Stuff To Blow Your Mind From the Vault: The Invention of Cotton Candy, Part 2
Jan 24, 2026
A brisk dive into how cotton candy machines spin melted sugar into fine filaments and why the treat became a fairground staple. Hear early patents, marketing pitches, and the original name fairy floss. Discover surprising biomedical uses of spun sugar as scaffolds for microchannels and playful links to puffy, low-density “cotton candy” exoplanets.
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How Cotton Candy Machines Work
- Cotton candy machines spin melted sugar through tiny holes to form hair-like sugar glass strands that cool in the outer dish.
- The core design from Morrison and Wharton (1897) still defines modern machines and uses centrifugal force plus heat.
Origins At The 1904 World's Fair
- William J. Morrison and John C. Wharton patented an electric candy machine in 1897 and showcased it at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
- Their "fairy floss" sold thousands of boxes and won the fair's Novelty of Invention prize.
Marketing And Patent Control
- Early patent ads pitched the machine as hygienic and patent-protected, aiming at druggists, fruit stands, and hotels.
- The Electric Candy Machine Company aggressively defended exclusivity and sued copycats.
