Manuscript Location

University of Chicago, Special Collections Research Center

Place of Origin

United States

Date of Composition

mostly written 1865-1887, with a few earlier and later entries

Description

This collection comprises two volumes, each volume consisting of a bound notebook of handwritten recipes and a set of materials originally inserted into the notebook but removed by the library. The two notebooks and the two sets of inserted materials have each been digitized in separate parts. 

The recipe book of Volume I is currently extant in approximately 70 leaves that were numbered on the rectos by the book's original writer. However, the notebook is disbound and a number of leaves are missing and some leaves at the end of the notebook are scrambled. Judging from the numbering, the notebook originally comprised close to 100 leaves. The original writer of this book divided it into sections headed by the letters of the alphabet, leaving several leaves between each section. The writer planned to fill in these leaves with aphorisms, quotations, and recipes beginning with the alphabet letter. Most sections do include an aphorism or quotation, but many do not contain any recipes. The greatest number of recipes appear under the letter "P" because many dishes begin with this letter, including pies, pot pies, puddings, and pickles. The recipes authored by the original writer bear dates from 1855 to 1868. Later writers have added recipes or other material in blank spaces. Two of these later writers have commented on the original writer's recipe for "Lady Washington's Lip Salve," leaf 48, which is dated 1865. One writer has written "The best lip salve I ever knew . . . so says my big son J. 1886." A second writer has simply added the date 1905. The recipes in this book are mostly culinary and typical of the period. 

The recipe book of Volume II comprises approximately 130 unnumbered pages. The book was primarily authored by an individual who wrote in a rushed, barely controlled hand, in thick strokes of black ink. A number of this writer's recipes are dated, mostly between 1870 and 1887. There are recipes in other hands as well. The first three quarters of the book are given over to culinary recipes, the last 32 pages to a mix of medical, cosmetic, and practical recipes of which many are horticultural. The culinary recipes are mostly typical for the period, with the exception of "Higdon" (digital image 42), a green tomato relish that seems to have been popular in the Midwest.

The primary hand of the recipe book of Volume II seems to be present in the recipe book of Volume I, and one of the inserts in Volume II ("Coffee Cake-Good!," digital image 19) appears to be in the hand of the original writer of the recipe book of Volume I. These overlaps suggest that this entire collection was compiled within a single family.