Glasse.   Hannah     - The rare folio 1st edition, first issue of 1747.
The ART of COOKERY MADE PLAIN and EASY
Which far exceeds any Thing of the Kind yet Published. CONTAINING, 1. Of Roasting, Boiling, etc. 11. Of Made-Dishes. 111.Read this Chapter and you will find how Expensive a French Cook's Sauce is. 1V. To make a Number of pretty little Dishes fit for a Supper, or Side-Dish, and little Corner-Dishes for a Great Table; and the rest you have in the Chapter for Lent. V. To dress Fish. V1. Of Soops and Broths. V11. Of Puddings. V111. Of Pies. 1X. For a Fast-Dinner, a Number of good Dishes, which you may make use of for a Table at any other Time. X. Directions for the Sick. X1. For Captains of Ships. X11. Of Hog's Puddings, Sausages, etc. X11. To pot and Make Hams, etc. X1V. Of Pickling. XV. Of making Cakes, etc. XV1. Of Cheesecakes, Creams, Jellies, Whip Syllabubs, etc. XV11. Of Made Wines, Brewing, French Bread, Muffins, etc. XV111. Jarring and Cherries, Preserves, etc. X1X. To make Anchovies, Vermicella, Ketchup, Vinegar, and to keep Artichokes, French Beans, etc. XX. Of Distilling. XX1. How to Market; the Seasons of the Year for Butchers Meat, Poultry, Fish, Herbs, Roots, etc and Fruit. XX11. A certain Cure for the Bite of a Mad Dog. By Dr. Mead. BY A LADY. A engraved printer's device between lines. LONDON: Printed for the AUTHOR, and sold at Mrs Ashburn's, a China-Shop, The Corner of Fleet-Ditch. MDCCXLVII [Price 3s.6 (the 6 written by hand) stictch'd, and 5s. bound]
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. 1747. Folio. 287x184 mm. 1 fep. Title page with the the handwritten 6 after the 3s as called for in the last line. [1] 2 pages of Subscribers. 11 pages of Contents with small one inch piece with no loss missing from 1st page.1 page A small Instruction by Glasse. (1)ii To the Reader. (1)4 - 166, although miss-paginated; page numbers 66/67 and 136/137 missing with no loss to text (This miss-pagination matches Cagle's copy). 1 fep. Our copy seems to conform to Marcus Crahan’s description of the first issue, with 16pp. preliminaries rather than 20. Without notice of second place of sale on the title page and with the price of ‘6d’ entered by hand. Pages 37 - 41 with some foxing. All other pages very clean. Title page and edges slightly age browned. Spine and tips bound in sprinkled dark-brown half calf and boards marbled. Spine with raised bands, gilt lines and tooled devices in compartments with red morocco label. A very good copy of one of the rarities of cookery texts.
- ‘The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy’ was written by Hannah Glasse and published in 1747 in its famous folio format. Even though it was expensive at 5 shillings for a bound copy or 3.6 shillings unbound, it was an instant success, and was a best seller for over a hundred years, being published continuously until 1843. This made Glasse one of the best-known cookery writers of the eighteenth century. She was not supplanted as a culinary authority until the work of Mrs. Isabella Beeton appeared in 1861 over a century later. The books of those famous ladies being two of the cornerstone works needed in the building of an English culinary library. As Hannah Glasse explains in the preface, the book was intended to be an instruction manual for servants - 'the lower sort' as she called them. As Hannah puts it, the book should 'improve the servants and save the ladies a great deal of trouble'. She is dismissive of the fanciful language used by other cookery book writers, which she feels simply confuses the servants: 'the poor girls are at a loss to know what they mean,' she writes. In contrast, her style is precise and direct. The power of her book though is the clarity of the writing. She's authoritative but she is also intimate, treating you as an equal. Even though a large percentage of the recipes were plagarised, even reproduced verbatim from recipes published in earlier books by other writers, she shows a great deal of her own skill and originality. It is an unprecedentedly comprehensive recipe book with simple instructions, accessible ingredients, an accent on thrift (even though she recommends in the preface that half a pound of butter is enough to fry 12 eggs), easy recipes and practical help with weights and timing, which was a big step up from previous works. Her writing style is lively, intelligent and amusing. Glasse is scornful of the elaborate and extravagant French recipes of the period, but many of her recipes will have been influenced by French cuisine, which was becoming increasingly fashionable at the time. This does not inhibit Glasse from including the earliest recipe in an English cookbook for Indian curry, albeit with just black pepper and coriander. No Huldi, Lal Mirch, Methi, Jeera etc. Even though the ‘Art of Cookery’ was a ground breaking effort that generated much interest, the fame and survival of Hannah Glasse’s book is not due to her genius or her ability as a cook, as she was neither, but for four years following its publication, there were widespread rumours that ‘The Art of Cookery’ had been written by a man. For a woman to have written such an eloquent and well-organised work seemed implausible to many. James Boswell's diary records a party at the house of the publisher Charles Dilly, at which the issue was discussed. He quotes Samuel Johnson as saying, 'Women can spin very well; but they cannot make a good book of cookery.' Many others also believed this. It was not till she edited and published her fourth edition of 1751 that Johnson’s ill-advised quip was proved false. Due to the negative press generated by the popular book being first written and published by ‘A Lady’, Glasse inserted her trade card as a handsome engraved frontispiece and signed the first page of recipes, putting to rest all the speculation. (See my 1751 edition – item number 10968 in this website). This first edition is extremely scarce, but just how scarce is hard to figure, even after a lot of research. Due to demand the second edition was published in the same year; 1747. This strongly indicates that the first print run was very small. As can be seen in the Subscriber’s list printed in the first edition, there are 202 names. Assuming the subscribers all received a copy and there was enough cash to print a few more, we can possibly assume a print run of no more than 500 copies. Scarce indeed! --- COPAC lists only 10 firsts of 1747 out of 491 copies of various other editions in British holdings. As could be expected there are substantially more second editions listed. This cookbook has a somewhat iconic status that is hard to believe. Along with Beeton's equally rare original 24 booklets of 'Household Management' published before she brought out the 1st edition in book form, they both fetch silly money when they do appear at auction. --- Bitting, pages 186-87; The STC by Virginia Maclean, page 59; Cagle, pages 497-8; Arnold Oxford, pages 76-77; The Cetus Library, sold at Bloomsbury Auctions, lot 149: Marcus and Elizabeth Crahan collection sold at Sothebys, p317; Andre Simon Bibliotheca Gastronomica , 761;

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Antiquarian category
ref number: 11212

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

Grants of St. James.       - with a rare Elizabeth David pamphlet.
A Gateway to Wine.
A promotional book, published 1964, by this large wine merchant of London SW1, with special recipes from Elizabeth David. Also enclosed is a very rare 4 page pamphlet of E.D’s recipes and menus for Lambert & Butler of Drury Lane.
4to. Paste-down and end-paper with a photo of sculpture of Bacchus. [1] 1p Forward. Verso 1p Contents. 3-51. (1) Colour photo of a Roast Pork. 53-63 E.D’s recipes. 64-65 Spirits, Aperitifs, Bitters and Liqueurs. 66-71 Supplementary Glossary. 72-76 Index. [1] End-paper and paste-down with a photo of sculpture of Bacchus. Many coloured photos in-text. Fully bound in very clean straw coloured cloth boards with gilt writing and small gilt device of a sedan chair on the front board. Gilt lettering on the spine. Internally very clean; as new. The 4 page pamphlet from Lambert and Butler is cream coloured with black text, and very clean. The recipes are on pages 2-4. Two rare items.
- The book has five main parts. An introduction, a description of the many wine-producing countries of the world and their wines, a guide with recipes on the use of wine in cooking; a supplementary glossary of wines and wine terms and an index. A nice promotional item made much more interesting and desirable with the Elizabeth David recipes and pamphlet from Lambert and Butler, makers of the famous Henry Clay cigars. Its quite possible the pamphlet may have originally been given with the book, All the 24 recipes each have two recommended wines. An interesting read.

