Really? Pineapples? — The Humble Pineapple Club

What’s the deal with all this fruit?

I remember growing up, one of the first things I can recall on one of the many tours I took around my hometown included a stop at an otherwise-nondescript, simple, and honestly rather boring little, white house built right down the street from one of our many historic churches. It had a black wrought-iron fence, and an unkempt yard, and a driveway with bits of weeds pushing their way up through the cracks. It was surrounded by so many other, beautiful homes on the street, so I was already a little curious as to why he chose this one over all the others to pause in front of.

The seasoned carriage driver brought the horse to a stop by the curb, and took his whip out and pointed at something on the old stone wall that divided this house from the home and lot to the east of it. Sitting, rather simply, on the very edge of that wall was a white stone sculpture. “It’s a pineapple,” he said to no one in particular – possibly to the tourists sitting in the seats behind us. “Does anyone know why there’s a pineapple on that wall?”

No one, apparently, had any idea.

“There’s a pineapple on that wall,” he said, as he gathered himself, “because pineapples mean ‘Welcome.’” I listened, curious, as he went on. “You see,” as he clicked his horse back up to a walk and the whole buggy lurched forward. “When sailors would venture out into the world (down to the tropics, for example) they would bring back all sorts of wonderful things from their trips. This included, usually, fruits and other foods that they couldn’t grow at home. Over time, they used to take these fruits, like our pineapple here, and set it on their doorstep to let people know that they were back, and that company was welcome come up and knock.”

One of the many I spotted around Gramercy

Now, whether or not this is the full truth, there certainly must be something to what he said. I grew up to give my own tours, and one thing I noticed all over my little town: pineapples. Pineapples everywhere. And as I began to travel more across the country, I noticed a theme: on older buildings, especially hotels and apartments, some sort of fruit usually found its way onto the façade. Whether it was placed on the gate, or on the fence, serving as a lamp, or even as part of the doorway itself, little, stylized pineapples were everywhere.

Which, in a slightly convoluted way, brings us to hotels. Eventually, people in Europe learned to love this rare and delicious fruit, which was commonly served at dinners and social events for the wealthier segments of society. A pineapple was the crown jewel of the table. If it was used for dessert, it was a treat above most anything else, saved especially for friends and family. So, naturally, this coveted fruit became as much a symbol as it did a serving. Wallpapers and mantles were graced with more and more stylistic interpretations of the pineapple. It found itself on teapots and outdoor planters, or carved above entrance-ways and on top of city gates. “Welcome,” it said. “Come, and enjoy.” Eventually the symbol would be found on large houses akin to our modern bed and breakfasts, which of course got closer and closer to what we now know as hotels.

So, I guess that’s the deal with pineapples. They were gaudy. They were a symbol of the elite. But eventually they came to represent friendship and hospitality as a whole – designating a place for visitors seeking some form of solace. And, what’s even better – it’s still something that you can find all around you. New York City is rife with examples, big and small. If you’re in one of the more historic areas of the city, it’s almost hard to not stumble on one somewhere. Pineapples make their ways on old iron gates, and planter boarders. I even found what may be my current favorite – a silver one, right on the side of the Chrysler Building.

But what surprised me more than all the wonderful examples I found around the city was that many people in the hotel world didn’t know the significance of this simple little fruit. Some had never even considered such a long history for such a seemingly simple thing. Even my Concierge had no idea of the story. “I’ve seen those everywhere, but I never knew!” he told me, rather pleased.

In a world inundated with symbols, sometimes it’s fun to notice the ones that have gone out of fashion. This is why we are the Humble Pineapple Club. The fruit isn’t really a delicacy anymore, is it? Now you can go to your local Trader Joe’s and pick up as many cans of sliced pineapple as you wish. Pineapples aren’t given as expensive gifts. They’re not coveted. They’re not revered. They’re just another juice bottle on the shelf.

But, with the right eye, you’ll still see them every now and then. Who knows - you may have one on your house or gate and never even realized. Or maybe, when you walk through your next hotel entrance, you'll see it there, letting you know that you’re home now, safe among friends.