A Handbook of Cookery. A Series of Practical Lessons.
London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1881. First Edition. 12mo, viii, 216, [8] pages, publisher's original gilt-lettered green cloth covered boards. Illustrated with six full-page black-and-white plates. First edition of Matilda Lees Dods’s A Handbook of Cookery: A Series of Practical Lessons, published in 1881 by T. Nelson and Sons. Written in a clear instructional format, the book presents cookery as a practical course of lessons rather than merely a collection of recipes, reflecting the growing late Victorian interest in domestic science, kitchen training, household economy, and systematic culinary education. Dods’s work belongs to the important tradition of women’s cookery writing and practical household manuals, offering guidance on methods, ingredients, preparation, and reliable everyday kitchen practice. An appealing example of nineteenth-century culinary education and domestic literature, especially desirable in the first edition.
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. Minor rubbing and wear, slight discoloration to endpapers, previous owner's inscription, hinges starting to crack, else in very good condition. Item #386
Price: $50.00