Selected Special Collections

Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection

Cookbooks and Cookery.

[Elizabeth Robins Pennell, head-and-shoulders portrait, seated in chair, right profile, in Rome]. Prints and Photographs Division.

Writing extensively on gastronomy, Elizabeth Pennell amassed a large collection of European cookbooks. My Cookery Books (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1903) is a personal account of her cooking activities and describes many of the 433 volumes on cookery from the Pennell bequest in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. The collection is strongest in French and Italian cookbooks from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries and includes such notable items as a fully illustrated edition of Bartolomeo Scappi's Opera (Venice: 1574). Also in the division are 299 volumes of fine printing, bibliography, and literature from the Pennell library. Many works are listed in a separate author/title card file as well as the division file.

See also from the Prints and Photographs Division: Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection. Like collections include the Katherine Golden Bitting Collection: Publications and manuscripts on gastronomy, fifteenth through twentieth centuries. Also see the Library of Congress' Art of Good Eating Pinterest board

Digitized Material from th Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection

	Abbot, Robert, cook. The Housekeepers Valuable Present, or, Lady's Closet Companion: Being a New and Complete Art of Preparing Confects, According to Modern Practice ... [London]: Printed for the Author and sold by C. Cooke ... and all other booksellers in town and country, [1790 or 1791?]. Page Turner - PDF (37 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Altamiras, Juan. Nuevo Arte de Cocina, Sacado de la Escuela de la Experiencia Economica. En Madrid: Por Antonio Perez de Soto, a Expensas de Don Pedro Joseph Alonso y Padilla ... año de 1760. Page Turner - PDF (74 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Briggs, Richard. The English art of cookery, according to the present practice : being a complete guide to all housekeepers on a plan entirely new, consisting of thirty-eight chapters : containing proper directions for marketing, and trussing of poultry, the making of soups and broth ... with bills of fare for every month in the year, neatly and correctly engraved on twelve copper-plates. Third Edition. London: Printed for G.G. and J. Robinson ..., 1794. Page Turner - PDF (245.5 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Brillat-Savarin, 1755-1826. Physiologie du goût, ou, Méditations de gastronomie transcendante ... Paris: A. Sautelet et Cie libraires, 1826. Page Turner - PDF (160 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Carter, Charles. Compleat city and country cook. London: Printed for A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch and C. Davis ... T. Green ... and S. Austen ..., 1732. Page Turner - PDF (139.7 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Digby, Kenelm, 1603-1665. Choice and experimented receipts in physick and chirurgery, as also cordial and distilled waters and spirits, perfumes and other curiosities. London: Printed for the author and are to be sold by H. Brome ..., 1668. Page Turner - PDF (122.1 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Digby, Kenelm, 1603-1665. The closet of the eminently learned Sir Kenelme Digby, Kt., opened: wherein is discovered several ways for making of metheglin, sider, cherry-wine, &c., together with excellent directions for cookery, as also for preserving, conserving, candying, &c. London: Printed for R. Blamire ..., 1791. Page Turner - PDF (107.6 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	The Farmer's wife, or, Complete country housewife... London: Printed for Alex. Hogg ..., [1780?] Page Turner - PDF (57 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Hall, T., cook. Queen's royal cookery. London: Printed for C. Bates ... and A. Bettesworth ..., 1713. Page Turner - PDF (90.5 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Harrison, Sarah, active 1733-1777. The house-keeper’s pocket-book and compleat family cook ... London: Printed for R. Ware ..., 1748. Page Turner - PDF (127 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Hartman, G. (George), fl. 1668-ca. 1682. Hartman's Curiosities of art and nature, or, The true preserver and restorer of health. À [London]: Printed for A.C. at the Ring in Little Britain ..., [1683?]. Page Turner - PDF (188.9 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Haywood, Eliza Fowler, 1693?-1756. Present for a servant maid, or, The sure means of gaining love and esteem: ... to which are added directions for going to market, also, for dressing any common dish, whether flesh, fish, or fowl, with some rules for washing, &c. : the whole calculated for making both the mistress and the maid happy. London, Black, Parry and Kingsbury, 1811. Page Turner - PDF (30.7 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Howard, Henry, fl. 1708. England's newest way in all sorts of cookery. London: Printed for and sold by Chr. Coningsby ..., 1708. Page Turner - PDF (75 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Kidder, E. (Edward), 1665 or 1666-1739. E. Kidder’s receipts of pastry and cookery for the use of his scholars : who teaches at his school in Queen Street near St. Thomas Apostles on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays ... Ladies may be taught at their own houses. [London: s.n. ca. 1720]. Page Turner - PDF (35 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	King, William, 1663-1712. Art of cookery, in imitation of Horace's Art of poetry. London: Printed for Bernard Lintott ..., [1709?]