The Rich History of Chocolate Brownies

The invention of chocolate brownies during the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 were the result of a socially-minded socialite and a Prussian chef at her hotel. The World’s Fair Columbian Exposition was so much more than a fair. See why it was such an important event for the city of Chicago, plus where the term “Brownies” came from.

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Where Did the Name “Brownies” Come From?

Chocolate homemade brownies weren’t invented when stories featuring the fictional Brownies by Palmer Cox first appeared in 1879, then again in 1881 in Wide Awake Magazine. It wasn’t until the 1883 appearance of the Brownies in the St. Nicholas Magazine (a publication for kids) that Cox’s career took off, according to the Antique Toy Collectors of America, and made the fictional brownies a household name.

St. Nicholas Magazine featured well-known writers of the day, including:

• Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Louisa May Alcott
• Mark Twain
• Edna St. Vincent Millay
• F. Scott Fitzgerald
• E. B. White

St. Nicholas Magazine offered up cash prizes for the best work. This popular publication connected the Brownies with an appreciative audience who couldn’t get enough of the fairy tale beings.

“Brownies, like fairies and goblins, are imaginary little spirits, who are supposed to delight in harmless pranks and helpful deeds.

They work and sport while weary households sleep, and never allow themselves to be seen by mortal eyes.”

Palmer Cox, author of “The Brownies: Their Life.”

The Century Company, New York, published “The Brownies” book by Palmer Cox. It contained 24 verse stories and just over 250 illustrations. The stories and drawing of the brownies captivated children and adults. This wasn’t some fad that would go the way of Beanie Babies, POGs, or fidget spinners. Brownies gained a strong foothold and became part of daily life.

A perfect blend of fantasy and adventure with gentle moral lessons of kindness and virtue made the stories enormously popular for children of the time.

Fan mail from children inundated Palmer Cox who was reputed to answer every letter he received.

Jeanne Solensky (librarian in the Joseph Downs Collection & Manuscripts & Printed Ephemera), “The Brownie Empire of Palmer Cox,” Winterthur Museum and Library, November 16, 2011

Advertisers picked up on the brownies trend and flooded the papers with drawings of brownies. The story of the brownies were so popular, Kodak named the Brownie camera after them, decades after that first lesser known 1879 publication. Cox’s brownies played a role in plenty of marketing stunts and schemes. It’s no wonder someone named this simple dessert after the mischievous nocturnal (but helpful) little imps.

Bertha Palmer, Chef Joseph Seyl, and the First Chocolate Brownies

The strongest story places chocolate brownies in Chicago, Illinois.

“The first brownie was created in the Palmer house pastry kitchen in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago. Bertha Palmer was president of the Board of Lady Managers and charged the pastry chef at the time to create something different.

The result: the brownie.

Palmer House, “History is Hott Prix Frixe Menu,” A Hilton Hotel/Lockwood Restaurant

Bertha Palmer didn’t invent the brownie — the hotel’s Pastry Chef Joseph Seyl did, acting upon her suggestion. But Bertha’s influence was an important part of this story. The World’s Fair was a big event for her personally. Palmer received the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier of the Legion of Honor) for her successful role as the Board President.

Bertha was a force of nature and worth a closer look. Bertha Honore married Chicago millionaire Quaker Potter Palmer in 1870, when she was 21 and he was 41.

Potter Palmer made his first millions with a dry-goods store. Among his innovations were “bargain days” (the first “sales”), money back guarantees (for any reason), the policy that the customer is always right, and free home delivery of all purchases.

Palmer set out particularly to win female customers. His store was the one place in Chicago where women could go unescorted. Palmer imported high-quality merchandise from Europe and the Orient, taught clerks to remember customers’ names and preferences, and instructed them never to pressure visitors into buying. In short, Potter Palmer created “shopping” as we know it.

The Palmers: PBS, Accessed August 25, 2026.

Mr. Potter gifted his new wife a hotel. They both came from money and society, so this wasn’t a one-sided deal. What, your spouse didn’t gift you a hotel when you married? Pish posh.

 As the Tribune reported about the wedding in 1870, a hotel wasn’t Palmer’s original idea of a suitable wedding present:

“The engagement has been short — only two months. It is stated that the bridegroom, when going away recently, offered to settle a million dollars on his intended bride but she nobly and persistently refused. This may put an end to the bitter observations of envious or cynical persons inclined to stamp the marriage contract — so momentous to the high contacting parties — as a commercial transaction”

Ron Grossman, Flashback: The staying power of Chicago’s Palmer House, Chicago Tribune, Published September 11, 2020, Updated SEptember 14, 2020, Accessed August 25, 2026.

