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Ignotus - The very rare first edition.
CULINA Famulatrix Medicinae:
OR, RECEIPTS IN COOKERY, WORTHY THE NOTICE OF Those MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, who ride in their CHARIOTS with a FOOTMAN behind, and who receives TWO-GUINEA FEES from their RICH and LUXURIOUS PATIENTS. By IGNOTUS. ------ Propera Stomachum Iaxare Saginis, Et tua servatum in Saecula Rhombum. Juv. YORK: Printed by T.Wilson and R.Spence, High-Ousrgate; and sold by J.Mawman, Bookseller in the Poultry, London. 1804.
FIRST EDITION. 12mo. 1fep. [1] Frontispiece of a pig. Title page. [1] 1p Dedication. [1] (1)6-12 Preface. (1)14-226. (1)228-235 Contents. [1] 1fep. Quarter modern red calf with marbled boards and calf tips. Spine with blind tooling and gilt lines with a black label and gilt lettering. Internally clean with the whole text block slightly but nicely age browned. Overall a very pleasing copy.
- COPAC's full records cite only one first edition of 1804 at York. Oxford quotes a 2nd - 1805, 4th - 1806, 5th - 1807, new - 1810. The author was A.Hunter, M.D., F.R.S., who practised at York. The rather quaint and sincere book dedication states 'To those Gentleman who freely give two quineas for a Turtle Dinner at the Tavern, when they might have a more wholesome one at Home for ten shillings'. One seriously doubts that those very gentleman who can afford two guineas (£68.oo in today's money) for a Turtle dinner are ever likely to read a cookbook, and rarely cook at home, especially such a seriously complicated meal to prepare, that first starts with the purchase of a fresh Turtle. Oxford 143. Cagle 555. Bitting no first but a 2nd and a late 1820 new ed. Worldcat cites many other editions, but only two firsts; one of which is from the Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection at the Library of Congress.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11168

Beauvilliers. Antione B. - Very scarce second English edition.
The Art of French Cookery.
BY A.B. BEAUVILLIERS, RESTAURATEUR, PARIS. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN. PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1825.
Second edition. 182x112 mm. 2 feps (one modern one original). Title Page. [1] (1)iv-vi Discourse. (1)viii-xiii To Mistresses of Families. (1)xv To the Cook. [1] (1)2-347. [1] 11p Menus. 1p Lines for notes. (1)362-380. 1fep. Internally very clean with untrimmed and many uncut pages. Half fawn calf with marbled boards. A very nice copy of the very scarce English translation.
- Antoine B. Beauvilliers, born 1754, died 31.1.1817, was a French restaurateur; He published 'l’Art du Cuisinier' in 2 volumes in 1814. A first English translation titled ‘The Art of French Cookery’ was published in 1824 and this second edition here published one year later. Beauvilliers was trained in the royal kitchen of the Bourbons, and served as steward in the household of the Count of Provence; the future King Louis XVIII. He created and opened La Grande Taverne de Londres at 26 rue de Richelieu in 1782, which it is claimed, was the first real restaurant in Paris. He was famous for greeting clients wearing a sword, which is amusingly suggested online, probably came in handy if they were a bit strapped when it came to paying. In 1792 the chaos of the French Revolution forced him to shut his doors and he was imprisoned for a while. Beauvilliers also spent some time working in England as association with the nobility in France might have endangered his life. Returning to Paris towards the end of the Directory however, he re-opened his restaurant, and re-named it the 'Taverne de Londres'. It was the first luxury restaurant to open in the aftermath of the Revolution. (Mosimann Cat.#23) The term restaurant already existed in France, but it previously referred only to small establishments that sold broth or bouillon as restoratives. In his establishment, Beauvilliers was the first to offer an 'a la carte' menu‘ (meaning from the card) offering his guests the opportunity to choose from a number of menu items, as opposed to the fixed 'table d’hote' menu of the past. Restaurants proliferated after the Revolution as the nobility’s former chefs returned and sought employment. They were in contrast to Antonin Careme who had stayed, lived and worked through the social upheaval. He represented the grandest statement of the old, court-based cuisine. He was one of the last practitioners of 'service a la francaise', that found expression in the great buffets and dinners of the nobility, serving as many as eighty dishes for one meal. The recipes in Beauvilliers book are very precise and written for the professional. In a time of great social and political change in France his book is also an important milestone on the gastronomic landscape of that country's great culinary tradition. Careme's style of service was no longer tenable. Beauvillier's restaurant was as different and modern as Adria's 'El Bulli' is today. A new age had dawned in France and pragmatic necessity dictated, as always.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11174

