The Book of Household Management; Comprising Information for the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-Maids, Lady's-Maid, Maid-of-All-Work, Laundry-Maid, Nurse and Nurse-Maid, Monthly, Wet, and Sick Nurses, etc. etc. Also, Sanitary, Medical, & Legal Memoranda; With a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort. -
Isabella Beeton
1861 - S. O. Beeton, London - First Edition, Second Impression , Second State
‘This book has more wisdom to the square inch than any work of man’ – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
A nice clean example of the first edition of this truly important English work, and one of the most successful cookbooks of all time. In a contemporary binding, and complete with the engraved and coloured art-nouveau title page, and an additional twelve colour plates.
Containing over 1,100 pages of recipes, culinary advice, and household hints, Mrs Beeton’s incomparable The Book of Household Management was one of the earliest cookery books to use coloured illustrations. The most famous English cookery book ever published. It stands four-square in the nation's imagination as a bastion of traditional English fare and solid Victorian values. It represents extravagance ('take 12 dozen eggs'), and a lost rural way of life ('first catch your hare'). Household Management was markedly innovative, introducing the newly expanded and self-consciously respectable Victorian middle class to the latest manufactured food products, to a wide range of foreign recipes, and to fashionably different modes of dining. - Nicola Humble - Introduction to the edition of 2000.
First edition, second issue points - address on engraved colour title page ‘248 Strand’ (changed from ‘18 Bouverie St’) and without colour frontispiece illustration of a farmyard (this plate was in short supply and based on reviewing numerous copies it would be reasonable to assume that they ran out sometimes during the printing of this second issue. The plate was not used for further issues), first line of errata (page vi) corrected from ‘Page 57’ to 'Page 657'.
References: Cansler, ‘Where’s the Beef?’ Chemical Heritage Magazine, 31. Cagle, A Matter of Taste, 561.
Thick octavo (binding size 18x12.5cm), pp. xxxix [1] 1112 [2]. In contemporary half burgundy morocco over marbled boards, neatly re-backed, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, decoration in blind to leather on boards, yellow coated endpapers, all edges trimmed. Condition: Near fine, light rubbing to edges of endpapers, in very good contemporary binding, neatly rebacked, minor rubbing to spine and corners, heavier to marbled boards. Ref: 112202 Price: HK$ 9,500
A nice clean example of the first edition of this truly important English work, and one of the most successful cookbooks of all time. In a contemporary binding, and complete with the engraved and coloured art-nouveau title page, and an additional twelve colour plates.
Containing over 1,100 pages of recipes, culinary advice, and household hints, Mrs Beeton’s incomparable The Book of Household Management was one of the earliest cookery books to use coloured illustrations. The most famous English cookery book ever published. It stands four-square in the nation's imagination as a bastion of traditional English fare and solid Victorian values. It represents extravagance ('take 12 dozen eggs'), and a lost rural way of life ('first catch your hare'). Household Management was markedly innovative, introducing the newly expanded and self-consciously respectable Victorian middle class to the latest manufactured food products, to a wide range of foreign recipes, and to fashionably different modes of dining. - Nicola Humble - Introduction to the edition of 2000.
First edition, second issue points - address on engraved colour title page ‘248 Strand’ (changed from ‘18 Bouverie St’) and without colour frontispiece illustration of a farmyard (this plate was in short supply and based on reviewing numerous copies it would be reasonable to assume that they ran out sometimes during the printing of this second issue. The plate was not used for further issues), first line of errata (page vi) corrected from ‘Page 57’ to 'Page 657'.
References: Cansler, ‘Where’s the Beef?’ Chemical Heritage Magazine, 31. Cagle, A Matter of Taste, 561.
Thick octavo (binding size 18x12.5cm), pp. xxxix [1] 1112 [2]. In contemporary half burgundy morocco over marbled boards, neatly re-backed, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, decoration in blind to leather on boards, yellow coated endpapers, all edges trimmed. Condition: Near fine, light rubbing to edges of endpapers, in very good contemporary binding, neatly rebacked, minor rubbing to spine and corners, heavier to marbled boards. Ref: 112202 Price: HK$ 9,500