By: William Knight
Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation
Retro recipes: Cookbooks from the Ingenium collection
Photo Credit
Jell-O: Canada's Most Famous Dessert CSTM Library Trade Literature Collection FOOD B1686 3003 c1920
Insert from Jell-O recipe book showing images of syllabub, maple walnut Jell-O, cherry Jell-O, stuffed tomato salad, pineapple mouse, and marbled Jell-O. (“JELLO- 10 c A PACKAGE”)
Physical distancing, self-isolation, quarantine — these are now familiar terms. There is no sugar-coating this new reality, but there is solidarity in coping with it together.
People are finding comfort in sharing the joy (and sorrow) of making a staple food, like bread. Grocery shelves empty of yeast and flour attest to the attraction.
Conservators Erin Secord and Jessica Lafrance-Hwang noticed a lively exchange of vintage recipes on social media and suggested we share some from Ingenium’s trade literature collection.
These cookbooks are important historical sources. They document changes in food production, cookery, technology, consumerism, and gender norms. Now, these retro cookbooks can enjoy new life as people experiment with old recipes, connecting us to the past in this time of pandemic.
#CuratingUnderQuarantine
Click here to download pdf of Reliable recipes and helpful hints (Egg-O Baking Powder) CSTM Library Trade Literature Collection FOOD E2946 3001 c1912. (content in English only)
Click here to download pdf of Livres de cuisine "Magic" et guide de ménagères ("Magic" Cookbook and Housewive's Guide) CSTM Library Trade Literature Collection FOOD G4797 3003 1914 (content in French only)
Click here to download pdf of Recettes et Rimes (Campbell's Soup) (Recipes and Rhymes) CSTM Library Trade Literature Collection FOOD C1877 3001 1931-1935. (content in French only)
Click here to download pdf of Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes (Walter Baker) CSTM Library Trade Literature Collection FOOD B1686 3001 1913. (content in English only)
William Knight
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