An Official Cookbook

Although the class is over, my interest in the Pan-American Expo and its relevance to Public History has increased. I was browsing around the other night and came across this, the Pan-American Cookbook, 1901.

Published in 1899, "the Ladies' Aid Society of Buffalo's Riverside Methodist Church published a cookbook to commemorate the Pan-American Exposition. Recipes were often compiled by philanthropic women's organizations and published in cookbooks that would contain preparation instructions for all of the meals necessary in the well-manager home. The publication and sale of these cookbooks enabled organizations to not only raise money, but also to fulfill a 'duty' to promote the 'desirable qualities' of a good housewife" ("Cookbooks - Food and Drink at the Pan-American Exposition"). Quite an ambitious mission for only one small cookbook! It seems that the Pan-American Exposition was not just an opportunity to promote electricity from natural resources, it was a chance for learning in all aspects of life -- from the big businesses to the home.

The University at Buffalo discusses this more so at their dedicated Pan-American website:
http://library.buffalo.edu/exhibits/panam/food/cookbooks.html