Biblio-Files

FROM TOP: It’s Easy To Be A Good Cook by Jessie De Both (1951); These Entertaining People by Florence Pritchett Smith (1966); The Basic Cookbook by Marjorie Heseltine and Ula M. Dow (1933); Friends and Their Food by Virginia Safford (1969); and America Women’s Cookbook edited by Ruth Berolzheimer (1939)

I owe a HUGE THANKS to Jessica Thomas for this special post about her cookbook collection. All photos, propping, and styling are by the talented Jessica, who I work with frequently in my day job as a magazine editor. Jessica is a freelance art director and story producer. (Be sure to check out her Web site for a peek at some of her work.)

Following is a Q&A with Jessica.

Great Dinners from Life by Eleanor Graves (1969); Foods of the World The Cooking of Provincial France by M.K.Fisher and the editors of Time-Life Books (1968); and Life Picture Cookbook Foods of the World American Cooking The Eastern Heartland by José Wilson and the editors of Time-Life Books (1971)

Q: HOW DID YOU START YOUR COLLECTION?

I started really getting into vintage cookbooks when I was doing research for food stories I was working on I was inspired by the simplicity of the recipes and, of course, the art direction combined with photography and illustrations. My first vintage cookbook obsession was The Basic Cookbook that my mother had from her mother. Every Christmas morning she would pull it out and make Superior Waffles with real whipped cream and strawberries. The trick was to beat egg whites then fold them into the batter to make a crisp outside with a fluffy airy interior. We made them on my great grandfather’s waffle iron, which by the time I inherited it, the cloth cord was so frayed that it became a fire hazard. We continued to use it because the iron was perfectly cured and nothing ever stuck. When I moved out on my own, I begged my mother for this cookbook but she refused until about five years later, she gave it to me for a Christmas present. Of course we made Superior Waffles.

One of my favorite shots in The Four Seasons cookbook. It reminds me of a René Magritte painting.

Carnegie Treasures Cookbook, a rare collection of menus, recipes and settings for special occasions from the Museum of Art. Carnegie Institute Forward by James Beard (1984)

Q: WHAT BOOKS DO YOU RETURN TO OFTEN FOR RECIPES OR INSPIRATION?

It’s embarrassing to say that I have made a only handful of recipes from my collection but I do have my favorites. I have current cookbooks that I refer to and make Marcus Samuelsson’s Sweedish meatballs from the Aquavit cookbook, and I own a Better Homes and Gardens red plaid circa late 1990s that my mother gave me when I moved out. I use it for basic foundation recipes and then I modify them.

 

For inspiration, I constantly refer to the the cook books published by Time in the 60s and 70s, especially the Time Picture Cookbook and the Foods of the World series. They are beautifully written and photographed. The Four Seasons cookbook is the perfect example of an art director gone wild, with conceptual photos of asparagus floating over Manhattan and plates of food propped on rocks or in a stream with live salmon, but that’s what makes it brilliant. I love that it’s so out of the box and also indicative of the 1970s aesthetic.

CLOCKWISE: The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child (1968); Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and Lousette Bertholle Simone Beck, Vol. 1 (1961); and The Four Seasons Cookbook by Charlotte Adams special Consultant James Beard (1971)

Q: How did your collection of cookware develop?

I think all the collections started around the same time. I was concepting and art directing so many food shoots and I was always looking for inspiration. When going to used or vintage bookstores, I always beeline it to the cookbook section to see what treasures I can find. When you see Dansk and Vera featured in 1960s cookbook photography, and then you see it sitting on a shelf in a antique mall, well it has to be acquired. I was also very much influenced by some friends I had at the time who introduced me to mid-century design, and so my collections took off from there.

 

I love a good Vera tea towel, and while a purist would store them away in a drawer, I believe they need to be used. A stylist friend, Joe Maer, has a huge collection of Dansk that he uses for props in photo shoots. Once while visiting, I made Joe dinner and used my Dansk, and I remember him saying, “Oh I love that you actually use your Dansk. “It made me realize that maybe not everyone would.”

Foods of the World The Cooking of the British Isles by Adrian Bailey and the editors of Time-Life Books (1969). This is one of my favorites. It is a wealth of information about the heritage of British cooking.

Recipe card box with recipes handed down from great grandmother to grandmother to mother to me. Lee Bailey’s City Food Recipes for Good Food and Easy Living by Lee Bailey (1984); House & Garden’s New Cookbook by the editors of House & Garden (1967); The World of Authority Larousse Gastronomique by Prosper Montagné (1961); and Esquire Cookbook by the editors of Esquire (1955)

Q: I LOVE YOUR FAMILY RECIPE CARDS.

The recipe box is more of a keepsake than something I actually use for recipes, but I love the scrawling handwritten cards and how they have frayed and turned brown with age. It makes me smile and while I have tried to decipher the recipes, it would take a handwriting expert to make sense of some of them. I always thought it would be a great food story to take old handwritten recipes and bring them up to date and “decode” them. I love the names like “Park Cake” or “Ranger cookies.” I have made my grandmother’s zucchini bread, which brings her image baking in her kitchen for all the kids back to me every time.

