This bibliography serves as a brief guide to the history of culinary pamphlets in America, and links to several digital library collections related to this topic, as well as popular sources of information and where to shop online for culinary pamphlets.
History of culinary pamphlets:
Culinary ephemera, including recipe booklets and food and appliance advertising pamphlets, were published from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century by American government organizations, farming organizations, food companies, household appliance companies, and life insurance companies.
Culinary pamphlets can provide insight into social and cultural history, particularly related to attitudes about nutrition, health, and eating habits, especially with the rise in packaged and mass-produced foods; home economics and rationing, particularly during wartime; gender roles, especially the role of the housewife in relation to cooking, domestic tasks, and home economics; and marketing of food products and kitchen appliances to consumers.
Early pamphlets are simple in design and focus mostly on desserts. By the 1920s, pamphlets tend to be vibrantly illustrated. During the Great Depression and World War I and II eras, pamphlets emphasize economy and faster, easier, food preparation. The image of the idealized wife as homemaker peaks in the 1950s. By the 1970s, the publication of pamphlets dwindles, with more Americans relying on prepared foods.
Digital collections for culinary pamphlets & related topics:
- What's Cookin’ : History of Food and Drink Collection Blog at Virginia Tech
- Szathmary Recipe Pamphlet Digital Collection at University of Iowa
- Little Cookbooks: the Alan and Shirley Brocker Sliker Culinary Collection at Michigan State University
- Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project at Michigan State University
- HEARTH Home Economics Archive at Cornell University
Bibliographies for culinary pamphlets & related topics:
- Culinary history resources from Culinary Historians of New York
- Culinary history bibliography at New York Public Library
- Online culinary resource from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Books related to culinary pamphlets:
Vintage Cookbooks and Advertising Leaflets, Sandra J. Norman & Karrie K. Andes (1998)
Articles and blog posts related to culinary pamphlets:
- 11 Awesome Pages from WWII Ration Cookbooks at Mental Floss
- Betty Crocker’s Ancestors: Vintage Advertising Cookbooks at BookTryst
- Collecting: Vintage Baking Pamphlets at Martha Stewart Living
Where to buy vintage culinary pamphlets online:
Interested in starting your own culinary pamphlet collection? Ebay, Etsy, and Abebooks are good places to find items from individual sellers.
Also try the following online stores: