OldCooksBooks.com


Showing page 8 of 43 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - The Master's abbreviated reference work.
BIBLIOTHEQUE PROFESSIONNELLE L'Aide-Memoire Culinaire
SUIVE D'UNE Etude sur les Vins Francais et Etrangers a l'usage des Cuisiniers, Maitres d'hotel et Garcons de Restaurant PAR A. ESCOFFIER PARIS 1919 - Tous droits de traductions et de reproduction reserve pour tous pays.
FIRST EDITION. 175x115mm. Half-Title. Title page. V-VIII. 1-360. no feps. Original clean cardboard covers with an exact replication of the Title page. Spine sometime re-backed in sympathetic tan calf with gilt lettering running the length. A very nice copy mercifully free of the heavy browning that usually happens to paper of that period. Escoffier's facsimile signature on the verso of the half-title. A nice copy of a rare first edition.
- Escoffier's L'Aide Memoire is very similar to Louis Saulnier's 'Le Reportaire de la Cuisine' a standard work of reference used in the Catering Industry and Colleges. Where 'Le Repertoire' is the work of Escoffier's pupils, Escoffier's own work is the pocket memory aid to his great classic 'Guide to Modern Cookery'. Due to its abbreviated format of listing ingredients without quantities nor preparation notes, it is aimed at giving a quick reminder to the professional chef while actually working on the dish they are referencing. It also gives a great insight into Escoffier's genius for detailing the re-organising of the contemporary modern kitchen. The least known of Escoffier's published works. This is probably because 'Le Repertoire', first published in French in 1914, and subsequently published into English in 1924, was used extensively by all Catering college students while Escoffier's 'L'Aide Memoire' was never translated from French into another language.

click on image to enlarge

Modern category

ref number: 10977

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - Signed by the Author. 1930.
A. ESCOFFIER L'Aide Memoire Culinaire
SUIVE D'UNE Etude sur les Vins Francais et Etrangers a l'usage des Cuisiniers, Maitres d'hotel et Garcons de Restaurant ERNEST FLAMMARION, EDITEUR 26, RUE RACINE, PARIS Droits de traductions et de reproduction reserve pour tous pays, y compris la Suede et la Norvege.
190x120mm. n/d but circa 1928. 1fep. Half title with an unusual dedication signed by Escoffier - "En Souvenir A Monsieur Charles Leydecker sincire sympathie E Escoffier Mars 1930" and also as expected, Escoffier's facsimile signature on the verso, headed Note de l'Auteur. Title page with verso Advertissement Important. (1)vi-viii Avant-Propos. (1)1-390. no fep. Soiled original orange-brown paper covers with text still clearly legible. Internally evenly age browned throughout. This looks like a chefs well used copy that has been kept intact in the original state. Because of the signature it is housed in a dark brown cloth clamshell box. Two black and gilt morocco labels on spine. The first 3 leaves and front cover has clear tissue repairs not affecting the text. A rare, complete and original signed copy of this least known of Escoffier's writings.
- The first edition was published - 1919. When one assembles the list of all of Escoffier's writings, a picture emerges of French Cuisine explained in its detailed entirety; from the classic to the new modern. Starting with his great 'Guide to Modern Cookery' to this abbreviated memory aid, then recipe books about Rice and Cod, a treatise on Wax flower modelling, also recipe booklets about his bottled sauces, and unusually recipes for stock cubes, not forgetting his many articles for contemporary culinary magazines. Taking into account all his mentoring and placement of over 2000 pupils and colleagues in good positions of employment all over the world, one wonders how he managed the hard working daily routine of a Chef de Cuisine of a very large kitchen brigade that started at 6am till late evening. But he did. His was a life of extraordinary endeavor and creativity that is well documented by many of his friends, former apprentices and admirers. Appreciation grows and grows.