This spread from the Life Picture Cookbook (1958) reminds me of a Kate Spade ad campaign

Do you have a favorite vintage cookbook or a place to shop for them? For further inspiration, check out the following cookbook shops.

Heirloom Books, Bonnie Slotnick’s shop in NYC, and Vintage Cook Book online.

In a recent post, we featured Wolfum‘s handmade bookends, which Jessica introduced me to at the New York gift show we attended last August. It was there that we met Wolfum’s founders, husband-and-wife team Annabel and Brendan. Annabel kindly shared some photos of the couple’s 720-square-foot home, which she says is nestled in the “tree bubble” of the Monterey Hills District in Los Angeles. I think you’ll agree that the house, though small in size, makes a big footprint with inspiration and happy surprises. Following is a Q&A with Annabel.

Wolfum's bookends are handmade using FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified walnut and Baltic birch.

The bookends were originally made as a gift to my sister and her two little girls. I had just discovered the printing technique on the wood and was so excited by the outcome, I had to design products, which could highlight the vibrant prints. The bookend idea popped into my head and it seemed like a natural fit. Once the first samples were made, I knew I wanted to make more. Plus the response from my sister and her friends was so encouraging.

When I was pregnant with our daughter, Birdie, I was somewhat obsessed with making our home welcome to her in a way that would be playful and colorful, but still work well within our style. We live in a small home, and I wanted items that suited our personality and were joyful, without being overly “baby.” I love the sweet animals and nature shapes (the pillows, below, are in Birdie’s nursery), then adding the prints and colors just made them all that more beautiful and vibrant.

William Morris wallpaper bookends the house, at one end in the living room, above, and at the other end, in the master bedroom.

Yes, Brendan designed and built all the cabinetry in our home. He has a special eye for making space saving, high design, multi-functional shelving and furniture. We have been in the space for about six years, and every few months, a new piece is added. His wood shop, called A Single Tree, manufactures all of the Wolfum wood products, as well as his own line of furniture and custom cabinetry and kitchens.

My book collection serves as a personal history. I trip through my amazing collection of plays from my years studying theatre and my fashion photography books from the ’90s, which were so influential. My textile and home design books are endless inspiration. Interior, print, and fashion design are everything to me, and my big, strong hardcover collectable books are pure luxury. Bill Gibb, Marimekko, Alexander Girard, Kelly Wearstler, Yves Saint Laurent—they are all vibrant, lively, and delectable. I have personal, intimate favorites—a book called Modern Interiors, which I found in a thrift store in Palm Springs has amazing photos of homes from the 50s and 60s. My husband gave me a book by Anghelen Arrington Phillips that has these amazing drawings of the gingerbread houses of Haiti. Each page features a detailed drawing and story of the home and its history. Also, I can’t leave out the functional ones as well: the Pantone book and The Baby Book!

"The outdoors is a testament to our lifestyle—our pets, our baby, our large extended family, and, of course, California," Annabel says.

One of the many aspects I love about working in publishing is meeting so many talented people along the way. I became friends with photo stylist David Anger years ago when he was working for Better Homes and Gardens. We connected almost immediately over books, specifically design books, and anything involving Diana Vreeland and Fleur Cowles. David has since moved back to Minneapolis, where he continues his work as a successful photo stylist with a client list that includes a certain retailer whose mascot sports a red bull’s eye.

When I started this blog, I asked David if he would share his personal library, and he happily agreed. He describes his book collection as the past, present, and future. “The past is represented by all the Danish modern furniture, present by what is being read, and future by what design ideas may become reality.”

Photos by Brent Larson

What author do you identify with most? “Paul Lisicky’s childhood memoir, Famous Builder reminded me of growing up. He was gay, lived in the suburbs, and drew elaborate developed communities. As a boy, I did that for hours. Floorplans, towns, and Lego structures. I’m still partial to raised ranches and split levels.”

Which living writer do you most admire? “Carol Prisant. She’s an awesome interiors writer with such amazing style, insight, and wit.”

Which deceased writer do you most admire? “John Updike because he wrote so much, Edith Wharton because she told stories so well, and Henry James because he takes you back in time.”

What is your most treasured book? “It’s a cliche but true: My childhood Bible. It was given to me in 1972 from Parkview Church. It seems like such a simpler time, even though Vietnam remained unresolved and Watergate was one year away. As a youngster, I loved the pictures and the red cover.”

What are a few favorite design books? “Finland: Living Design and Scandinavia: Living Design. These books made me crazy for Nordic design. Then there’s Billy Baldwin Decorates, which is foolproof. Of course, decorating books by David Hicks were revolutionary for me when I discovered them 20 years ago. Hicks’ bold hues cast a huge shadow over my color palette.”

