I recently flipped though the May, 1924 issue of American Cookery magazine and was surprised to discover a book review of a hundred-year-old cookbook that I’d purchased off eBay. It’s nice to know that the magazine liked The New Butterick Cook Book. I’ve enjoyed this cookbook, and have made several recipes that were in it.
It does sound like a great cookbook! Does it also tell you how to follow a dressmaking pattern?
I laughed, because I also associate Butterick with sewing patterns.
I get the sense that Butterick was a company with a broader focus a hundred years ago. Back then they published a cookbook, patterns, and several magazines.
There are ads in the back of the cookbook for Butterick Patterns and for several publications (The Delineator, The Butterick Quarterly, Needle-Art) that I think the Butterick Company published back then.
Wonderful to see this thorough book review, Sheryl. And how fun that you actually have this book, extraordinary given it’s 100 years old. Interesting note from olden times was that only women were part of the kitchen.
Sigh – some things are better today. The New Butterick Cook Book, and all other hundred-year-old cookbooks that I’ve seen assume that cooks were women (and some of these old cookbooks refer to housewives as the target audience).
“AS special features with table and maid service”
That is always a give away on how old some of these books are!!!
Times were different back then. When I see references to maids in old cookbooks, I wonder what percentage of homes a hundred years ago had maids. I’m positive that my ancestors didn’t.
Flora Rose must have been a clever woman! I love the way she ‘revised and greatly enlarged’ the book.
cheers
sherry
Sounds like a great way to sell more cookbooks.