A Dainty Dessert

"In these days of High Cost of Living, it is indeed a boon to the housekeeper, to be able to make so fitting a finish to the meal at such a small expense," reads this brochure for Rich's Tryphosa, a powdered gelatin dessert of the early 20th century. 

The country's economy at the time was volatile, moving from recession to recovery and then back again. By 1915—approximately when this brochure was published—the annual unemployment rate was relatively high at 9.7 percent. footnote Perfect, then, to have such an economical dessert option; the brochure continues: "Rich's Tryphosa costs but 10 cents per package [note: about $3 today] and is sufficient for 6 to 8 persons.

"Rich's Tryphosa was introduced in 1896 by E. C. Rich, Inc., footnote a confectionary company based in New York City that also manufactured crystallized ginger, glacéed fruits, and wine jellies, each of which receive a mention in this booklet. The product's namesake was the biblical Tryphosa, a woman whose name "implies purity and daintiness." Rich's Tryphosa was relatively short-lived, rebranding in the early 1920s as Presto! Jell before disappearing from grocery store shelves by 1925.