2019-05-22 Preliminary Inventory of the Culinary Ephemera, circa 1890-1964 SPEC.RARE.0272 Finding aid prepared by Nicole Miller; Sabrina Gorse Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2019 May; 2023 December; 2025 February This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2025-02-28T12:20-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Culinary Ephemera SPEC.RARE.0272 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 0.26 Cubic feet circa 1890-1964 Beginning in the late 19th century, food manufacturers and culinary equipment manufacturers produced recipe booklets that served to advertise their products. The Culinary Ephemera collection contains advertisements, recipe booklets, and recipe boxes published and circulated in nineteenth and twentieth century United States by animal feed, culinary equipment, and food manufacturers and historical societies. Materials date from approximately 1890 to 1964. (4) letter file folders; (1) card box English Arrangement of Materials

This collection is unprocessed. Materials are arranged in the order received.

 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. RARE.2019.0071: Kevlin Haire, 2019 May; Accession No. RARE.2023.0081: Ohio History Connection, 2022 December; Accession No. RARE.2023.0082: Purchased, 2023 August; Accession No. RARE.2025.0021: Marie Wiggins, 2024 March; Accession No. RARE.2025.0023: Scott Williams and Christine Hayes, 2023 November

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Culinary Ephemera, SPEC.RARE.0272, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

This collection is unprocessed. Preliminary inventory written by: Nicole Miller, 2019 May; Sabrina Gorse, 2023 December; Sabrina Gorse, 2025 February

 Historical Note

Beginning in the late 19th century, food manufacturers and culinary equipment manufacturers produced recipe booklets that served to advertise their products. These booklets served a dual purpose of introducing new foods or equipment to consumers while also helping to further the sales of the brand name that produced the booklet.

 Scope and Contents

The Culinary Ephemera collection contains advertisements, recipe booklets, and recipe boxes published and circulated in nineteenth and twentieth century United States by animal feed, culinary equipment, and food manufacturers and historical societies. Brands and companies represented include Betty Crocker, Contadina, Eckrich, Good Seasons, Hillshire Farm, Hires Root Beer, Kraft, McCormick, Meadow Gold, Pillsbury, Purina Mills, Ralston Purina Company, Sears, Standard Brands, and Zucca's. Materials date from approximately 1890 to 1964.

 Advertising--United States--19th century Advertising--United States--20th century Animal feeding--United States Cookbooks Cooking, American--19th century Cooking, American--20th century Recipe boxes Recipe booklets 2019 Rare Accessions Box 1 1954-1964 Accession No. RARE.2023.0081 0.02 Cubic feet circa 1890-1930s (1) letter file folder English Scope and Contents

Accession No. RARE.2023.0081 contains five American culinary and animal feed ads published from approximately 1890 into the 1930s. These include advertisements for: Hires Root Beer’s packets; Purina Mills’ wheat flour, Branzos, and wheat food; the Ralston Purina Company, Inc.’s chicken feed; and the Zucca’s Food Products Corporation’s soup, pasta, and sauce.

 Hires' Root Beer: "What Came From The Newspaper Hat" 2023 RARE Accessions Box 1 circa 1890 Purina Mills: "You can make delicious bread and muffins like these" 2023 RARE Accessions Box 1 circa 1898-1902 Ralston Purina Company, Inc.: "Profitable Poultry the Year 'Round" 2023 RARE Accessions Box 1 1916 Zucca's Food Products Corporation: "Famous for almost 20 Years" 2023 RARE Accessions Box 1 circa 1930s Zucca's Food Products Corporation: "Four Delicious Zucca Specialties" 2023 RARE Accessions Box 1 circa 1930s Accession No. RARE.2023.0082 0.18 Cubic feet 1926 (1) card box English Scope and Contents

Accession No. RARE.2023.0082 comprises of a Gold Medal Service recipe box containing recipes and promotional documents from Betty Crocker. The recipe box dates from 1926, with a published promotional letter dating from 3 March 1926.

 Gold Medal Flour Home Service Recipe Box Accession No. RARE.2023.0082.001 1926 Accession No. RARE.2025.0021 0.02 Cubic feet circa 1900s (1) letter file folder Scope and Contents

This accession contains two recipe books dating circa 1900s. The recipe books include "Pocket Recipe Book ..." published by Hilker & Bletsch Company and "Choice Recipes" by Maria Parloa.

 Hilker & Bletsch Company: "Pocket Recipe Book..." 2025 RARE Accessions Box 3 circa 1900s Walter Baker & Company Ltd.: "Choice Recipes By Miss Parloa and other Noted Teachers" 2025 RARE Accessions Box 3 1908 Accession No. RARE.2025.0023 0.02 Cubic feet 1959 October 11 (1) letter file folder Scope and Contents

This accession contains the recipe booklet "Persimmon Pudding" by Mrs. W.O. Francis, collected by the Ohio Valley Folk Research Project and published by the Ross County Historical Society, dated 1959 October 11.

 Francis (Mrs. W.O.): "Persimmon Pudding" 2025 RARE Accessions Box 3 1959 October 11