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - One of Escoffier's menus.
Menu du Reveillon, 31st December, 1911.
Carlton Hotel and Restaurant, London. New Years Eve.
286mm x 224mm. With a Great British Empire themed coloured picture on the front. It shows two men, one is a John Bull figure, the other, a Scotsman in a kilt, as well as two ladies representing Ireland and Wales. The dates on two boats prows showing 1911 and 1912. At the top, six little vignettes of famous scenes from countries under the crown. Cardboard cover with four pages. An impressive menu with fourteen items inside. Tied together with multi-coloured cord. A little foxing on the front but not affecting the overall image. A nice item of Escoffier ephemera in good quality paper(for the time).
- Considering this menu is 100 years old it has fared well. Looking thro' Escoffier's 'L'Aide-Memoire Culinaire' of 1910 one can see his dishes on offer for that New Year. His menus from his time at the Carlton Hotel from 1899 - 1919 are very scarce, but when found they give a sense of place and gastronomic history other chef's menus lack.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11182

Parnell. Henry - Rare.
A Collection of Valuable Receipts.
IN VARIOUS BRANCHES OF DOMESTIC ECONOMY, SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN WRITERS OF UNQUESTIONABLE AUTHORITY AND EXPERIENCE. BY HENRY PARNELL, OF LINCOLN’S INN FIELDS. London: WILLIAM DARTON, JUN. 58, HOLBORN HILL. Sold by the Booksellers in Town and Country. 1819.
FIRST and possible SOLE EDITION. 174mm x 105mm. 2feps. [1] Frontispiece dated 1822. [1] (1)4-72. 2feps. Original discoloured dark grey covers with rubbed corners. Quarter red cloth. Spine with black label lengthways with gilt lettering. Pages slightly age browned throughout with the frontis and title page a little more. Overall fine.
- There are no copies in the bibliographies nor auction catalogues. Nothing can be found out about Henry Parnell. There is no further information in the book besides that on the title page. The frontis dated 1822 added to the title page dated 1819 is a further curiosity that defies an explanation. It is a curious book with general and diverse receipts, such as 'To detect Dampness in a Bed', or 'Experienced Method of Catching Larks' also 'Method of recovering persons Apparently Drowned'. Incredibly the recipe for “British Champagne” comes after advice on 'How to destroy worms in a gravel path'. COPAC shows only two copies at Oxford, both dated 1819 and one other in the BL dated 1819 with the frontis also dated 1822. A rare item even without proof of other possible editions.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11185

Cassells - Extremely rare 20 original parts.
New Dictionary of Cookery
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWENTY PLATES IN COLOURS CONTAINING ABOUT TEN THOUSAND RECIPES CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MCMIV
20 booklets each one 4to - 244x170mm x 6mm thick. The booklets are not separately paginated but continuously numbered from the first to last one. Booklet twenty finishes on page 1165 and an index. Each booklet though has a lovely unique coloured frontispiece. Many fine illustrations in the text. All the booklets, text and light grey-blue covers in fine condition, except for the covers on booklet one and twenty are a little rubbed. They are all housed in a large bottle green clamshell box with cloth boards, half bottle green morocco spine with raised bands and two red labels and fine gilt tooling. A very fine rare set.
- The conclusion of a lot of research into relatively scarce, varied and confusing details about ‘Cassells Dictionary of Cookery’ is hard to condense. It appears that the first edition in book form is un-dated and printed - 1875-76. There are four copies in British holdings; BL. Nat. Trust. Nat Lib. of Wales & Oxford. The next edition, -1877, has 10 coloured plates including a frontis, and many illustrations. An 1878-80 single volume in the BL appears to be a version issued in thirteen parts since the original blue paper binding of Part 1, price 6d, is bound in before the frontispiece. Each part cost 6d except the thirteenth, which sold for 8d. An 1888 OB rebound volume was originally issued in thirteen parts bound in red paper. An LB copy printed in 1896 at London, Paris and Melbourne by Cassell and Co Ltd is the version issued in ten parts costing 6d each, originally bound in blue paper then inexplicably rebound into one volume by the library. An OB volume was originally issued in ten parts costing 6d each and bound in blue paper. Quite why the libraries feel it is right to rebind into one volume these sets of original monthly booklets is unbelievable and unforgivable. The next significant issue in one volume was printed in 1904 in London, Paris, New York and Melbourne by Cassell and Co Ltd. It was now named ‘Cassells New Dictionary of Cooking’’ It appears it was issued as a single volume , This single volume was also issued in twenty fortnightly parts. (Inside booklet one of this set is a yellow form that people can fill out to order the booklets) There is no doubt that this set of booklets seen here are exceedingly rare, possibly as rare as Mrs Beeton's twenty four original parts of "Household Management'. The reason for the rarity is now obvious. After doing this research on Cassells Dictionary, the sets of the original booklets, whether ten, thirteen or twenty have mostly been rebound into single volumes by many libraries. Whereas it may be explained that rebinding the booklets into one volume helped to preserve them from the multiple handling of numerous readers, conversely, it loses forever the uniqueness of the original separately bound parts, all with their own covers. Although ‘Cassells Dictionary of Cookery’ books may not be fervently collected which may be explained by the fact they are published by a company rather than an individual. There are many booklets produced with great charm by companies promoting single products. Beautiful booklets of that ilk that come to mind are those promoted by Elizabeth David for various wine companies and Le Crueset. Another is Liebig Company's Cookery book. Cassell's booklets on Cookery are not promoting a product but rather published and sold by a company. They have been produced with great care and thought and are a large undertaking. As explained in the preface of the first booklet, it was set out in alphabetical dictionary format to enable the user to find a dish easily. Many of the recipes were made and tested by Mr V. Benoist of 30 Picadilly London. This is the same V. Benoist who set up on 26 Feb 1910 using the same name, the famous wholesale purveyor of food, beverages and tobacco. An exciting find and in some ways nicer than Beeton's booklets. Not found in any of the bibliographies nor auction records.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11216