click on image to enlarge

Modern category

ref number: 10978

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - Both books well preserved with Escoffier's signature in La Morue.
La Morue & Le Riz
[1] A. ESCOFFIER LA VIE A BON MARCHE La morue 82 recettes -- pour -- l'accommoder ERNEST FLAMMARION, EDITEUR 26, RUE RACINE, PARIS. [2] A. ESCOFFIER Le riz L'ALIMENT LE MEILLEUR, LE PLUS NUTRIF 130 recettes -- pour -- l'accommoder ERNEST FLAMMARION, EDITEUR 26, RUE RACINE, PARIS.
BOOK 1. FIRST EDITION. 1929. In original Yellow cover with red writing. The front cover with the same exact text as the title page. The inside cover with the bookplate of Crosby Gaige, the former president of the New York Wine & Food Society. 1 fep. Half-title. Title page with the handwritten signature in ink; A. Escoffier. Paris September 1932. pp [1] V1-V11 [1] [1] 10-67. p2. Advertisements. Nice clean condition, slightly age browned throughout. The text block has two old staples holding it tight. -- BOOK 2.FIRST EDITION. 1927. In original Yellow cover with red writing. The front cover with the same exact text as the title page. Half-title. Title page. [1] 8-79. Covers and paper lightly browned throughout, but still a very nice copy in its original state. Both books housed in a clamshell box bound in half dark brown leather with marble boards. The spine with raised bands, gilt lines and gilt tooling. Also with a red and green label and gilt lettering. The interior laid with fawn felt.
- Escoffier started cooking in his uncle's restaurant at the tender age of thirteen. He was born in the village of Villeneuve-Loubet, near Nice on the 28th October, 1846 and died at Monte Carlo on 12th February, 1935. He was a prolific writer publishing many Culinary gems over a long distinguished career as the most famous Chef in the world. La Riz and La Morue were among the last of his ten major works, which he published at the respective grand ages of 80 and 82. (While Le Riz is scarce, Le Morue is very rare) His last book 'Ma Cuisine' was published in 1934 at the age of 87 -- by any standard; a remarkable life. A beautiful leather bound box to house two fine original Escoffier books, especially the very rare 'La Morue', rarer still with Escoffier's signature.

click on image to enlarge

Modern category

ref number: 10979

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - incudes 2 Escoffier menus, one he wrote, one printed.
LE LIVRE DES MENUS
A. ESCOFFIER avec la collaboration de PHILEAS GILBERT et EMILE FETU LE LIVRE DES MENUS Compliment in indespensable du Guide culinaire FLAMMARION EDITEUR 26, rue Racine, Paris.
FIRST EDITION. 1912. 253x164mm. 1fep. On verso – Du Meme Auteur Half-title. Title page. [1] p.5-6. Avant-Propos dated Avril 1912,. 7-164. (165) [1] Folding chart titled - "Tableau de Service dans une Grande Cuisine". The covers are the original terra-cotta colour with red and black lettering. They are slightly browned, with the spine cracked but holding well. Internally, it’s very clean and bright. Also enclosed is a draft menu written by Escoffier at the Carlton Hotel, and dated by another hand in blue crayon - Mercredi 24-7-07 for Johnston Esq. Also enclosed, one of Escoffier’s Carte du Jour printed menus from the Carlton Restaurant, the Carlton Hotel, Pall Mall, London, dated Dimanche, 21 Octobre 1906. In fine clean condition. All housed in a beautiful clamshell box bound in half dark brown leather with marble boards. The spine with raised bands, gilt lines and gilt tooling. Also with a red and green label and gilt lettering. The interior lined with fawn felt. Wonderful rare Escoffier items in fine original condition.
- The folding plate at the back of the book first appeared in 1903 in the first edition of Escoffier's major work "Le Guide Culinaire" The system laid out in the plate indicates the very precise way that Escoffier had re-organised the modern Kitchen from that of the Bel-Epoque era. It assigns the precise duties and dishes of each 'Partie' with the number of tables, couverts and times. However this chart does not indicate that each individual dish eventually served to the guest would have been sourced from numerous Kitchen 'Parties' before being cooked by one Chef de Partie (either Chef Saucier, Poissonier, Entremetier etc) and assembled on a platter for the waiter to carry to the Dining Room. The one enclosed rare draft menu written by Escoffier is a clear example of how the process works. Escoffier writes the menu in his typically messy scrawl and it is then sent to a comptroller who writes on the menu, the date and the name of the recipient of the special Dinner. It’s then sent to be printed up on the formal designed menu cards to be placed before each guest at the Dinner. This special menu would also be written up in a more legible hand and posted on the kitchen banquet notice board one week before the dinner. As delineated in the folding plate, each menu is then broken down into the relevant kitchen department tasks, and each dish is then cooked and assembled for the whole dinner to served at the designated time. The Carte du Jour menu is also one of Escoffier’s daily menus. His tenure at the Carlton Hotel lasted from 1899 to 1919. The book and the very rare items of Ephemera are a true and fantastic testament to Escoffier's far-reaching gastronomic influence within the highest reaches of English, European and American Society.

