, crispy, and square-shaped with large pockets, while Hong Kong style waffles are large, round, divided into quarters, filled with butter, peanut butter, and sugar, and then folded in half to eat. Waffles were first introduced in America by Dutch colonists in the 1620s, and today, the American waffle and the Belgian waffle (a simplified version of the Brussels waffle) are the most popular waffle styles in the United States.

National Waffle Day is celebrated today because it was on this day in 1869 that the first patent for a waffle iron was issued. Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York, was awarded the first waffle iron patent, improving upon a concept that had existed in some form since the 14th century. What made Swarthout’s design special was the addition of a handle and clasp that would allow for the waffle to be flipped without any danger of slippage or burns.

This Crescent Waffle iron in NUMU’s permanent collection was manufactured by the Fanner Manufacturing Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, and is representative of an early waffle iron design. The flippable waffle iron detaches from its base, designed to be placed over a cooking fire, which is how waffles were made before the advent of electric waffle irons in the early 1900s.

-Alexandra Schindler, Collections Registrar