TAVERNER PHILLIPS. F. - A private printing for the Company of Cooks. Very rare.
A History of the Worshipful Company of Cooks, London.
Compiled by F. TAVERNER PHILLIPS, Citizen and Cook of London. Juxia medicinam esse coquorum officium simulantium et adulationem quartae particulae civilitatis. Quintilian’s translation of a quotation from Plato’s Gorgias. LONDON 1932 (the 450th anniversary of the Incorporation of the Cook’s company).
FIRST EDITION. 12mo. Inside front cover and fep with marbled paper. 1fep with inscription to C.Harold Ridge from the Compiler October 1946. Half title, Verso with notation of the book being a private printing for the Worshipful Company of Cooks. [1] Frontispiece of the Cooks’ Company Arms. Title page. [1] (1)viii Contents. 1p List of Illustrations. [1] (1) xii-xiii Preface. (1)xv Authors Forward. [1] (1)xviii-xi Introduction. [1] (1)2-191. [1] (1)104-207 Index. [1] 1fep. Inside back cover and fep with marbled paper. Original full red cloth binding with gilt text on spine and gilt armorial and text on front cover. Text block has original untrimmed pages. Considering its age, its in wonderful original condition.
- The Cook’s Guild of London is the oldest. This book was compiled and written by Taverner Phillips, who was also a cook. It was a private printing which probably means it was a very small number published. Including the frontispiece there are 13 Illustrations showing everything to do with the Cooks’ Company, its cups, badges and silverware, to a complete list past Masters and Wardens, and a very comprehensive history dating from its first mention in Deed Pole – May 21st 1500. The Roll of the Cooks’ Company however goes back to 1309-1312 when mention of Cooks’ redemptions have been extracted from the Letter Book D at the Guildhall, London. After the incorporation of the Cooks’ Company the earliest extant list to be found, is in a manuscript volume in the Public Record Office (Chapter House Books, Vol.93) under the heading of ‘Pastelers’. The title page of the volume is inscribed ‘The Companyes of all the Craftes or Mysteries of London’. Although undated, it was compiled in 1538. This is a fantasstic book. Also considering it was compiled and written by a cook it is all the more fascinating. It should be a part of the curriculum of all Catering colleges. An enlarged later edition was compiled and published in 1982. See item - ref:# 11112, on this site.