click on image to enlarge

Modern category

ref number: 10980

Carter. Charles Carter's monumental work.
The Complete Practical COOK
Or, A NEW SYSTEM Of the Whole Art and Mystery of COOKERY. Being a Select Collection od Above Five Hundred RECIPES for Dressing, after the most Curious and Elegant Manner (as well FOREIGN as ENGLISH) all Kinds of Flesh, Fish, fowl, &c. [a single thin line] FITTED FOR ALL OCASIONS: But more especially for the most Grand and Sumptuous Entertainments. [a single thin line] [a single thin line] Adorned with Sixty curious Copper Plates; Exhibiting the full Seasons of the Year, and Tables proper for Every Month; As also Variety of large Ovals and Rounds, and Ambogues and Square Tables for Coronation-Feasts, Instalments, &c. [a single thin line] The Whole intirely [sic] New; And none of the RECIPES ever published in any Treatise of this Kind. . [a single thin line] Approved by divers of the Prime Nobility; And by several Masters of the Art and Mystery of Cookery. [a single thin line] By CHARLES CARTER, Lately cook to his Grace the Duke of Argyll, the Earl of Pontefract, the Lord Cornwallis, &c. . [a single thin line] LONDON: Printed for W. Meadows, in Cornhill; C. Rivington, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and R. Hett, in the Poultry. M.DCC.XXX.
FIRST AND SOLE EDITION. 4to. 255 x 202 mm.2 feps. Title page, printed in red and black. [1] Dedication page. [1] 10 pages To the Reader. [1] (1)2-208. 209 - 212 Terms of Art. (1)214 - 224 The Contents. 60 engraved plates, 3 folding. Spectacular fold-out contains dishes for King George II Coronation dinner. Some foxing to edges, but otherwise nice and clean. The edges of the text block nicely speckled. Full tan calf with spine and boards tooled in gilt. Spine with raised bands and red morocco label in gilt. Rebound by Chris Lewis of Bath, formerly a binder at Bayntun-Riviere. From the estate of Dan Samuel, 4th Viscount Samuel (1925-2014), grandson of Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, High Commissioner of Palestine (1920-1925). A very good copy.
- Sam Bilton wrote online, the following article about Charles Carter and his book; The Complete Practical Cook. Her acute observations are worth re-printing here in their entirety: " Long before chefs began coveting stars, their reputations were built on the social standing of their patron. The bigger the ‘nob’ you worked for, the more prestige your position as a chef held in the 18th century. Charles Carter’s patrons included the Duke of Argyll, General Wood and several lords. He had the advantage of having worked in several European countries where he had been exposed to a wider variety of flavours (like garlic) than many of his English counterparts. He was very proud of his achievements and doesn’t shy away from telling the reader so in the introduction. Despite his lack of modesty, a lot of what Carter says still holds true today. He believes cookery is an art and that good cooks should be rewarded for their skill. He is highly critical of unscrupulous cooks who pass off the work of others as their own. He even starts the book by extolling the virtues of a good stock, a maxim which is as true now as it was in the 18th century. The recipes are very much of their time, with many meat-based dishes beloved by his wealthy benefactors. Nose to tail eating was definitely the order of the day. The recipe for 'Olio Podred'a (a type of Spanish stew) contains 11 breeds of bird including pheasants, ducks and larks plus beef, pork, veal and mutton, not to mention hogs ears, trotters, sausages and ham. The dish is served with a ragout of pallets, sweetbreads, lamb stones, cockscombs and a hefty dose of truffles. You get the meat sweats just by reading the recipe. A few recipes, like 'To Pot Otter' ', Badger or Young Bea'r, are decidedly odd and are likely to offend some 21st century sensibilities. However, others like 'Buttered Crab' ' Eggs à la Switz' (a spiced-up version of eggs florentine), 'Pike Babacu’d' or 'Beef la Tremblour' (slow cooked rump or sirloin, till it is so tender that it will tremble or shake like a quaking pudding) sound reassuringly familiar once you get past the archaic language. Some like 'Tamarind Tort' or 'Caraway Cakes' are crying out to be rediscovered by a modern audience. Unlike modern cookery books there is no strict division between savoury and sweet dishes reflecting the way meals were served 'à la francaise'. Carter even provides a large number of diagrams at the back of the book with suggestions for different dinners according to the season or occasion. (One of the folding plates measures a whopping 500mm long. See image #6 below) Clearly for the 21st century cook, this is far from a practical book. The recipes are designed to cater for large households so inevitably require scaling down. Some of the ingredients he uses, like 'eringo roots' (candied sea holly roots) or 'ambergris' (whale vomit) are difficult to come by or are best avoided. Carter claims this book will make cooks more inventive and a certain degree of ingenuity is required to make these recipes work today. If you have any interest in England’s culinary heritage it’s worth persevering with The Complete Practical Cook if for no other reason than to prevent it from being forgotten". [From the 'Cookbook Review' blog online]. Oxford p.61. Cagle p.592. Bitting p.77. Axford p.75. MacLean p.23.