The Palmer House was an eight story hotel with 225 rooms. It was designed by John M. Van Osdel, who had previously lived in a home on the same site, according to Great Chicago Fire. It was the tallest hotel in all of young Chicago.

With French chandeliers and Italian marble throughout, this was opulence at its most grand. The lobby ceiling boasted 21 paintings, featuring scenes from Greek mythology. Neoclassical decor abounded. Not everyone approved of its grandeur.

“British author Rudyard Kipling, who described turn-of-the-century Chicago as being “inhabited by savages,”“ Great Chicago Fire shared, “was equally scornful of this showplace: “They told me to go to the Palmer House, which is a gilded and mirrored rabbit-warren,” he sniped, “and there I found a huge hall of tessellated marble, crammed with people talking about money and spitting about everywhere.”

“Other barbarians charged in and out of this inferno with letters and telegrams in their hands, and yet others shouted at each other. A man who had drunk quite as much as was good for him told me that this was ‘the finest hotel in the finest city on God Almighty’s earth.'”

Its loss in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when it had been open for mere weeks, must have been incredibly difficult financially and emotionally.

Note: a multitude of trusted sources relay differing facts regarding the length of time the hotel was opened before it was lost to the fire. I’m going with the Palmer House Hotel’s account.

The Chicago Fire of 1871 burned for two days, reducing an area almost four miles wide and one mile long, to rubble. The fire killed around 300 people, destroyed $200 million dollars of property, and left 25% of Chicagoan’s homeless, according to History.com.

After the Great Chicago Fire roared through, destroying not only the hotel but other Palmer properties, Bertha sprang into action. She asked her family for money. The couple needed to get a line of credit open so they could start rebuilding. And rebuild, they did.

The Palmer Mansion, Philanthropy, and Art

While Bertha definitely enjoyed the finer things (she left 52 paintings to the Art Institute of Chicago and is largely responsible for creating their Impressionist art collection), Bertha was not an empty-headed socialite. Sure, she was known to drape herself in stunning jewelry and fabulous frocks, but she was also a philanthropist who did great work for Chicago’s poor.

The Palmer’s rebuilt the hotel and their own private residence, the Palmer House, from 1882–1885. It had the first elevator found in a private home in Chicago. Building the castle cost money, far more than the original $90,000 budgeted to the project.

Adorned with turrets and minarets on the exterior, the house featured a spiral staircase that rose eighty feet into a tower in the interior. There were two elevators, an Ottoman parlor, a Renaissance library, a Moorish bedroom, a Louis XV drawing room, and an English dining room that could seat fifty.
It was the largest private residence in Chicago and the bills were so large that Potter Palmer had to ask his architects to stop showing them to him.

The Palmers: PBS, Accessed August 25, 2026.

The mansion was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, a well-known American architect, Britannica shared. Reportedly modeled after a German castle, the house was drenched in luxury, and it quickly became the place to see and be seen. “In total, it cost over $1 million to build and furnish, and its presence established the North Side Gold Coast, drawing the elite away from Prairie Avenue and the South Side….,” according to American Aristocracy.

Some accepted invitations to the home, so goes the rumor, because they wanted to see Bertha’s art collection.

“All Chicago speculated on the interior until one day, in 1885, Bertha Palmer gave the first of the many fabled receptions that would be held at the castle. From its gold-leaf outer entrance, visitors stepped into the octagonal great hall, three stories high and domed in stained glass. Cupids in eternal pursuit drifted across the drawing room ceiling.

The dining room, which seated 50, was paneled in San Domingo mahogany. Nearly every one of the 42 rooms boasted a huge fireplace of marble and oak.

The castle was the first home in the city to have passenger elevators, and no door had a doorknob that could be turned from the outside, which let it be known that a small army of footmen and other servants was there to cater to guests. Chicago’s Gold Coast was born.”

Barbara Mahaney, Chicago’s Palmer Castle, , Chicago Tribune Newspaper, December 18, 2007.

The Palmer Mansion was the largest home in Chicago at the time. Bertha spent her winters in Florida and began a common trend that continues today. But she didn’t just spend money or lead the creation of a chocolate brownies recipe. Remember, she was awarded that prestigious prize for her work.

