ESCOFFIER.   GEORGES AUGUSTE     - Signed by Escoffier and photograph of his Kitchen brigade 1908.
A GUIDE TO MODERN COOKERY
BY A. ESCOFFIER OF THE CARLTON HOTEL WITH PORTRAIT NEW AND REVISED EDITION (with a printer's device and initials M.H.) LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN 1907.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 165x250mm. 1fep with signature in black ink - "A. Escoffier" and a b/w photograph of Escoffier and his kitchen brigade on the roof of the Carlton Hotel 1908. [1] Half Title. Verso with Advertisements. [1] Frontispiece of 'Escoffier' with tissue guard with a 1/2" oil stain on the edge, not affecting the photograph. (the oil stain affects the edge of all to page 33. Does not affect the text). Title Page. [1] (1)vi-x Preface. (1)xii Contents. (1)xiv-xvi Glossary. (1)1-848. [1p Index] [1] (1)852-891 Index. 1p Advertisements. 1fep with light foxing. Original full green cloth binding with gilt writing and tooling on front cover, quite fresh. The sun-faded spine has also been expertly re-laid and strengthened. Internally very good with slight browning and foxing to the feps. With the signature, b/w photograph of Escoffier and the Carlton Hotel Kitchen Brigade, plus the original cover; A very unique and rare copy.
- The provenance of this book is quite interesting. The father of a Welsh family owned this book since 1950-51. He was part of a Family musical act called 'Seven de Guise Seymours'. They used to feature in the music halls from the mid 1920's till the outbreak of WW11. He was also a friend of Elton Hayes who was the lute player in the early Robin Hood films and known to the family as Uncle Bish. Hayes was in the habit of spending Christmas with the Welsh family. He always brought the family nice presents. One of them being this signed copy of Escoffier's 'Guide to Modern Cookery' with the unique photograph the Master with his kitchen brigade taken on the roof of the Carlton Hotel 1908. Altogether this amounts to a rare item.

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Modern category
ref number: 11108