click on image to enlarge

Antiquarian category

ref number: 10981

La Chapelle. Vincent - Published first in English then French.
The Modern Cook:
CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS For Preparing and Odering Publick Enter-tainments for the Tables of Princes, Am-bassadors, Noblemen, and Magistrates. As also the least Expensive Methods of providing for private Families, in a very elegant Manner. New Receipts for Dressing of Meat, Fowl, and Fish, and making Ragouts, Fricassees, and Pastry of all Sorts, in a Method never before Publish'd. Adorn'd with COPPER PLATES, Exhibiting the Order of Placing the different Dishes, etc. on the Table, in the most polite Way. By Mr. VINCENT LA CHAPELLE, Late Cheif Cook to his Highness the Prince of ORANGE. The Third Edition. LONDON: Printed for Thomas Osborne, in Gray's-Inn. MDCCXLIV.
Third edition. Complete. 2feps. Title page. Dedication on verso. p 1-IV. p IX-XL. The Contents. 1-432. Illustrations. 6 letterpress folding plates of bills of fare and elaborate table settings. 2feps. A nice contemporary full dark brown calf binding with raised bands on the spine. A red and green label with gilt lettering. Gilt lines on the spine and boards. Internally very clean throughout. A beautiful copy, with one of the folding plates measuring an unusual eighteen inches long.
- Vincent La Chapelle, French Master cook to Phillip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, then William IV, Prince of Orange, after to Madame de Pompadour the mistress of Louis XV. When Chesterfield was sent to the Hague as Ambassador to arrange the marriage of William of Orange to Anne, daughter of George 11, he took La Chapelle with him. After Chesterfield returned to London, La Chapelle stayed behind and entered the service of William of Orange, to whom his books are dedicated. (Mossiman pub. Collection). Cagle has a 3rd edition of 3 volumes, dated 1736, with 16 folding plates.-- Maclean also has third editions of 1736 and 1744, both 3 volumes, a 4th edition of 1751 in 1 volume, but annoyingly, no mention of plates. -- Bitting has the 1st edition of 1733 in 3 volumes with 16 folding plates. She also has the 4th of 1751 with 6 folding plates. -- Oxford gives the 1st of 1733 in 2 volumes, the 2nd in 3 volumes and the 3rd of 1744 and a 4th of 1751, both 1 volume only, with no plates noted - urgh!. Oxford states: "This seems a most excellent and well arranged book, though some of the recipes are very strange. A 'strengthening broth' is made of two hundred sparrows with other ingredients. For besieged towns the author gives a recipe for 'broth cakes' which may be carried about, and 'preserv'd above a year'. The broth cakes are obviously a precursor to the modern day stock cubes. Vincent La Chapelle is now known to have been a little creative with the truth regarding his employment record and other issues. Maclean on p85. raises these points and also mentions Philip and Mary Hyman's very good article in Petits Propos Culinaires vol 2, pp 44-45, highlighting La Chapelle's famous spat with Massialot. Whatever claims of plagiarism between these two famous Chefs, this is nevertheless a great cookbook. Uniquely, La Chapelle published this work first in English in 1733 and then brought out the first French edition (Le Cuisinier Moderne) in 4 volumes in 1735. A 2nd French edition followed in 1742 with a new volume added. All complete copies or sets of La Chapelle's cookery books are extremely scarce.

