Selected Special Collections

Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection

Cookbooks and Cookery

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.

Note: Information for this entry was compiled in the late 1970's for inclusion in: Special Collections in the Library of Congress: A Selective Guide. Compiled by Annette Melville. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1980. The entry has not been revised.

See also: Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Pennell Collection

Digitized Collections from the 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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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

 

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).