The Encyclopaedia of Practical Cookery: A Complete Dictionary of All Pertaining to The Art of Cookery and Table Service.
London: L. Upcott Gill, 1890. Illustrated with Coloured Plates and Engravings by Harold Furniss, Cruikshank and others. First Edition. Eight quartos, bound in the publisher's original gilt-lettered red cloth covered boards. All edges gilt. Illustrated throughout in black-and-white, also with color plates and a few foldouts. The Encyclopaedia of Practical Cookery: A Complete Dictionary of All Pertaining to the Art of Cookery and Table Service, edited by Theodore Francis Garrett and published in London by L. Upcott Gill in the 1890s, is one of the most ambitious culinary reference works of the late Victorian period. Issued in eight quarto volumes, the set was conceived not merely as a cookbook but as a comprehensive A–Z encyclopaedia of gastronomy, encompassing recipes, technical definitions, menu planning, table service, wine and cellar management, confectionery, preservation, and the broader mechanics of professional and domestic kitchens. Richly illustrated and systematic in structure, it reflects the increasing professionalization and codification of cookery in 19th-century Britain. Today, complete sets are valued not only for their decorative presence in original gilt-lettered cloth, but also as important primary sources for the study of Victorian foodways and dining culture.
Provenance: From the library of Dr. William Woys Weaver, acclaimed American food historian and author, acquired directly from his historic home, Roughwood, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Some slight rubbing and wear, soiling to a few boards, occasional scattered foxing, some minor discoloration to spines, else in very good + condition. Item #219
Price: $1,750.00