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Modern category

ref number: 11222

Anon. - The great Diet & Health treatise in verse.
Regimen Sanitatis Salerni:
OR THE SCHOOLE OF SALERNES REGEMENT of HEALTH. Containing, Most Learned and judicious Directions and Instructi-ons, for Preservation, Guide, and Government of MANS LIFE. Dedicated, Unto the late High and Mighty King of England, from that University, and published (by consent of learned Physicians) for a generall good. Reviewed, corrected, and enlarged with a Commentary for the more plain and easie understanding thereof. [two lines] By P.H. Dr, in Physicke, deceased. [one line] Whereunto is annexed, A necessary Discourse of all sorts of Fish, in use among us, with their effects appertaining to the Health of Man. As Also, Now, and never before, is added certain precious and approved Ex-periments for Health, by a Right Honourable, and Noble Personage. [one line] London, printed by B. Alsop, dwelling in Grub-Street near the Upper-Pump, 1649.
183 x 142 mm. 1fep. Title page surrounded by a thick floral border. [1] 2p Epistle Dedicatory. (x)2-206 with occasional marginalia in a fine script. 10p The Table. 207-220 Excellent and approved Receipts, 3p The Table of additional Receipts. [1] 1 fep. The whole text block uniformly browned through out. Pages 14-46 with excellent repairs not affecting the text. Original full dark brown calf with blind tooled lines on the spine and a small dark red calf label with gilt lettering. Inside and out this copy looks its age but not objectionable. A desirable copy in the original state.
- The Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum (from Latin: Salerno Rule of Health) is a medieval didactic poem in hexameter verse written as part of the Medical School of Salerno in the XII - XIII century. Although it is commonly dated around that time, some sources argue that it dates back to 1050. The work, probably dedicated to Robert II Duke of Normandy and pretender to the English throne who was in Salerno in 1099 returning from the First Crusade. The text shows signs of the ‘School of Salerno’ for everything about hygiene, food, diet, herbs and their therapeutic properties. The author is unknown, although some attribute it to a certain Giovanni Da Milano (John of Milan), perhaps a disciple of Constantine the African; the text, however, has undergone several contributions over the centuries. It was also translated into almost all European languages, and reached nearly 40 editions before 1501, many of which were added to, or material taken away from the original version. The first English translation was made by Sir John Harington in 1608 . The first printing, containing 364 verses in Latin, was published in 1480, and annotated and edited by Arnold of Villanova; the book was enormously popular and was held in high regard as a textbook for teaching and the dissemination of medicine. It was used for that purpose until the nineteenth century, when an attempt to make a medically accurate translation was made in 1871 by the American doctor John Ordronaux. The Regimen was very popular because the rhyming verses were easy to remember. It was organized by the six ‘non-naturals’. According to Galen, they are: air, food and drink, sleeping and waking, motion and rest, excretions and retentions, and number six, dreams and the passions of the soul. The original content addressed the humors, the complexions (temperaments), and some diseases. It also contains text on phlebotomy, providing information on bloodletting. An interesting read of a far-reaching text and medieval medical classic that can also lie easily along side early cookery classics and treatises. It was not until the late 18th century that medicinal receipts, usually found at the back of most printed cookery books was fazed out.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11224

Copley. Esther
THE COOK'S COMPLETE GUIDE,
ON THE PRINCIPLES OF Frugality, Comfort, and Elegance INCLUDING THE ART OF CARVING, AND THE MOST APPROVED METHOD OF SETTING OUT A TABLE EXPLAINED BY NUMEROUS COPPER-PLATE ENGRAVINGS, INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRESERVING HEALTH, AND ATTAINING OLD AGE; WITH DIRECTIONS FOR BREEDING AND FATTENING ALL SORTS OF POULTRY, AND FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES, RABBITS, PIGS &c. &c. RULES FOR CULTIVATING A GARDEN, AND NUMEROUS USEFUL MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS. a line. BY A LADY, AUTHORESS OF "COTTAGE COMFORTS" a line. London: GEORGE VIRTUE, 26, IVY LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
FIRST EDITION. n/d Circa 1827. Thick 8vo. 222 x 148 x 50mm. 2 feps. 1p with ink Inscription from an aunt dated 1843. Frontispiece of a lady displaying meat, fish and vegetables. An first elaborate Title Page (The New London Cookery by a Lady). [1] Title Page. [1] 2p Contents. (1)-iv Preface. (3)4 - 812. 813 Addenda. (1)815 - 838 Index. 1fep. 5 Engraved plates in Text. Title page slightly age browned. Both title pages with small smudge not affecting text. Text Block very clean. Nicely bound with 1/4 light tan calf. Spine with raised bands and gilt lines. Dark brown label with gilt lettering. Boards with marbled paper and tan calf corners. Overall well preserved.
- This is a very comprehensive thick book with a huge 38 page Index. It is one of the many thick books of the time, all produced with similar layouts and abundant details. When they are all seen together, one is struck by how Beeton's Household Management of 1861, although some-what similar to the others, broke the mould with colour plates and better designed formatting. Hence its huge popularity. This book's title page proclaims the un-named Authoress (Esther Copley) to be the same as for the relatively small 'Cottage Comforts' (see item 10930 above). She also wrote one other small book titled 'Cottage Cookery' (see item 11016 below). Published and printed by Gorge Virtue this was a contracted work "by a Lady" that was subtly attributed to Copley to increase sales. We can be sure of this because the two "Cottage" books previously mentioned are clearly declared on the title pages as written by her. I'm sure she would wish the attribution of this book to her was also stated just as clearly.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11258