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Ephemera category
ref number: 11163

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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Information

Modern category
ref number: 11222

Soyer.   Alexis Benoit     - Selling his wife's paintings.
A letter handwritten & signed by Soyer.
to an unidentified correspondent, detailing two items in a catalogue of paintings [not present].
2 pages. 8vo. Full cream coloured sheet 228 x 182 mm. Folded 115 x 182 mm. A full sheet folded in half with a slight split at the bottom of the fold. It is in a very clear and legible condition. Dated Nov. 23rd 1857. Soyer writes “Dear Sir I beg to send herewith a calogue of my paintings you will find the Two sent you marked Nos…. & … In centre, or rather between the two you might insert “Youth & Age” & describe them in the usual place viz. At the bottom as per catalogue – I remain Dear Sir Yours faithfully A Soyer.“ Housed in a very fine handmade slip case with a label on the front cover.
- The Wikipedia entry for Emma [Jones] Soyer is worth repeating here, to help put the letter in a context. To quote -- The daughter of a Mr. Jones who died in 1818, she was born in London in 1813, and was carefully instructed in French, Italian, and music. At a very early age she became a pupil of F. Simoneau the painter, who in 1820 married her mother, Mrs. Jones. Finding that Emma had talents for drawing, Simoneau ultimately devoted the whole of his time to her instruction, and before the age of twelve she had drawn more than a hundred portraits from life with surprising fidelity. On 12 April 1837 she married Alexis Soyer the cook. She now turned her attention to portraits in oil, and, with her master, traveled in the provinces and gained great popularity. Upon her return to London she produced 'The Blind Boy,' 'The Crossing Sweeper,' 'The Bavarians,' 'Taglioni and the Kentish Ceres.' In 1842 she completed her last work, 'The Two Organ Boys.' She also showed two paintings at the 1842 Paris Salon ('L'aveugle de la tour de Londres' and 'Portrait de M. Soyer' - Nos. 1729-30). Her portrait famous of Soyer was also engraved by Henry Bryan Hall. On 29–30 Aug. 1842 she had complications with her pregnancy, owing to fright produced by a terrible thunderstorm, and she died the same night at her residence near Charing Cross, London. She was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London on 8 September, where her husband erected a sumptuous monument to her memory. Between 1823 and 1843 fourteen of her pictures were exhibited at the Royal Academy, thirty-eight at the British Institution, and fourteen at the Suffolk Street Gallery (Graves, Dictionary of Artists, pp. 130, 221). In June 1848 one hundred and forty of her works were exhibited at the Prince of Wales's bazaar, under the name of Soyer's Philanthropic Gallery, on behalf of the Spitalfields soup kitchen, and a catalogue was printed. Among these pictures was 'The Young Savoyards Resting,' a work that obtained for Madame Soyer the name of the 'English Murillo.' Two of her paintings - 'The Jew Lemon Boys' and 'The English Ceres,' were engraved by Gérard. In Paris, where many of her pictures were exhibited, her reputation stood higher than in her native country - unquote. The paintings to which Alexis Benoist Soyer (4 February 1810 – 5 August 1858) refers to, are most likely those created by his late wife. This letter is written less than 9 months before his death and fifteen years after Emma’s. He must have inherited all of her artistic output and possibly had a catalogue printed to sell them. Indications are that Soyer was not careful with money. This makes sense as he left only £1500 at his death. A rum distiller called David Hart succeeded in taking all the cash and Soyer's personal papers in lieu of an unpaid debt. He destroyed all the papers and notes. Because of that short-sighted and selfish action, any signed or manuscript notes in Soyer's hand are extremely rare. Only rare letters like this one here, owned by a third party are likely to come onto market.

