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Military & Wartime Cookery Collection

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2017-029

Scope and Content

The Military & Wartime Cookery Collection consists of a variety of manuscript and ephemeral materials relating to the history of military and wartime food and cooking. Items in the collection date from 1884 to 1965, though the bulk of the collection covers parts of World War I through World War II (1917-1945). Formats and items include (but are not limited to) menus, U.S. Government publications from various agencies, corporate sponsored pamphlets, ration books, recipes, and a photograph album. While the majority of the collection relates to U. S. military and wartime cooking or food history in America, there are some items relating to British military or U. S. military abroad.

Dates

  • 1884 - 1965
  • Majority of material found within 1917 - 1945

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Military & Wartime Cookery Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Extent

0.7 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Military & Wartime Cookery Collection consists of a variety of manuscript and ephemeral materials relating to the history of military and wartime food and cooking. Items in the collection date from 1884 to 1965, though the bulk of the collection covers parts of World War I through World War II (1917-1945).

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in series by conflict/era using the broadest wartime dates: The American Civil War (1861-1865); Mid- and Late 19th/Early 20th Century (1866-1914); World War I (1914-1919); Between the World Wars (1920-1938); World War II (1939-1945); Post-World War II (1946-). Within each time period, materials are grouped by format. Each folder has a list of individual items in the contents list of the finding aid.



Please note: materials are located within the conflict or era to which they are relate and may not date only from that specific time period. For example, the Civil War series contains menus from reunions that took place between 1884 and 1905.

Acquisition Information

The Military & Wartime Cookery Collection was purchased by Special Collections in April 2017. Possible accruals may be added in the future.

Related Materials

Other World War Food-Related Collections in Special Collections

  1. Culinary Pamphlet Collection, c.1870s-1990s (Ms2011-002). Finding aid available online.
  2. Food Advertisement Collection, 1894-1962 (Ms2017-020). Finding aid available online.
  3. State/Regional Home and Agricultural Publications, 1934-present (Ms2012-040). Finding aid available online.
  4. National Agricultural Publications, 1917-present (Ms2011-022). Finding aid available online.
  5. World War II Sugar Rationing Pamphlets, 1941-1945 (Ms2015-048). Finding aid available online.

Separated Materials

The following books and publications were purchased as part of this collection and are cataloged for Special Collections Rare Book Collection. The list below is organized by conflict/era to reflect the organization of the manuscript materials. Within each era, items are listed in chronological order by publication date.

Pre-World War I Military (1897-1908)

  1. General Orders No. 37, 1897
  2. The Vital Question and Our Navy, 1898
  3. The Army Baker: A Manual Prepared for the Use of Students of the Training School for Bakers and Cooks, 1908

World War I (1916-1918)

  1. Recueil de Recettes Culinaires, c.1914-1918?
  2. British French Italian Russian Belgian Cookery, 1916
  3. Manual for Army Cooks, 1916
  4. Mess Accounts and Messing, 1916
  5. Manual for Army Bakers, 1917
  6. War-Time Cook and Health Book, Lydia E. Pinkham Company, 1917
  7. Food and Victory, 1918
  8. How to Use Corn Meal, Oat Meal, Barley, Buckwheat,…,Royal Baking Powder Co., 1918
  9. Mary Elizabeth’s War Time Recipes, 1918
  10. Official Recipe Book: What to Eat How to Cook It, 1918
  11. Twentieth Century Club War Time Cook Book, 1918

Post World War I Military (1927-1939)

  1. The Cook Book of the United States Navy, 1927
  2. Favorite Navy Recipes, 1931
  3. Army Chow, 1939

World War II (1940-1946)

  1. Feeding the People in War-Time, 1940
  2. Food in War Time, 1940
  3. Manuel du Cuisinier a la Campagne, 1940
  4. The Nation’s Larder and the Housewife’s Part Therein, 1940
  5. Army Baker, TM 10-410, 1941
  6. British War Relief Cookery Book, 1941
  7. Favorite Navy Recipes, 1941
  8. Old and New British Recipes Collected for Your Pleasure…, 1941
  9. Two Hundred War-Time Recipes, 1941
  10. American Woman's Cook Book, 1942?
  11. The Army Cook, TM 10-405, 1942
  12. Canned Food Manual, 1942
  13. Recipes Complied by Fort Ord Army Daughters, 1942
  14. Respectfully Yours, Annie, 1942
  15. The Soldier and His Food, 1942
  16. Albers Victory Recipes, 1943
  17. The Bakeshop Trouble Shooter, 1943
  18. Baking Manual for the Army Cook, 1943
  19. Cooking Dehydrated Foods, TM 10-406, 1943
  20. Cooking on a Ration: Food is Still Fun, 1943
  21. Eat to Live: The Blue Book of Cooking, 1943
  22. Food Planning for Victory, 1943
  23. Vegetable Gardening in Wartime, 1943
  24. Victory Vitamin Cook Book for Wartime Meals, 1943
  25. Wartime Cooking Guide, 1943
  26. 164 Recipes/Recettes
  27. Fare-Ye-Well with Ladies of the Realm, 1944?
  28. Food in War and in Peace, 1944
  29. Health for All Wartime Recipe Book, 1944
  30. Health for Victory Meal Planning Guide, March—June, August 1944
  31. Victory Gardening, Cornell Extension Bulletin, 1944
  32. You Said a Mouthful, 1944
  33. The Cook Book of the United States Navy, 1945
  34. The Impact of the War on Civilian Consumption, 1945
  35. Manual of Army Catering Services Part II-Recipes, 1945
  36. An Experimental Study of Rationing, 1946
  37. Recipes Out of Bilibid, 1946
  38. Food Facts for the Kitchen Front
  39. 120 Wartime Meat Recipes
  40. Pillsbury’s 40 War Time Recipes
  41. Ration Time Recipes
  42. Sun-Maid Wartime Recipes that Taste Good!
  43. War Cook Book for American Women

Post World War II Military (1948-1990)

  1. Naval Catering Handbook and Manual, BR 97 (48), 1948
  2. Operation Vittles, 1949
  3. A Cook’s Tour of Quantico, 1952
  4. Army Brats’ Cookbook, 1953
  5. Army Recipes (Meat, Poultry, Fish, Gravies, Sauces, and Dressings), TM10-412-1, 1957
  6. Army Recipes (Eggs, Cheese, and Sandwiches), TM 10-412-2, 1957
  7. Cooks’ Tour, 1960
  8. Army Recipes (Salads and Salad Dressings), TM10-412-4, 1961
  9. NCOWC Souvenir Cook Book, 1962
  10. Dare to Excel in Cooking, 1966
  11. Peace de Resistance, c.1970
  12. Military Lifestyle: Entertaining and Party Guide, 1990
  13. Manual for the Chef of Staff

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Military & Wartime Cookery Collection was completed in August 2017. Five additional items were received and added to the collection in September 2017.

Subjects

Record Groups

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Military & Wartime Cookery Collection 1884-1965 (Bulk, 1917-1945)
Status
Completed
Author
Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Date
© 2017 Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

http://spec.lib.vt.edu
Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308

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