. Page Turner - PDF (65 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Ladies cabinet enlarged and opened. London: Printed by T.M. for G. Bedell and T. Collins ..., 1655. Page Turner - PDF (119.9 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Lamb, Patrick. Royal cookery. London: Printed for Abel Roper and sold by John Morphew ..., 1710. Page Turner - PDF (68.6 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Murrell, John, active 17th century. Daily exercise for ladies and gentlewomen. Page Turner - PDF (71 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Nott, John. Cooks and confectioners dictionary. London: Printed by H.P. for Charles Rivington ..., 1726. Page Turner - PDF (262.7 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Pegge, Samuel, 1704-1796. The forme of cury: a roll of ancient English cookery, compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the master-cooks of King Richard II, presented afterwards to Queen Elizabeth, by Edward Lord Stafford, and now in the possession of Gustavus Brander, Esq.: illustrated with notes, and a copious index, or glossary, a manuscript of the editor, of the same age and subject, with other congruous matters, are subjoined. London: Printed by J. Nichols, printer to the Society of Antiquaries, 1780. Page Turner - PDF (85 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Plat, Hugh, Sir, 1552-1611? Delights for ladies to adorn their persons, tables, closets, and distillatories, with beauties, banquets, perfumes, and waters. London, Printed by J. Young, 1644. Page Turner - PDF (157.2 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Price, Elizabeth, Mrs. New book of cookery. London: Printed for the authoress and sold by Alex. Hogg ..., [between 1760 and 1770]. Page Turner - PDF (119.2 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Price, Elizabeth, Mrs. New, universal, and complete confectioner. London: Printed for A. Hogg ..., [ca. 1780]. Page Turner - PDF (113 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Rabisha, William. Whole body of cookery dissected, taught and fully manifested ... London: Printed for E. Calvert ..., 1673. Page Turner - PDF (120 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Rose, Giles. École parfaite des officiers de bouche. Perfect school of instructions for the officers of the mouth. London: Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes ..., 1682. Page Turner - PDF (219 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Sultzen, Rietlen. Kuchel Buech von allerhandt Dortlen und eingemachten Sachen. 1716. Page Turner - PDF (65 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Town and country cook. London: Printed for W. Lane ... and sold by all other booksellers, [ca. 1780]. Page Turner - PDF (45.9 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	J. S. (John Shirley), fl. 1680-1702. The accomplished ladies rich closet of rarities, or, The ingenious gentlewoman and servant maids delightful companion: containing many excellent things for the accomplishment of the female sex, after the exactest manner and method ... to which is added a second part, containing directions for the guidance of a young gentle-woman as to her behaviour and seemly deportment, &c, together with a new accession of many curious things and matters, profitable to the female sex, not published in the former editions. London: Printed by W. Wilde for N. Bodington ... and J. Blare ..., 1696. Page Turner - PDF (97 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Trusler, John, 1735-1820. The Honours of the Table. London, The author, 1791. Page Turner - PDF (42 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Verral, William. Complete system of cookery. London: Printed for the author and sold by him, as also by Edward Verral, bookseller in Lewes, and by John Rivington ..., 1759. Page Turner - PDF (90 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Viard, A., active 18th century-19th century. Cuisinier national. Paris: Librairie Georges Barba, 1873. Page Turner - PDF (349.4 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Whole duty of a woman, or, A guide to the female sex, from the age of sixteen to sixty, &c.: being directions, how women of all qualities and conditions, ought to behave themselves in the various circumstances of this life, for their obtaining not only present but future happiness ... London: Printed for A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch ... R. Ware ... and James Hodges ..., 1735. Page Turner - PDF (81 MB) - Bibliographic Information
	Woolley, Hannah, active 1670. Queen-like closet, or rich cabinet. London: Printed for R. Lowndes ..., 1672. Page Turner - PDF (220 MB) Bibliographic Information

Also see: Collection of ephemera on food and cookery, mainly recipes and promotional literature from producers of brand name products. http://lccn.loc.gov/2001555355

U.S. Library of Congress, Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress, 1926, p. 3-5, 335-341; 1936, p. 159-160.

Crutcher, Anne. “So You Think YOUV'E Got a Lot of Cookbooks,” The Washington Star, October 27, 1976: D1, D4.

U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Library. Accept Property Bequethed [sic] to United States by Joseph Pennell ... Report to Accompany H.J. Res. 526 3 p. 74th Congress, 2d session. House. Rept. no. 2269.)

U.S. Library of Congress. Joseph Pennell Memorial Exhibition, Catalogue (Washington: 1927).