You once gave a famous writer a lift during a snowy day in Minneapolis. “It was in 1991 and I interviewed Michael Cunningham. He wasn’t yet famous and hadn’t written The Hours. He was in town promoting A Home at the End of the World. The following day, on an even snowier Minneapolis evening, I went to hear him read at the now closed Hungry Mind bookstore by Macalester College in St. Paul. He didn’t have a ride back to Minneapolis so I drove him in our ancient Pontiac Grand Prix. Imagine that! Before dropping him at the hotel, we enjoyed a glass of wine at the New French Bar. He signed my freshly purchased book, ‘To David, My Minneapolis ice-angel, love, Michael.’ I remember it so very well. I wonder if he does.”

Special thanks to David’s partner, Jim (aka “B”), for interviewing David (aka “B”) for this post and to photographer Brent Larson for the photos.

It would be an understatement to say that much has happened in London since I teased this post. I’m sure I speak for many others when I say that sadly, terms such as “flash mob” are now part of my vocabulary as I’ve read in disbelief the uprising that has left much of north London in shambles. So far, it seems bookstores have narrowly escaped damage, some temporarily closing their doors, while others are staying open. If anything, I hope this guest post by my friend Shawn Gilliam reinforces the valued treasures in England and how much we cherish the rich history and continued strength of the people and homes there.

Southwest England: A Bookish Tour by Shawn Gilliam (all images courtesy of Shawn Gilliam)

Literary characters have played an important role in Southwest England for a crazy long time (quick examples: Simon Taylor Coleridge’s mariner, Thomas Hardy’s Tess, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple). So, it was with a loose literary itinerary in mind that my college friend Yvette and I based ourselves at a 17^th-century barn-turned-cottage near Bridgwater in Somerset County for a week this past spring. I couldn’t wait to share some of the great country house libraries I saw with Kelly, and she insisted I share them here too.

In an earlier post, Kelly shared a peek at Stourhead in Wiltshire (shown above), which is famous for its amazing 18^th-century gardens. But the family holiday home (more accurately, Palladian mansion), Stourhead House, is definitely worth checking too.  Sold to the Hoare family in the 18^th century (the family founded and still runs C. Hoare & Co., the U.K.’s top independent private bank), the property is now maintained by the National Trust.

The home’s library is considered one of the finest surviving Regency libraries in Britain. A couple of the standout features: the barrel-vault ceiling with latticework and the set of steps (you can see the railing in one of the photos), which can be moved from place to place. Originally built for owner Colt Hoare’s rare volumes on British history and topography (unfortunately now sold), it now houses a collection miscellany from other another family estate as well as family manuscripts and travel journals.

Montacute House (above) is a bit farther south, in Somerset. Although this 16^th-century home is highly regarded for its collection of Tudor and Elizabethan portraits from the National Portrait Gallery displayed in the longest gallery of its kind in England, my favorite parts of the home were the cozier spaces like this small bedroom. Its most famous inhabitant was Elinor Glyn, the longtime mistress of the home’s owner at the turn of the 20^thcentury, Lord George Nathaniel Curzon. Glyn was a popular novelist and scriptwriter. Some of her books, including Beyond the Rocks and Three Weeks (edgy romances that were influential at the time), are displayed in a small rack at the foot of the bed. Books throughout the house (and in many others) were displayed on dressers and desktops in racks like this.

My favorite house in Somerset started out as (and is still called) a castle. Dunster Castle (above) is perched on a wooded hilltop above the pretty village of Dunster, where it takes in views of the Bristol Channel and the countryside close to Exmoor National Park. Although it dates back 1,000 years, most of the current interior reflects a transformation to a Jacobean country house (with plasterwork ceilings and fine oak woodwork) in the early 17^th century. One of my favorite spaces is the drawing room, (above, right) where tall walls of bookshelves wrap the juts and jogs of the walls on either side of a magnificent fireplace.

Even my last day, in London, followed bookish pursuits. I could’ve spent the better part of that day at The British Library, above, where dozens of cases display original manuscripts from Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, and Virginia Woolf, among other favorites. Although for obvious reasons photos aren’t allowed in that gallery, I managed to nab a great shot of some of the library’s stacks. I read that the library has space for more than 1,200 readers—and, on a future trip, I think I’ll be one of them.

My BFF, Shawn Gilliam, is a constant traveler. Having visited 30-plus countries, he returns with interesting photos and stories from his far-flung adventures. Recently, Shawn went to southwest England, touring the houses and gardens. I asked him to write a guest post of the personal and public libraries, which I’ll share later this week.

In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of one of the National Trust homes, Stourhead in Wiltshire, near the town of Mere.

He told me that most of the libraries he visited were very period and preserved, but that this National Trust site incorporated a few elements of modern life. “Although it’s open for public tours, some spaces look like they’re still being used,” Shawn says. “The house had a Regency library, but I liked the coziness of this sitting room library. It brought together old and new, having a flat-screen TV, board games, and current copies of Vanity Fair.”

In addition to the charming rooms and libraries, Stourhead is known for its 18th-century landscape garden surrounding a beautiful lake.

Stay tuned later this week for more photos of bookish stops from Shawn’s European voyage.