click on image to enlarge

Antiquarian category

ref number: 10982

E. S. [Eliza Smith] - a rare 2nd edition
The Compleat Housewife;
OR, Accomplished Gentlewoman's COMPANION: Being a COLLECTION of upwards of Five Hundred of the most approved RECEIPTS in (2 columns) COOKERY, CONFECTIONARY, PRESERVING, PICKLES, CAKES, CREAMS, JELLIES, MADE WINES, CORDIALS.With COPPER PLATES curiously engraved for the regular Disposition or Placing the various DISHES and COURSES. AND ALSO BILLS of FARE for every Month of the Yaer. To which is added, A Collection of near Two Hundred Family RECEIPTS of MEDICINES; viz. Drinks, Syrups, Salves, intements, and various other Things of sovereign and approved Efficacy in most Distempers, Pains, Aches, Wounds, Sores, etc never before made publick; fit either for private Families, or such publick-spirited Gentlewomen as would be beneficient to their poor Neighbours. By E------ S-----. The Second Edition. LONDON: Printed for J. PEMBERTON, AT THE Golden Buck, over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street. M.DCC.XXV11.
8vo. 1fep. Title page with double line border. p10 Preface. I-XV Index. [2] 2-318. p2 Advertisements. 6 Copper plate illustrations of table settings and dishes. 1fep. Full contemporary dark brown calf with two-tone boards and original blind tooling. The spine sometime relaid with brown label and gilt lettering. The whole shows its age but has a nice patina. Internally very clean. A wonderful copy of an early edition.
- This 2nd edition printed 1727 in the same year as the 1st edition. The first had 326 pages. Maclean states erroneously that Smith's full name only appears after the 1st edition. The initials on this 2nd edition refutes that. Maclean also records 18 editions printed up to 1773. Along with Hannah Glasse and Elizabeth Raffald, Eliza Smith is one of the best known 18th century cookery writers, and it was her work which in 1742 became the first cookbook to be published in America. The 5th edition was reprinted in 1742 by William Parks as the 1st American edition. Unlike Raffald and Glasse, little is known about Smith. In her preface she informs us she has for thirty years and upwards been constantly employed in fashionable and noble Families. Maclean notes that Lord Montague of Beaulieu has stated "When I was first shown 'The Compleat Housewife' I was fascinated to find that several of the recipes contained were identical to those in manuscript form in my books. Although it is not known which of the great houses Mrs E. Smith worked, it is more than probable that some dishes were originally created in one of my ancestor's kitchens."

