I have a bone to pick with Gena Philibert-Ortega.
My family says I have too many cookbooks. I demur to Gena, genealogist at Food. Family. Ephemera., author of From the Family Kitchen, frequent speaker on women’s community cookbooks. I’m sure that Gena’s cookbooks far outnumbers mine.
My bookshelves are sagging; it’s a recipe for disaster.
Most of my community cookbooks have come to me from family members or clubs I’ve been involved with. Some were gifts from high school students in my English course “Reading Women’s Lives” where each student “read” a community cookbook for her term paper topic. Those are my favorites.
But I’m also fond of my mother-in-law’s books — Woman’s Glory, the Kitchen originally published in 1953 by the Slovenian Women’s Union of America, and Operation Vittles compiled by The American Women in Blocaded [sic] Berlin, January 1949.
How could I possibly choose which books to sell or give away?
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We’re cooking something special
Gena and I are pulling out our best examples of community cookbooks, family artifacts, and ephemera to share with attendees for “Artifact Archeology: Explore Family History Heirlooms and Ephemera” a workshop at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Thursday, June 8, 2017, 10:00 a.m. -12 :00 noon.
Join us for two hours of ephemera education and learn how to discover the genealogical value in everyday objects like scrapbooks, wartime ration books, household receipts, community cookbooks, and club rosters. Participants will be able to examine a wide selection of 19th and 20th century items as we discover the genealogical information and social history they hold.
Registration is now open; places are limited. Visit the SCGS Jamboree website for more information and registration.
Learn more at Jamboree 2017
Denise and Gena will also present:
“Wives, Girlfriends, Widows, Exes and Mistresses: Documenting Women,” Gena Philibert-Ortega, live and Livestream
“Uncle Sam Wants You: Women’s Lives During World War I,” Gena Philibert-Ortega
“Grandma Was an Alien: Marriage and Citizenship in the 20th Century,” Gena Philibert-Ortega
“You Can’t Take It With You: Estate Planning for Genealogists,” Denise May Levenick
We hope to see you June 8 – 11, 2017 at the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree.
So, Gena, how many cookbooks are “too many?”1
Never too many cookbooks, especially community and club ones which give so many clues to daily lives and foods, and even medicines. Even if you don’t cook the reading is a joy. Build more shelves!
I couldn’t agree with you more, Anne! Build more shelves, indeed!
I searched and searched for a recipe from my childhood and finally found it in the church cookbook! Made it for Easter dinner and my sister was so excited that we could make it again!
And now inquiring minds want to know what recipe this was??? Those old cookbooks come in handy sometimes!