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Ephemera category
ref number: 11234

ANON.       - Very rare.
Adam's Luxury and Eve's Cookery
OR,THE Kitchen-Garden display’d. In Two Parts. 1. Shewing the best and most approved Methods of raising and bringing to the greatest Perfection, all the Products of the Kitchen-Garden; with a Kalendar shewing the different Products of each Month, and the Business proper to be done in it. 11. Containing a large Collections of Receipts for dressing all Sorts of Kitchen Stuff, so as to afford a great Variety of cheap, healthful, and palata-ble Dishes. To which is Added, The Physical Virtues of every Herb and Root. (a line) Designed for the Use of all who would live Cheap, and pre-serve their Health to old Age ; particularly for Farmers and Tradesmen in the Country, who have but small Pieces of Garden Ground, and are willing to make the most of it. (a line) LONDON: Printedc for R. Dobsley, in Pall-Mall ; and Sold by M. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater-noster Row. (a line) MDCCXLIV.
FIRST AND SOLE EDITION. 1744. 12mo. Inside-cover with the bookplate of Mary Chadsey. 1fep. Half Title with small thin 1” piece torn from outer edge without loss, also with ownership inscription “Elizabeth Wynn 1761”. [1]. Title page. [1]. The Introduction - (1) with woodcut headpiece, vi – xii, with woodcut tailpiece. (1) Top woodcut border and decorated initial letters, 2-211. The garden Kalendar starts on p 81. The second part starts on p 101. (1)213-216. 2feps with ownership inscription “Gwen Thomas her book – 1774. Bound in modern full brown calf with two-tone panels on boards. Spine with raised bands and red label with gilt lettering and lines. Bottom compartment with gilt date – 1744. The first few leaves slightly browned but overall in very good condition.
- An unusual old cookery book. It has interesting information and very good advice on the first 80 pages on growing all items in the Kitchen garden. Then 20 pages of very precise Kalendar [sic] information. The second section of 110 pages has unusually for the time, good and detailed recipes. Not all recipes are purely vegetarian as some require meat stocks. This is an important item of any collection of early English cookery books. It helps explain why COPAC lists no less than nineteen British libraries holding a copy. Only 3 copies in auction in 30 years. One of which came up twice. Bitting p 514; Cagle p 541; MacLean p 3; Oxford p 74.