SIMPSON. JOHN - An unusually formatted cookbook.
A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF COOKERY,
ON A PLAN ENTIRELY NEW; CONSISTING OF EVERY THING FOR COOKS TO KNOW IN THE KITCHEN BUSINESS; CONTAINTING BILLS OF FARE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, AND DIRECTIONS HOW TO DRESS EACH DISH; Being One Year's Work, at the Marquis of Buckingham's, from the 1st of January to the 31st of December, 1805. (2 small straight lines). BY JOHN SIMPSON, LATE COOK TO THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM, AND PRESENT MAITRE D'HOTEL TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD BERWICK. (2 small straight lines). SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED AND ENLARGED, With upwards of One Hundred Receipts of Cookery and Confectionary, and a General Index. (straight line). LONDON: PRINTED FOR W. STEWART, (OPPOSITE ALBANY) PICCADILLY.
Circa 1807. 234 x 150 x 60. 4feps. Title Page. [1] vi-iv Dedication dated Sept. 1807. (1)vi Preface. (1)viii - xvi Introduction. (1)2 - 688. (1)690 - 696. 4feps. Title page slightly foxed and dusty. Rest of text block very clean. half marbled boards with black leather spine and tips. Compartments with gold tooling. 2 labels - red and green with gold text. Very good condition.
- John Simpson appears to have been a very intelligent, disciplined professional chef. This thick book is a record of 1 year's menus (1805) for the Marquis of Buckingham. For example, on January 18th the first course consisted of twenty- three dishes. The second course consists of twenty-four dishes. As well as the 'Bills of Fare', there are recipes for all the dishes. This is a meticulous record that had to have been written up from Simpson's own daily records. From Briony Aitchison's article online from the University of St. Andrews Special Collections, she observes; "After noting for whom his work is intended, the introduction then turns to the matter of meat. Simpson is keen that the butcher should deliver it no later than 6am, “for when the sun gets warm, the flies do much mischief”, and he gives instructions for the best ways to prevent the meat spoiling; by salting and by removing various pipes and kernels (glands, or rounded fatty masses) found in the cuts of meat, and how long each cut should be kept. Simpson also advocates fasting animals before slaughter – “twenty-four hours in winter, and forty-eight in summer”. Advising the cook to pay much attention to the management of the larder, one rule being not overstock the larder in summer: “one days meat beforehand is quite sufficient.”. A fascinating and scarce book.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11275

KIRKLAND. JOHN - A fantastic and monumental 4 volume set.
THE MODERN BAKER CONFECTIONER AND CATERER.
by JOHN KIRKLAND Lecturer and Teacher of Bread-making. With Contributions from Specialists & Trade Experts. NEW AND REVISED EDITION VOLUMES 1 - 1V. THE GRESHAM PUBLISHING COMPANY LTD. 66 CHANDOS STREET. COVENT GARDEN, LONDON. 1927.
Tall 8vo. 254 x 184 mm. VOL1. 1fep. Half-title. [1] Colour frontis of cake designs. Title page with tissue guard. [1] (1)vi Preface to new ed. vii - xiv Contents. xv - xvi List of Plates. 1-246. 2fep. VOL11. 1fep. Half-title. [1] Colour frontis of cake designs. Title page with tissue guard. [1] (1)v - xiv Contents. xv - xvi List of Plates. 1-278. 2fep. VOL111. 1fep. Half-title. [1] Colour frontis of cake designs. Title page with tissue guard. [1] (1)v - xiv Contents. xii - xiv List of Plates. 1-269. [1] 2fep. VOL1V. 1fep. Half-title. [1] Colour frontis of cake designs. Title page with tissue guard. [1] (1)v- xiii Contents. ix - x List of Plates. 1-238. 239 - 250 Index. 2fep. All four volumes have a whopping total of 102 illustrations, many full page, and 27 colour plates of which 4 are frontispieces for each book. Bound in original blind-stamped gilt lettered maroon cloth. Internally all text-blocks very clean. Fine condition.
- The Modern Baker, Confectioner and Caterer: A fantastic practical work for the baking and allied trades. It also has a huge amount of scientific information that is the fundamental start to any recipe or endeavour within this trade. It is much more important than the other areas of the kitchen outside of the Patisserie and Bakery. Exhaustive work on the business and skills of the trade, from setting up your shop workspace to selecting tools, pots and pans to individual recipes. John Kirkland in his preface to this new edition informs us that the first edition of 1907 comprising six volumes was sold out and was still hugely in demand. Another four editions were printed after this one. This fine set has not really been bettered for it's huge varied scope, and is a monument to a great professional, teacher and author.

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Modern category

ref number: 11284