From its start in 1847 with the invention of the first American candy machine, the New England Confectionery Company prevailed through two world wars, the Great Depression, and countless trends, changes, and setbacks to become the longest-running candy company in US history until its sudden and tragic closing in 2018. A giant from its inception, the New England Confectionery Company operated out of huge factories considered marvels of 20th century industrial American achievement. For decades the company boasted a product line of 500–700 varieties of candy. With generations of families working together to produce every confection imaginable, Necco was a New England institution, landmark, and source of pride. Extensively researched, this book is the complete history of the New England Confectionery Company and its family of brands from the 19th through the 21st centuries. On these pages you will find hundreds of rare and amazing images that tell Necco's story and create a visual tour of package design and advertising from the 1890s–2010s. This is an epic tale of the American candy industry, the people who made it happen, and everyone who enjoyed those sweet treats of childhood. If you are a candy lover, collector, historian, or enthusiast of classic design, Necco–An Epic Candy Tale serves up a delicious assortment of candy history—the ups, the downs, and everything in-between. "In Necco: An Epic Candy Tale , Darlene Lacey celebrates the sweet, and gives a loving and engaging history of when Necco — short for New England Confectionery Company — was as an institution locally and nationally. The book is rich with photographs and illustrations, of the unmistakable packaging, ads from the archives, and images of the factories. You can almost feel the crack of the candy between the teeth and smell their subtle candy smell." ~ The Boston Globe Over the years, my Candy Wrapper Museum has become the caretaker to many a lost candy wrapper in search of a home. It was through a donation such as this that Necco-An Epic Candy Tale came to be. This project began in March 2019 when an old giant-sized scrapbook from the New England Confectionery Company's factory arrived on my doorstep. It was no ordinary scrapbook; it was filled with amazing items, most of which I am confident have not seen the light of day for 70 years or more. I knew this should be shared with the world, and this book and its companion book, N ecco: The Archive Collection are the result of over two years of research, preservation, and restoration.  As I researched the company's long history, the more fascinated I became. 171 years of people working together to keep a dream alive, and as they did, they saved many beloved American candies that were in danger of being lost to us forever. After gathering over 1,000 sources, I have created a history of the New England Confectionery Company and its family of brands that provides little-known facts, reveals untold stories, and delves into candy legends. I am proud to have been given the opportunity to tell this epic tale, for this is what it surely is. I hope you find this book sweet and satisfying. Darlene Lacey Darlene Lacey began her collection of candy wrappers as a teenager in the 1970s with a box of Nice Mice. The Candy Wrapper Museum has since grown into one of the most significant collections of its kind, providing a window into American cultural trends and fads, the history of design and advertising, and a powerful nostalgia trip for those in search of forgotten candy of the past.   Darlene and her museum have been featured in articles and programs by major media outlets as well as art and library exhibits. Darlene was honored by the Los Angeles Library Foundation for her contributions to preserving cultural history. Darlene is the author of Necco-An Epic Candy Tale, Necco-The Archive Collection, Classic Candy: America's Favorite Sweets 1950-80, and A Woman's Guide to Low-Self Esteem.