Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story听tells of the famous baking powder, patents, trademarks, the hugely popular cookbook, renowned factory and gardens, the family behind the brand, and the landmarks founder Thomas Edmonds gifted to 艑tautahi Christchurch.
Authored by Peter Alsop, Kate Parsonson and Richard Wolfe, the book uses more than 500 images to help document the Edmonds family story alongside the evolution of one of Aotearoa New Zealand鈥檚 most distinctive brands and its domestic trademark 鈥 the Edmonds Sure to Rise logo.
About 36 years ago co-author historian Richard Wolfe first wrote about the Edmonds label, which was reproduced in his 1987 book听Well Made New Zealand: A Century of听Trademarks.
"The rising sun trademark is so positive, such a glorious image.听 While there were plenty of 19th century products with similar motifs, the Edmonds label was one of the more attractive," he says, 鈥渁nd has proved the most durable.鈥
The slogan 鈥 Sure to Rise 鈥 was also an important contributor to the product's success.
"Around the late 1800s home bakers were suffering failures because there were so many unreliable baking powders on the market 鈥 it seems most towns had their own versions.听The story goes that a doubting customer asked founder Thomas Edmonds if his baking powder would be any better, and was told 'Madam, it is sure to rise'.听Edmonds quickly recognised the line would play an important role in promotion of the product, and eventually his product overtook all others.鈥
Over about four years of research, co-author Kate Parsonson, great-great-granddaughter of the 贰诲尘辞苍诲蝉鈥 founders, met many third and fourth cousins for the first time, gathering 贰诲尘辞苍诲蝉鈥 stories and photographs, noting memories and memorabilia that had been passed down through generations.
鈥淭he story starts with the young newlyweds Thomas and Jane Edmonds arriving in Christchurch in 1879. They went on to have four sons who all worked in the factory and four daughters. There are so many descendants, I grew up knowing only that our branch descended from the eldest son William who was born in 1880,鈥 Kate says.
鈥淔amily tradition suggests that as he stepped off the听Waitangi听at Lyttelton in 1879, Thomas found a coin in his pocket, tossed it overboard and firmly stated that he would 鈥榓rrive with no money and start from scratch with everything now coming from my own hands鈥. In 1880 he bought a modest grocery store in Woolston, Christchurch on what ultimately became Edmonds Street.
鈥淭homas went around with a little cart that sold shop wares. Housewives complained about not having effective baking powder because it came out on the ship from England, and after three months in a crate at sea, it would arrive spoiled from the damp.鈥澨
Along the way Kate also heard tales from other Edmonds enthusiasts.
鈥淪omewhere on a boardroom shelf of the Edmonds building in Woolston, sat the 鈥楾ickler鈥 鈥 a file box which housed the Edmonds baking powder recipe. When the factory was being bowled in 1990, quick-thinking neighbours retrieved the box from the wreckage skip.听 Unfortunately, the recipe was gone, but they managed to save a portrait of founder Thomas Edmonds, and a scale model of the famous factory, along with other bits and pieces.鈥 Those neighbours subsequently became the 鈥楩riends of the Edmonds Gardens鈥.
Interested in history, and culture around cooking, Kate trialled the odd recipe from the 1908 first edition of the famous听Edmonds Sure to Rise Cookery Book. 鈥淭he Yorkshire scones looked and tasted more like a flat, bland savoury biscuit,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fascinating to document the evolution of a cookbook that has become a cherished and essential part of this country鈥檚 culinary history 鈥 the 鈥贰诲尘辞苍诲蝉鈥听has a place in many people鈥檚 hearts as well as their kitchens, often handed down from generation to generation.鈥
Co-author Peter Alsop particularly enjoyed the combination of family, company, social and advertising histories 鈥 a fusion he suggests offers readers much intrigue, insight and inspiration.
鈥淢ore than 140 years since Thomas and Jane arrived in New Zealand, the full story of an entrepreneurial family and their diverse legacy is now told. Being involved in this team achievement has been a great opportunity.鈥
Peter also co-designed听Sure to Rise听飞颈迟丑听鈥檚 Gary Stewart. 鈥淒esigning a book on one of New Zealand鈥檚 best-known and longest-running brands was both a responsibility and privilege 鈥 with hope that the result honours 贰诲尘辞苍诲蝉鈥 own impressive design legacy,鈥 Peter says.
鈥淔or those like me who love vintage commercial art, the book offers a treasure trove of advertising, along with important history on innovative marketing techniques. The听Edmonds Cookery Book听鈥 given away free from 1908 with beautiful early covers 鈥 is surely one of the most potent marketing initiatives in New Zealand鈥檚 history.听
鈥淭he famous Edmonds 鈥楨鈥 鈥 a famous logo itself and part of Kiwiana 鈥 has also become much better understood; it is almost certainly a composite arrangement of T-J-E, the initials of Thomas John Edmonds, and therefore a wonderful enduring tribute to the company鈥檚 founder.鈥
Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story听by Peter Alsop, Kate Parsonson and Richard Wolfe, published by Canterbury University Press, RRP $59.99, Casebound, 250 x 210mm, full colour, 304pp + gatefolds (total 310pp), ISBN: 978-1-98-850331-8, available in bookstores and from听Canterbury University Press
Media contact:听media@canterbury.ac.nz
To request a review copy:听听university.press@canterbury.ac.nz
About the Authors
Peter Alsop听is a keen collector of New Zealand art and design, including vintage ephemera and hand-coloured photography. His 10 previous books include听Selling the Dream,听Mauri Ora 鈥 Wisdom from the M膩ori World听补苍诲听Hand-Coloured New Zealand.
Kate Parsonson听is a great-great-granddaughter of Thomas and Jane Edmonds who began researching for this book in 2018, curious to discover more about her family history, and the iconic听Edmonds Cookery Book. This is her first book.
Richard Wolfe听is an art, design and cultural historian whose 41 previous books include most recently听Footprints on the Land: How Humans Changed New Zealand. He has also written a large number of articles, covering diverse aspects of New Zealand art, history and popular culture.