click on image to enlarge

Antiquarian category

ref number: 10983

Raffald. Elizabeth - A signed copy of the rare first.
The Experienced English Housekeeper,
For the Use and Ease of Ladies, House-keepers, Cooks etc. Wrote purely from PRACTICE, And dedicated to the Hon. Lady ELIZABETH WARBURTON, Whom the Author lately served as House-keeper. Consisting of near 800 Original Receipts, most of which never appeared in Print. PART FIRST, Lemon Pickle, Browning for all Sorts of Made Dishes, Soups, Fish, plain Meat, Game Made Dishes both hot and cold, Pyes, Puddings etc, PART SECOND, All Kind of Confectionary, particularly the Gold and Silver Web for covering of Sweetmeats, and a Desert of Spun Sugar, with Directions to set out a Table in the most elegant Manner and in the modern Taste, Floating Islands, Fish Ponds, Transparent Puddings, Trifles, Whips, etc. PART THIRD, Pickling, Potting, and Collaring, Wines, Vi-negars, Catchups, Distilling, with most valuable Receipts, one for refining Malt Liquors, the other for curing Acid Wines, and a correct List of every Thing in Season in every Month of the Year. By ELIZABETH RAFFALD. MANCHESTER: St Paul's Church-yard, London; and by Eliz. Raffald, Confectioner, near the Exchange, Manchester, 1769. The Book to be signed by the Author's own Hand-writing, and entered at Stationers Hall.
FIRST EDITION. 8vo. 1fep. title page. [1] p2. Dedication. 1-111. To the Reader. [1] [1] 2-360. One engraved folding plate showing tale settings. 361-362. Directions for a Grand Table. 2nd engraved folding plate showing table settings. 1-X1. Index. 1fep. Full original contemporary dark brown calf. The spine has been re-bound with raised bands and gilt lines. Internally lightly browned throughout. A fair copy of the very rare first edition.
- As stated in the title page, this book is signed 'Eliz. Raffald' in ink on page one. The English Housekeeper was published in twelve editions and at least thirty impressions. Elizabeth Whittaker Raffald (1733-81) was after Hannah Glasse, the most celebrated English cookery writer of the 18th century. She was employed for fifteen years as Housekeeper to Lady Elizabeth Warburton of Arley Hall, Cheshire, to whom she dedicates her book. She sold all the rights to her book to a London publisher for £600.oo. Ironically, substantially less in today's money for one copy of the first edition. Many key authors of this time signed their books as a true distinction that set them clearly apart from other pirated copies. This is one such copy.

click on image to enlarge

Antiquarian category

ref number: 10984

Hill. Sir John - Rare large paper copy with 75 hand-coloured plates.
The British Herbal
AN HISTORY OF PLANTS and TREES, NATIVES of BRITIAN, CULTIVATED FOR USE, OR RAISED FOR BEAUTY. By JOHN HILL, M.D. LONDON: Printed for T. Osborne and J. Shipton, in Gray's-Inn, J. Hodges, near London-Bridge; J. Newbery, in St. Pauls Church-Yard; B. Collins, And S. Crowder and H. Woodgate, in Pater-noster-Row. MDCCLV1.
FIRST EDITION. Very large folio. 475x295mm. Marbled end-papers and front and back paste-downs. 1fep Frontispiece (hand-coloured allegorical full page engraving showing the "Genius of Health receiving the tributes---") Title page with red and black text and a coloured vignette (praised and illustrated by Henrey 11) 2pp dedication with coloured arms of the Earl of Northumberland flanked by the lion and the unicorn. [1] 2-533. 3pp index. 1fep. With 75 plates of multiple botanical and herbal specimens, all delicately coloured by a contemporary hand. A large paper copy. Possibly original full dark brown calf boards with faded double gilt lined border. Spine in same dark calf, raised with faded gilt. Gilt lettering in one compartment. Overall slightly rubbed but nicely re-polished. Frontispiece edges sometime expertly restored without loss or affecting the coloured engraving. Title page lightly dusted with a 1" light brown stain not affecting text. Small 1"sq. old sellotape mark on p79 not affecting text. The last four pages lightly browned with page repairs not affecting text. Very neat contemporary manuscript notes in margins throughout referring to several plants names and perhaps positions in the garden, ownership inscription on blank side of frontispiece of Solomon Ackroyd. Overall a nice bright copy in its original condition.
- Sir John Hill MD (1716?-1775) was thought to have been born at Peterborough in 1716. As a boy he was apprenticed to an apothecary. He tried to increase his profits by studying botany and was employed by royalty to arrange their gardens and collect dried plants. He was also considered to be a "miscellaneous writer" and published plays and small periodicals. He founded such journals as the British Magazine. He was ultimately responsible for penning over 70 books and hundreds of articles on almost all subjects of interest. Hill contributed many articles to the Supplement to Mr. Chambers's Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts & Sciences. During the 1750's he obtained a diploma of medicine from the University of St. Andrews. In 1756 he published The British Herbal: An History of Plants and Trees Natives of Britain, Cultivated For Use, or Raised For Beauty. This was the 26th book he had published. Later, in 1759, he commenced publication of The Vegetable System and for the next sixteen years, he was occupied in bringing out this monumental, 26-volume work containing sixteen hundred copper plate engravings representing twenty-six thousand different plants. It was not to be completed until just before his death in 1775. Sadly, as with many undertakings of this magnitude, the money ran out, and Hill turned his hand to quack medicine. Hill applied himself to the preparation of various herb medicines such as 'the essence of waterdock', 'tincture of valerian', 'pectoral balsam of honey', etc. He thus made a considerable sum of money which he put back into his work. Hill also obtained appointments to such prestigious positions as Superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kew & Gardener of Kensington. He died of gout, (a disease for which he professed to have an invaluable cure), on 21st Nov. 1775. Some of his botanical works are considered classics. The British Herbal is much rarer than John Gerard's 'Historie of Plants' and is a work of veracity and vitally important for modern botanical nomenclature in that, not only did Hill attempt to name and categorize the flowers and herbs which grow in Britain, but he classifed them on the forms of the corolla and gynoecium and criticised the Linnaean system. Henrey 799; Lowndes vol II, 1070. (Sophie Schneideman Cat.5. Feb.09)

