Reform Club's new kitchen plans.
An article from the fourth annual volume of 'The Builder' magazine of 1846. With Illustrations and full specifications for all aspects and equipment of the new Kitchen at Reform Club, Pall Mall, London.
1846. 330 x 212. 4 sheets of a 5p article (one double sided). 340-344. 3 pages printed from the 'The Builder' magazine archive. First and second pages 340/1,is the full spec. for the arrangement of the kitchen and equipment. Second page 342, is drawings of individual large pieces of equipment and a full open plan of the whole kitchen. Page 343, a full overhead drawing of the kitchen, plus five main pieces of kitchen equipment. Page 344, the last page of Soyer's description of the key elements of the whole Kitchen, plus a list of reference points based on the Architect Mr Barry's drawing of the kitchen as specified by Soyer. Housed in a decorated hand-made cardboard folder with a label.
- The Reform club was completely refurbished and opened its doors on 24th May 1836 at Dysart House 104 Pall Mall. Special attention was paid to the kitchens, which were designed to the specifications of the brilliant and charismatic chef Alexis Soyer who had been hired in 1837. The restaurant, traditionally known as the 'Coffee Room' runs the entire length of the building overlooking the garden at the back. The gallery is reached by a remarkable tunnel-vaulted staircase, again inspired by Italian models. The Library, the Smoking Room and the Card Room lead off the Gallery. 'The Builder' is one of the United Kingdom’s oldest business-to-business magazines, launched in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed 'Building' in 1966 as it is still known today. 'Building' is the only UK title to cover the entire building industry. Even tho this is only 2 original pages of 5 with the other 3 printed straight from the 'The Builder' online archive, it is still a very rare and informative article about Soyer's famous kitchen that even had a visit from Royalty. Soyer the supreme self-publicist wasted no time promoting it. Many of his ideas and inventions in the new kitchen were ground-breaking, typical of his lifelong eclectic drive and energy.
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Ephemera category
ref number:
11263