Andrea started collecting pepper mills in 1984 and soon, salt and pepper shakers became the focus of her collection. In 2002, the museum opened in Cosby, Tennessee before moving to Winery Square, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 2005. According to Food Network'sUnwrappedTV program, over 20,000 people have visited the museum in 2005. In May 2010, Andrea opened a sister museum "Museo de Saleros y Pimenteros" in El Castell de Guadalest, Alicante, Spain.
Organization and purpose
The galleries consist of many display cases which exhibit the shakers in categories: Christmas, Plastic, Americana, Amish, Wood, Vegetables, Transportation, Chefs, Foods, Drinks, Chickens, Cows, Cats and Dogs, Wild Animals, Marine, Characters, Souvenirs, Asian, Glass, Metals and Delft. The shakers are also organized by material and color, and if a particular set comes in more than one color, these are included to show all the possibilities. There is a section dedicated to Morton Salt Company, which explains how shakers came to be, thanks to Morton's invention that helps salt not clump together. Before shakers, salt was stored in salt cellars, which are also displayed in the collection. The museum also includes more than 1500 Pepper Mills. The museums have both an entertainment and educational purpose. As Andrea Ludden said: "All my effort is to show the 20s, the 40s, the 60s, etc, how civilization can change, you see it through the salt and pepper shakers". The museum is often visited by art students as well as home schoolers. The museum is also a dog-friendly establishment. The museum is often consulted to settle the question of How many holes for Salt or Pepper?
The two museums are often in the media. The fact that such a mundane item can be both utilitarian and decorative has inspired many artists to create beautiful, unusual, comical, and yet practical shakers. What surprises visitors and reviewers alike, is that once the amazing variety is revealed, they can never be taken for granted again.
Also in 2012, the museum was featured in the book "Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus", by Joyce Magnin. This very entertaining book relates Harriet Beamer's visit of the museum, and her growing collection of salt and pepper shakers.
The American Profile article was syndicated to the Sunday section of many newspapers throughout the country.
There have been several radio interviews, such as Australia's ABC Radio, PBS Radio KCBX Podcast, American Voices - Senator Bill Bradley interview on Sirius.
The Associated Press article by Caryn Rousseau appeared in many newspapers around the country, such as the News-Herald, Deseret News, South Coast Today, etc.