click on image to enlarge

Antiquarian category

ref number: 10986

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - A signed handwritten letter
Addressed to 'Cher Monsieur Cadier'
And signed 'A Escoffier' on Carlton Hotel Stationary.
A 2 page manuscript letter, addressed to Mons. Cadier. On headed paper from the Carlton Hotel, Pall Mall. London. Dated 16 Avril 1918, with the Hotel Crest. The letter was folded in eight with creases, with one line partly obscured but still readable. The whole has been sometime mounted on same coloured card. Also enclosed is a black and white formal group photograph of many of the famous chefs of the day. All contemporaries of Escoffier. They are celebrating some occasion that honors Monsieur Cadier. All the chefs have signed the photograph. Among those present are M. Eugene Herbodeau, one-time protege of Escoffier and also his literary executor, also Auguste Laplanche, Maitre Chef de Cuisine at the Savoy Hotel for many years. Marcel A. Percevault, Maitre Chef de Cuisine of Claridges from 1933-54 is part of the group. Enclosed in a neat marbled cardboard folder with a large label on the front cover. Very rare items.
- In the letter, Escoffier writes in ink ---- [Dear M. Cadier, In our short conversation this evening, I forgot to tell you that over and above the 10 pounds per week you will have 50 pounds gratuity at the end of each year. M.P. informed me of the little remark you made to him on the subject of M.M. Dupont and Carriyer, both of them are good friends and, as you know, they are not particularly well (suffering a little). They have been with me to pass the time waiting for jobs. Officially they have never been sous chefs. With regard to M. Limassin, although I had certain serious reasons for not being satisfied I gave him a post he can be proud of. I believe that in view of the circumstances it is necessary to give you the details. Yours sincerely A Escoffier P.S. If at any time you wish to acquire a post at the Carlton you can take all the time you need to allow you to find someone to replace you thereby not leaving the firm in an embarrassing situation]. -- Adolphe Hypolite Cadier -- 1882 – 1954. A French born chef who spent the major part of his working life in England. On arrival he first worked at Oddenino’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London for a short time in 1910. Cadier also worked 1939-42, at the famous fish restaurant; La Maison Prunier, St James St. London. He is mentioned on page 254 of Madame Prunier's very good book -- La Maison, History of Pruniers. London. 1957. Escoffier was the Maitre Chef de Cuisine of the Carlton Hotel, London from 1899-1919. His concern and care for chefs who had worked under him is well documented. Escoffier himself, in the translation of his own recorded notes in his great grand-daughter-in-law, Laurence Escoffier's book, 'Memories of my Life', states; "During my career I was able to implant 2,000 French chefs all over the world" This letter is a fine indication of that care and tact, for which he was revered. Combined with the signed photograph of a large group of contemporary fellow professionals, very interesting items of pertinent Escoffier ephemera.

click on image to enlarge

Ephemera category

ref number: 10988