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Information

Antiquarian category
ref number: 11201

Escoffier.   Georges Auguste     - Extremely Rare.
An original b/w photograph of Auguste Escoffier.
SITTING WITH HIS FULL KITCHEN BRIGADE. 1905.
320 mm long x 153 mm high. Under the photograph is a small cut out of the original mount, stating; The Carlton Hotel. 1905. The photograph is mounted on a black cardboard border and covered by glass and bordered with a black and silver frame. One of his most famous pupils; Charles Scotto, sits in the photograph fourth from the left on the second row. Pasted on the back is the original photographer’s name in gilt, cut from the mount before it was framed. It was by Fradelle & Young, 283 Regents St. London W.1. They specialised in hotel and restaurant group photography of dinners, receptions & full kitchen brigades. ITEM 2. See image # 5. below. For reference; I requested a scan done by the framers of the original large photograph used. It shows in full a large ugly part of the Carlton Hotel roof, which was cut out before framing.
- This rare original photograph of Auguste Escoffier and his kitchen brigade, was taken on the roof of the Carlton Hotel 1905. A casual glance at this old image belies the contemporary history that Escoffier brought about by very hard work, his great extensive writings, his organisational skills, and a huge passion to improve the lot of his beloved chefs. It is one of the reasons why he is held in such high esteem, and a feeling of deep gratitude lies in the hearts of most well trained modern chefs, because his updated re-organisation of the large Kitchen brigade is still the way modern kitchens are organised. The following list is of the different members and departments of his large kitchen brigade system. Only the largest of hotels like the Carlton Hotel had this fully staffed brigade (54 people in this photograph) with all the following departments fully functioning. Escoffier devised this system, primarily during his time at the Savoy Hotel London, before going to the Carlton from 1899 to 1919. This very efficient organisation allowed sincere chefs to learn all the important skills of every department in the largest kitchen brigades. Staring at the top was the MAITRE-CHEF de CUISINE (literally translated; "Master Chef") Responsible for overall management of kitchen; supervises staff, creates menus and new recipes with the assistance of the restaurant manager, makes purchases of raw food items, trains apprentices, and maintains a sanitary and hygienic environment for the preparation of food. SOUS-CHEF de CUISINE (deputy head chef; literally "sub-chief") Receives orders directly from the chef de cuisine for the management of the kitchen, and often serves as the representative when the chef de cuisine is not present. Does not usually work on the stove anymore. In a big brigade there can be as many as 4-6 sous-chefs. CHEF de PARTIE (senior chef of a department) Responsible for managing a department in the kitchen, specializing in preparing particular dishes there. CHEF TOURNANT (Can be a Chef de partie in any department) The most experienced, having trained as a Chef de partie in every department. Will cover for any Chef de partie on their days off or holidays. Usually fills any vacancy for the Sous-chef’s position. CHEF SAUCIER (Chef de partie of the sauce dept.) Prepares all meat sauces and stocks and completes meat dishes. This is one of the most respected positions in the kitchen brigade. CHEF ROTTISEUR (Chef de partie of the roast department.) Manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils, and deep fries dishes. CHEF POISSONNIER (Chef de partie of the fish department.) Prepares all fish and seafood dishes and fish sauces and stocks. Usually has a fishmonger in the department. CHEF ENTREMETIER (Chef de partie of vegetable and farinaceous department.) Prepares all vegetables, soups and egg dishes. CHEF GARDE-MANAGER (Chef de partie of the cold larder.) Responsible for preparation of cold hors d'oeuvres, pâtés, terrines and aspics; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares charcuterie items. Usually the largest staffed department in the kitchen. CHEF PATTISIER (Chef de partie of pastry department.) Prepares desserts and other meal-end sweets, ices, cakes, petit-fours, pulled sugar works, also has a ‘boulanger’, preparing breads and other baked items; may also prepare pasta for the restaurant. BOUCHER (the butcher) Butchers meats, poultry, prepare meats for the Garde manger’s pates and terrines. Clean all game ready for roasting. May also be in charge of breading meats. CUISINIER (cook) May also be referred to as a cuisinier de partie. Also known as a ‘demi-chef de partie’ who takes over from the Chef de partie on his days off. COMMIS (junior cook) Works in a specific partie, but reports directly to the chef de partie. Can also be 2nd or 3rd commis depending on age and experience. The Chef de cuisine changes their departments annually to give them all round experience of all ‘parties’. APPRENTIE (apprentice.) Often students gaining theoretical and practical training, in school and work experience in the kitchen. They perform preparatory work under a Chef de Partie. PLONGEUR or MARMITON (dishwasher or kitchen porter.) cleans dishes and utensils, and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs. ABOYEUR (announcer/expediter) During the meal service times takes the orders from the dining room waiters and distributes them to the various departments; the role usually performed by the Sous-chef. CHEF COMMUNARD Prepares the meal served to the restaurant staff. GARCON de CUISINE (literally ‘kitchen boy’) In larger establishments, performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support. This photograph gives an insight into how many chefs are employed in the large well known luxury hotels. The range of skills that have to be mastered is huge. A commis chef's apprenticeship usually lasted up to 7 years. Even after that, a lot of chefs move to other well known establishments to gain more experience. Indeed a great chef's career path is always dictated by quality and reputation. Because the initial years as an apprentice is so tough and very focused on improving skills, they never lose the desire to learn. As a foot note and interestingly, in all photographs I have viewed of Escoffier sitting with his full kitchen brigades, (and they were done annually) He always sat sideways to the direct camera angle. Curious.!

