I love the illustrations in my old cookbooks almost as much as the recipes.
Some are whimsical - okay maybe not to vegetarians.
Some are down-right funny.
Many are cleverly cute.
A little disturbing but hey, from a different era.
Imagine the work involved in this book - lots of illustrations, all woodcut prints. Amazing.
This book is my all-time favorite for illustrations. It is a cookbook put out by Ford in 1963. It is a compilation of their travel magazine articles from 1953 to 1962. It is also a traveler's guide to restaurants all over the country. The art is done by all different artists but each one takes me back to gentler times and road trips of my childhood. I often wonder if these places still exist so I'm showing a few from places where I know one of you live. Here is Cincinnati.
Franklin TN.
This is Tennesse, too but what I love about this illustration is the cars. Look at those cars!!!
This place I know is still there 'cause we go once in a while. The last time I even sat in that lower level window. The red thing is a gondola/elevator contraption that takes you up or down the hill to the entrance.
I can look at this book over and over again. It makes me nostalgic for restaurants and food from another generation.
What food/cookbook/restaurant is igniting your pilot light these days?
Oh, I love those too! We found some old cookbooks in my aunt's secretary - they were from commercial food companies, like Kraft and Jello, but they were fantastic!
I have been reading M.F.K. Fisher - do you know her? I love the stuff about France, but I think even better is the stuff about her upbringing in the US and food.
Posted by: g | June 09, 2009 at 10:54 PM
I love the illustrations, too, but Franklin, TN and nary a pick-up truck in sight? lol
Posted by: Tina in Duluth | June 10, 2009 at 04:24 AM
I'm greatly inspired by my Schwans catalog:)
Posted by: raesha | June 10, 2009 at 06:15 AM
I have been inspired by the Jan Karon Mitford Cookbook....oh the coconut cake...and the orange marmelade cake.
Posted by: Mary Alice | June 10, 2009 at 07:12 AM
Great pictures! I just got a cookbook from 1905 on my Kindle (it was free) and was really hoping that it would have illustrations and some entertaining text. Unfortunately, it was nothing but recipes, written in the unhelpful style of the day.
I've been relying a lot on A Year of Monastery Soups. They're sorted by month, so you're using the ingredients of the season. When we're not sure what to make and need something that'll make leftovers for lunches, this is the cookbook we turn to.
Posted by: Jennu | June 10, 2009 at 07:28 AM
I love old cookbooks and have several. I also like those old, small pamphlet style recipe booklets and have a ton of those! The illustrations are always interesting.
Posted by: Janet | June 10, 2009 at 07:40 AM
Nice, new banner!
I have a few old cookbooks of my grandma's - most of which call for jello in some form or another. (I hate jello). But you're right, the pictures are great!
Posted by: laeroport | June 10, 2009 at 08:17 AM
I haven't been inspired at all lately. Your great pictures helped a bit tho. I think I'll go pull down some of my favorite cookbooks.
Darla
Posted by: Darla | June 10, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I totally agree - I often spend more time looking at the pictures than I do making a meal - and it's never the ones I have been reading about.
A wonderful way to spend a dreary (weather wise) afternoon
Posted by: Lottie | June 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
NOTHING SAYS "YUMMY" QUITE LIKE A SHOTGUN!
I am still laughing.
I have a bunch of old cookbooks, also.
They are just fun.
Back in those days, if you didn't cook, you didn't eat.
If you didn't cook well, you didn't eat well.
Dinners out were infrequent. Unlike today!!!
Hope you are still feeling great!
Posted by: deb | June 10, 2009 at 11:45 AM
i've been in a give away/purge the house/ massive cleaning binge of late ... but i can't bring myself to give away any cookbooks ... for just the reasons shown above ... too groovy to give up ...
Posted by: e.beck | June 10, 2009 at 02:17 PM
Those are some amazing illustrations. Framable.
Posted by: mrs. g | June 10, 2009 at 04:08 PM
I too love the old cookbooks. Good post...m..
Posted by: Mary Isabella | June 11, 2009 at 04:14 AM
I have enough cookbooks to open my own cookbook store AND a whole binder full of recipes from friends and off of the Internet. I'm inspired by food in general. I love to eat.
Posted by: Randi | June 11, 2009 at 06:47 AM
great post loved what you had to show us... a while ago I found a 1909 cookbook... the owner had written all over it and it was full of old newspaper clippings about cooking and food so cool but it had little to no illustrations
Posted by: Karen Junking in Georgia | June 11, 2009 at 05:07 PM
Oooh, I wish the J&R Grill was still there!! I guess Dodson's took over. I'm wondering what corner that is. Whichever, it's now something esle. :-( Love the illustrations!!! xoxo
Posted by: rosa | June 11, 2009 at 09:27 PM