“Potter Palmer died in 1902, leaving a generous bequest in his will for his wife’s next husband because, ‘He’ll need the money,'” according to American Experience. Bertha was no slouch. After her husband died, she managed to double the value of her estate in sixteen years.

Bertha and the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893

“Her charity balls and New Year’s Day parties were considered the events of the season. She was actively involved in many clubs and associations throughout the city, including the Chicago Woman’s Club and the Saddle and Cycle Club, and she was a founding member of the Chicago Society of Decorative Arts, which in 1889 changed its name to the Antiquarian Society of the Art Institute.

When Chicago won the right to host the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Mrs. Palmer was named the president of the Board of Lady Managers and oversaw the creation of an entire building devoted to women. She also hosted several events and parties at her home as fundraisers before, and celebrations during, the fair.

Not without reason did she consider herself “the nation’s hostess and the nation’s head woman servant.”

Renoir Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, Accessed August 25, 2026.

The World’s Fair of 1893 wasn’t some little thing. Situated on over 600 acres, the gleaming limestone buildings earned the fair site the nickname “The White City.” Bertha’s personality and style were made for an event like this. She had excellent taste and knew how to get things done.

New item after new item after innovation and architectural feat made this a world’s fair to remember. Inventions unveiled at the 1893 World’s Fair that we still enjoy today include:

• Juicy Fruit Gum
• The Ferris Wheel
• Cream of Wheat
• Shredded Wheat
• Pearl Milling Company’s Pancake Mix (formerly known as Aunt Jemima’s)

“During the World’s Columbian Exposition, Bertha Palmer served as the de facto hostess for the city of Chicago,” PBS shared, “entertaining royalty and presidents. She was there for opening day, and for the first official ride of the Ferris wheel.”

The World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 & Chocolate Brownies

More than 27 million people attended the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The attendance number at that time equates to about every one in four Americans.

The World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 wasn’t just a celebration. It was a huge event with a larger purpose. This exposition was visible proof that Chicago was back on its feet after the fire. As the President of the Board of Lady Managers, Bertha threw herself into it.

Under Palmer’s guidance, the Board of Lady Managers ensured that women had a strong presence at the Columbian Exposition. The board hired Sophia Hayden, an American architect and first female graduate of the four-year program in architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as architect for the Woman’s Building.

They also chose the “mother” of interior design, Candace Wheeler, one of America’s first female interior and textile designers, to oversee the interior design of the building. The Woman’s Building showcased 47 exhibits from 47 nations during the World’s Fair.

Bertha Palmer’s Chocolate Brownie: The Hidden Gem of Chicago: Chicago Loop Alliance, October 27, 2022, Accessed August 24, 2026.

Innovation permeated the fair. Of course it would expand into the kitchen too. Bertha Palmer wanted something new served to the ladies. After all, a boxed lunch couldn’t contain a messy slab of pie or a melty slice of cake. It had to be portable. Something sweet.

She asked Chef Joseph Seyl of her Palmer House Hotel to come up with a sort of small cake or other confection suitable for the event. Joseph “Joe” Seyl, born July 25, 1841 in Horchheim, Stadtkreis Koblenz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, often appears as a bit player in this chocolate brownie invention saga.

But Seyl was the man behind the invention of chocolate brownies. Chef Seyl headed the kitchens at The Palmer House from 1871 to 1917. After the fire burned down the first hotel, he stayed on for the next iteration.

He’s sort of the consummate professional. He’s in charge of one of the very biggest venues in the city. The Palm House is considered one of the temples of hospitality. He makes it a place where common people can get solid cooking, and he can cover the high-end things as well.

He would write his menus in standard English, and translate French into an English equivalent. He was very interested in American regional cooking as well. He’s a member of a German cooking community in Chicago, which is many ways is more potent than the French cooking community,”

David S. Shields and “The Culinarians” for Robert Loerzel, Chicago’s Top Chefs (Circa 1900): Chicago Tribune, June 27, 2018, Accessed August 24, 2026.

More accolades for Chef Seyl. He was described as the “Dean of Hotel Chefs in America, who witnessed the transition from coal to gas ranges, the introduction of electricity to the kitchen, and the delocalization of Chicago’s food system by the railroads but remained successful by ignoring “the culinary fashions that roiled Paris and New York” and staying true to hearty fare served family style,” shared Grimod of Understanding Hospitality on “Chicago’s Chef Mt. Rushmore, Food Media and Digital Creator Edition” by The Hunger.

