This book was kept by Mary Burton Augusta (Bolling) Banister (1789-1853), in Petersburg, Virginia, between 1834 and 1836. It is written in a 70-page volume bound in marbled paper with a leather spine that measures 4 1/4 by 8 inches. The inside back cover of the book contains records of the births of slaves.
The book is in two parts. The front of the book comprises 7 pages, with medical recipes on page 1, dye recipes on pages 2 through 5, an illustration of a house, with measurements, on page 6, and a bill of timber for a kitchen on page 7.
The second section of the book is written starting from the back of the notebook. It comprises approximately 54 pages of culinary recipes, including various puddings, cakes, catsups, collops, jelly, preserves, wine, biscuits, and breads. Some pages seem to be missing from this section. Toward the end of this section, on page 52, some other individual has written material titled “On the Discovery of America,” which is about Christopher Columbus.
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