THE NEW COLUMBIAN WHITE HOUSE COOKERY

Philadelphia PA: John E. Potter & Co., 1893. (USA Edition Not Stated.) Large thick 8vo, blue grey cloth with pictorial of the White House and titles in black, patterned endpapers, 3 blank leaves, frontis portrait of Mrs. Potter Palmer, titlepage, copyright page, 2 page of Introduction, Publisher's Preface, blank, illustration of Grandma's Thanksgiving Dinner, blank, 2 pages of Contents, first text page starts on page 17 with Holiday bills of fare, 527, (index) one blank, rear endpaper. Date uncertain: The copyright states, 1893 Charles S. Sutphen. Some B&W illus of cuts of meat, crockery in text. This is most likely a later printing of the cookbook first prepared for the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Coumbus. This exposition is usually associated with the first appearance of the Ferris Wheel but is more significantly remembered as the fair that widely introduced the wonders of electricity to the American heartland. There are monochrome plates in this book showing the major pavilions, such as the Electrical Pavilion, almost side by side with instructions for hand churning butter. There must be 400 or more recipes; Boiled Indian Puudding, Ripe Tomato Catsup (Unrivalled), Minnebaba cake, Beefsteak and Oysters, Candies, etc. Features a chapter on Carving, also Dyeing recipes, Household hints, Suggested Menus. There is a central section (which is an unconventional placement) of blank pages where the previous owner has neatly written her own recipes in steel pen. The typogaphy is generously large which seems unusual for a cookbook of this era but the paper is poor and the page edges are quite browned and brittle with the edges to some preliminary (blank) pages quite broken up marginally. The corner tips are worn through and there is wear to the spine extemities with a 1" split both sides of the spine head. There are worm holes to the top and bottom edge of pages but the text is unaffected. Pencil recipes to rear endpaper with some notations to recipes. Covers soiled with some staining. Page block tight with sewn signatures all together, a serviceable copy in rather shabby condition. No Dj. Uncommon. (4.2 JM HOJ 301/4. Hardcover. Acceptable/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.