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ALBANY, NY – Chocolate, an exhibition from Chicago’s Field Museum, will take visitors on a journey through history, exploring the relationship between human culture and this rainforest treasure, when it opens at the New York State Museum Sept. 17th.

The exhibition, open through Jan. 7, 2007, begins with the story of chocolate’s origin, from the seeds of the cacao tree in a lush tropical rainforest. From there visitors will learn about the plant, the products, the history and the culture of chocolate, through the lenses of botany and ecology, anthropology and economics, conservation and popular culture.

Visitors will see how sculpture and carved vessels, cacao seeds in dishes and chemical residue in pots helped scientists trace the roots of chocolate back almost 1,500 years ago to the ancient Maya civilization of Central America. The Maya were the first to turn the bitter seeds into a spicy drink for use in ceremonies and trade. Cacao was coveted by other cultures and soon became a valuable article of trade in the Aztec culture in 16th-century Mexico. An interactive Aztec marketplace shows visitors the purchasing power of a handful of beans.

The exhibition explores the commodification of chocolate by Europeans, and the use of forced labor on colonial plantations to meet the insatiable European demand for chocolate and its new soul mate, sugar. The sweet side of the industrial revolution is also revealed, showing the steady stream of new inventions and creative advertising that brought chocolate bars to the masses.

The relationship between growing, selling and consuming cacao is explained. Visitors can trace the ups and downs of “cocoa,” the commodity, in the world market and check the stock ticker to see its price on a hypothetical futures exchange. Visitors will also learn about how cacao is grown, harvested, prepared and shipped today and what farmers are doing to preserve their crops, income and the rainforest.

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The exhibition also explores the myths and realities of chocolate’s effect on health and the role

chocolate plays in our lives today -- how people cook with it, eat and drink it, and use it to celebrate holidays around the world.

Artifacts in the exhibition include pre-Columbian ceramics and ritual objects; European silver and

porcelain chocolate services; 19th and 20th-century cocoa tins, advertising and packaging; antique and

contemporary candy molds, botanical specimens and agricultural tools.

Several videos are also featured including one that visitors can watch while seated on

tufted ottomans that look like giant bonbons in their wrappers. The exhibition is bilingual. All text is in both Spanish and English.

Chocolate Wednesdays will feature complimentary chocolate for everyone with a ticket to the exhibition. Admission to the exhibition is $4 for adults and $2 for children, aged 6 to 12. It is free for those under 6. Museum members will receive complimentary tickets based on their level of membership. Membership information is available at 518-474-1354. For group rates and reservations call 518-474-5843.

Tours of the Chocolate exhibition will be held every Saturday at 1 and 2 p.m., from September 23rd through January 6th. A variety of programs are also planned. For additional information call 518-473-7154 or email psteinba@mail.nysed.gov.

Chocolate and its national tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago. This exhibition was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation. Local support was provided by Federal Marine Terminals, Fortitech, Inc. and the New York Board of Trade.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York State Education Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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