People loved his creation.

First Chocolate Brownies Recipe: Palmer House Hotel

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I baked brownies using the first ever chocolate brownie recipe. The texture of the first brownie recipe is not what you expect from the kind of brownies we make today, but it is what you expect from any baked good using eight eggs. Bake the original recipe yourself. That printable, downloadable chocolate brownies recipe is certainly worth a try. There’s nothing else quite like it.

“While the apricot mentioned in the ingredients may worry you at first glance, the fruit’s use in the glaze actually a great addition,” Sporked shared. “The specific taste of apricot is barely there beyond a vague fruity sweetness, which goes a long way to temper this brick of rich chocolate flavor.”

This homemade chocolate brownie recipe ranks right up there with my fudgy brownie recipe. They are both cooked through, but this original brownie recipe has the most unique texture. Very soft. Brownie pillows of softness. A puffy chocolate cloud.

When we learned how to bake brownies, I shared that chocolate brownies shouldn’t have an excessive bake time. These are different. It was at least forty minutes and a team effort between my oldest son and I. But a brownie recipe with eight eggs will take longer to bake.

Good brownies happen for those who wait. This recipe is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese too. Funny enough, The Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel now, offers a Brownie Lovers Package.

Other Ideas on How Chocolate Brownies Began

The Palmer House story and Chef Seyl is definitely the better story, but some people point to a woman nicknamed “Brownie” who forgot to add baking powder to her cake recipe. The cake didn’t rise but she served it anyway. The result: Homemade chocolate brownies.

Community cookbooks dotted the country, containing recipes for molasses brownies or chocolate brownies, but homemade brownies were a blanket term.

Department stores such as S. Kann Sons Co. in Washington D.C.(shared The Department Store Museum); Emery, Bird, Thayer and Co. in Kansas City, Missouri; and Donaldson’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota (shared LILEKS) advertised chocolate brownies in the ad section of their local paper. Donaldson’s was the location where Mary Tyler Moore throws her hat into the air during the opening credits since the location was on 7th and Nicollet, according to Minnesota Public Radio, which was the location of the store.

Back then, department stores had tea rooms. They were places women could go without an escort. In many cases, department stores were the only place a woman could go without an escort. It’s no wonder that a department store was more than a place to find a new hat or a pair of gloves, but a place to visit, relish the fancy digs, dine with a friend, and enjoy a bit of freedom all in one go.

The Thrilling Brownie Conclusion

CChocolate brownies have a few different origin stories.

• Someone named “Brownie” forget the baking powder or flour.
• Chef Seyl of Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel created the first chocolate brownies recipe.
• Brownies are an American riff on scones.

The most likely answer is that Chef Joseph Seyl invented brownies for the ladies lunch at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Bertha Honoré Palmer, the owner of the hotel, needed the perfect treat for the high society attendees. This wasn’t some quaint event, but a grand affair to highlight the successful rebuilding of Chicago after the disastrous Chicago Fire. It was a chance to prove to the country and the world that Chicago was back and a force to be reckoned with.

Many foods unveiled at the 1893 Columbian Exposition World’s Fair, such as Juicy Fruit Gum and Cream of Wheat, are still a part of modern daily life, the same as the humble chocolate brownie. The simple, yet decadent, mix of chocolate and numerous eggs created an enduring and beloved favorite of many Americans.

Bake a batch of chocolate brownies from scratch using the first brownie recipe above, then check out other delicious homemade brownie recipes below.

Brownie Bars Timeline

Brownies likely began near the end of the 19th century. You’ll find plenty of overlap when it comes to the history of baking brownies. Brownie recipes appeared in cookbooks. Even in the days before the Internet, recipes traveled.*

*Timeline References Include:

• http://mentalfloss.com/article/60011/who-invented-brownie
• https://loopchicago.com/in-the-loop/bertha-palmers-chocolate-brownie-the-hidden-gem-of-chicago/
• https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/chicago-palmers/
• http://newenglandrecipes.org/html/brownies.html

Brownie Glossary

• Brownies: Imaginary, nocturnal, mischievous, yet helpful imps.
• Chicago World’s Fair 1893: Also called the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago.
• Palmer House Hotel: A multi-storied hotel where the chocolate brownie was invented.
• Palmer Mansion: The mansion of Potter and Bertha Palmer cementing the North Side of Chicago as the place to be.

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