SC - An Elderly Cookbook.- An Adventure in Recent History ;-)

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

And it came to pass on 11 Apr 00,, that Alderton, Philippa wrote:

> At a recent fleamarket, I picked up a rather battered Cook Book for $2.
[snip]
> What I am asking you folk, is what exactly this cookbook is- when
> published, when written, who wrote the first section, etc. Thomas, Bear,
> Cariadoc, Ras, Adamantius, I'm particularly counting on your help- 

I am none of these august folks, but I am a reference librarian....

I found your cookbook in the Library of Congress catalog, which is on 
the web at:
http://catalog.loc.gov

Here is the cataloging record:
LC Control Number:  03001764 
Type of Material: Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, etc.)
Personal Name: Wright, Julia McNair, 1840-1903, comp.
Main Title: Ladies' home cook book : a complete cook book and manual 
of household duties ... compiled by Julia Mac Nair Wright, et. al. ... 
together with Bills of fare for all seasons, by Marion Harland [pseud.]
Published/Created: Philadelphia, Pa. : Manufacturers' book co. [c1896]
Related Names: Harland, Marion, 1830-1922.
Description: 532 p. : col. front, ill. ; 26 cm.
Notes: "Bills of fare for all seasons" has special t. p.
Subjects:Cookery, American.
              Menus.
LC Classification: TX75 .W931
Other System No.: (OCoLC)6962384
 
The following website is for a rare book dealer selling another work by 
Julia McNair Wright, _The complete home: An encyclopaedia of 
domestic life and affairs_, which apparently was a Victorian-era 
American household manual:
http://www.prbm.com/interest/woment-z.htm

Marion Harland was the author of an 1871 cookbook entitled _Common 
Sense in the Household_, which is online at:
http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/cgi/sgml/moa-idx?notisid=AEL7637  
Her autobiography is online at:
http://metalab.unc.edu/docsouth/harland/harland.html
There's a picture of her here:
http://www.libfind.unl.edu/legacy/photogal/harland.htm

Having a section of menus by her in the front of the cookbook would 
probably be like a modern cookbook author having an introduction 
written by Julia Child.

Sounds like a fascinating acquisition; enjoy it in good health.

> Phlip

Brighid, compulsive researcher


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net