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Information

Ephemera category
ref number: 11230

ANON.      
Claridge's Cookbook.
The Claridge's emblem. CLARIDGE'S THE COOKBOOK MARTYN NAIL & MEREDITH ERIKSON WITH PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CAREY - MITCHELL BEAZLEY
4to. 1fep. Half-title. Frontispiece of the main spiral staircase. Title Page. Verso - Picture of the hotel entrance. 1p Contents. 6p Forward by Rene Redzepi from Copenhagen's Noma. 1p Photograph of Redzepi. [1] 9-10 Introduction. Picture of Martyn Nail Executive Chef. 12-13 A brief history of Claridge's. 2p of Claridge's Ephemera. 16p Claridge's by Numbers. p2 Photographs. (1)Breakfast 20-250. [3] 254-257 Index and Cookery Notes. 258 Acknowledgements. 259 Glossary. (1)Dedication. 1fep. Covers and spine in light green paper. With a thin black cloth bookmarker. In mint condition. As new.
- Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel, in a conventional London terraced house, and it grew by expanding into neighbouring houses. In 1854, the founder sold the hotel to a Mr and Mrs Claridge, who owned a smaller hotel next door. They combined the two operations, and after trading for a time as "Mivart's at Claridge's", they settled on the current name. The reputation of the hotel was confirmed in 1860 when Empress Eugenie made an extended visit and entertained Queen Victoria at the hotel. In its first edition of 1878, Baedeker's London listed Claridge's as the first hotel in London Richard D'Oyly Carte, the theatrical impresario and founder of the rival Savoy Hotel, purchased Claridge's in 1894, as part of The Savoy Group, and shortly afterwards demolished the old buildings and replaced them with the present ones. This was prompted by the need to install modern facilities such as lifts and en-suite bathrooms. From 1894 to 1901, Édouard Nignon was the hotel chef. He had lived in Austria and Russia, where he served the highest dignitaries, including the emperors Nicholas II of Russia and Franz Joseph I of Austria. His experience in those huge Royal households being the major factor in his employment, as well as his reputation for fastidious craftmanship in his cookery. The new Claridge's, has 203 rooms and suites and around 400 staff. After the First World War, Claridge's flourished due to demand from aristocrats who no longer maintained a London house, and under the leadership of Carte's son, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, an extension was built in the 1920s. During the Second World War it was the base of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's forces in exile and home of Peter II of Yugoslavia. He and his wife spent much of the Second World War in exile at Claridge's, and suite 212 was supposedly ceded by the United Kingdom to Yugoslavia for a single day (17 July 1945) to allow their heir, Crown Prince Alexander, to be born on Yugoslav soil. Along with Royalty, leaders in fashion and finance and Hollywood stars also adopted Claridge's as their London residence. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Yul Brynner and Bing Crosby are all guests. Spencer Tracy says he'd rather go to Claridge's than to heaven when he dies. In 1996, Claridge’s enjoyed a restoration led by designer Thierry Despont. He created Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, The Foyer, The Reading Room and The Fumoir. In 1999, designer David Collins transformed the Causerie into Claridge’s Bar, with a brief to slip quietly into the new millennium while keeping a firm hold on the last one. In 2014 'Fera at Claridge's' opens under the Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan. He stayed three years, gained a Michelin star, but the restaurant closed December 31st 2018. The interior of the restaurant, created by widely acclaimed British designer Guy Oliver, reflected the creative and natural style of the cuisine, as well as Claridge's art deco architectural heritage. The new owners of Claridges, the Maybourne Hotel Group opened Claridge’s new restaurant 'Davies and Brook' in 2019 under the acclaimed Chef Daniel Humm. He is the second part of the team consisting also of Will Guidara, who together presided over the three-Michelin-starred restaurant 'Eleven Madison Park' in Manhattan. Continuing the quite varied stages of this great Hotel's history and a well-wished-for future.

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Information

Modern category
ref number: 11257

Nignon.   Edouard     - Extremely rare Nignon menus.
Claridges Hotel London.
Two of Edouard Nignon's menus dated 1900.
Menu 1. 163 x 100mm. Cream coloured card with a bright embossed American flag. A ten course dinner menu dated 4 Juillet 1900. Obviously celebrating American independence day. A clean item still in very good condition, with the word 'Menu'. embossed in gilt. Menu 2. 147 x 82mm. Similar cream coloured card with two crossed flags, one being the Queen's Royal Standard and the other is the Union Jack. The menu is titled the 'Atlantic Union'. The flags and the word 'Menu' are brightly coloured and embossed. The menu has twelve courses and dated 19th May 1900. Clean bright menus in good condition housed in a cardboard folder covered with marbled paper and a label on the front cover. Very rare.
- Claridges Hotel, Brook St, London, has always been the most important hotel in the UK for diplomatic dinners and social functions. Even today there are approx. one dozen state banquets hosted during the season by the Queen personally, for various Embassies and visiting Heads of State. As both menus here are decoratively very handsome but understated, they appear to be above the norm. The first one for American Independence day could have been hosted by or for Joseph Choate the American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Court of St. James's, presented 1899 and recalled 1905. The Chef de Cuisine at that time, Edouard Nignon, had a classic apprenticeship in some of the greatest French kitchens of the time. He diligently trained in all the main departments; Saucier, Rotisseur, Entremetier, Poissonnier, Garde manger, Patissier and Tournant. He was Chef de Cuisine to the Tsar and the Emperor of Austria, eventually becoming the owner of the famous Restaurant Larue on rue Royale in Paris. In between those two famous positions he was at Claridges Hotel from 1894 - 1901. He was known to be a fantastic craftsman and the food at Claridges was thought by many to be the best in London. This was despite having Escoffier ensconced at the same time in the Carlton Hotel, Pall Mall. As displayed below these 2 Claridges menus of Nignon's, came from a private collection of approximately 127 menus belonging to the great grandson of Camille Albert who was the Head Banqueting Waiter at the Carlton Hotel from 1898 - 1905. About 85 of the menus in the collection are from Escoffier's time at the Carlton, while the others are from other famous London venues. Escoffier's menus are relatively rare while on the other hand, Nignon's are extremely rare. This is possibly due to the fact that while Escoffier was Chef de Cuisine at the Savoy and Carlton Hotels in London for almost 30 years, Nignon had a tenure in London of under 7 years. I have been searching for Nignon's menus for 30 years and these two are the first I have found.

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Ephemera category
ref number: 11210

Ignotus      
CULINA Famulatrix Medicinae:
OR, Receipts in Modern Cookery; WITH A MEDICAL COMMENTARY, WRITTEN BY IGNOTUS, AND REVISED BY A. HUNTER, M.D. F.R.S. L.&E. Magistre artis, Ingeniique Largitor Venter ---------Perseur. THE FIFTH EDITION, CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED. YORK: Printed by T.Wilson and E.Spence High-Ousgate. For J.Mawman, in the Poultry, London, and for Wilson and Spence, York; Sold also by J.White, and J.Murray, Fleet-street, and J.Harding, St James Street, London; A.Constable and Co. Edinburgh: and by J.Todd, Sotheran and Son, and J.Wolstenholme, York. 1807
12mo. 202x122mm. 1fep. [1] Frontispiece of a Roman stewpan. Title page with an age shadow of the stewpan. [1] 1p Dedication. [1] (1)6-14 Preface. (1)16-296. (1)298-310. (1)2-20 Men and Manners. 21-22 A domestic character. 1fep. A nice modern rebind in dark calf and marbled boards. Spine with raised bands, gilt lines and two black morocco labels with gilt lettering. Very clean, with original untrimmed and uncut pages. A very collectible and desirable copy.
- In Sophie Schneideman’s tenth catalogue of rare books she informs: -- Dr. Hunter, a Scottish physician, helped to establish the York Lunatic Asylum, and to be honest, there is something of Bedlam about this book. It is a highly opinionated book and a marvellous read. Each recipe is followed by ‘Ignotus’s’ or rather ‘Hunter’s’ observations on it, often including the effect on the body. Of Mock Turtle Soup he writes “This is a most diabolical dish, and only fit for the Sunday dinner of a rustic, who is to work the six following days in a ditch bottom. It is the very essence of Pandora’s box. So, – Get thee behind me Satan!”. The appendix gives 267 pieces of advice on Men and Manners. All pithy and often witty, one declares “Never enter an auction room, for there you will tempted to buy what you do not want”, another “Do not blame a man for hard drinking, if he belongs to a thirsty family”.-- Quite why Hunter implies the work is written by 'Ignotus' which is Latin for: unknown, obscure, ignorant and ignoble, when he was the author is unknown. Possibly he spent a little too long with the inmates.

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Antiquarian category
ref number: 11149