Menu Collection, Part Four: More Menus!
22 Comments Published September 21st, 2006 in Obligations, Treasure
What could be more ephemeral that a restaurant? Most are out of business within two years. Even the ones that stick around eventually start to suck, or worse get really successful and popular and then start to suck. It’s no wonder folks used to ask for menus from their favorite restaurants to take home as souvenirs.
Nowadays, most menu collections are in the hands of collectors. That is, folks who spend their off hours rummaging through back rooms in strange neighborhoods. People who search endlessly for that special piece of crap that will justify their existence. People like me.
What gives this collection so much charm is its freedom from irony. Its curators were an ordinary suburban couple enjoying the fruits of the American Century, just like all their neighbors. They amassed menus as a way of preserving precious memories of pleasant evenings spent together. They also used them to appoint their homes with decor that reflected both their taste and their aspirations. I doubt they ever poured over the line work or paused to think about what their collection revealed about mid-century American culinary habits.
Most of the restaurants represented in this gallery are too old to even register a blip. There seems to be a Flaming Pit and a Harry’s Cafe in every town east of the Mississippi. Names like “white horse inn” are just too generic to garner any meaningful search returns. But others have a distinguished pedigree which continues to this day.
The Strater Hotel in Durango is still in business, and its website has a lengthy section devoted to its history. Don The Beachcomber has a cult of devotees. Unfortunately, the cover of my menu is already available at Wikipedia, but I seem to have an exclusive on the rest of its contents. A version of my Big Boy breakfast menu is available over at Janie’s Bob’s Boy site, but the one in my possession is from the Vips franchise.
My favorite of this group is the one dated 1933, from Ye White Horse Inn of New York City. Not only does it sport a cover by not-entirely-unknown illustrator Will Hammill, it also features the emblem of the National Relief Administration. One of the most controversial programs of Roosevelt’s New Deal, the NRA oversaw the creation of price ceilings and the regulation of employment practices. In the end, its codes proved to be unenforceable. The NRA was itself rendered ephemeral soon enough: the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional about two years after fear of boycott induced Ye White Horse Inn to display its blue eagle sticker.
Cool map on the Vips franchise link — didn’t realize the franchise owner got to prefix their locality, thought they were all “Bob’s”. Then I remembered in the 60s we went to the Marc’s Big Boy down on the Milwaukee river at the bridge between Shorewood and Milwaukee, under the gleam of the Channel 6 tv tower in Estabrook Park (http://www.retrocom.com/retromilw/milwmemories1.htm). I recall multiple-pattied burgers the size of my head slathered in something called 1000 island dressing, which seemed both exotic and like eating paint. My Mom always did “can I have a bite of yours?”
These are fantastic; thanks for sharing them. One of the reasons I love old menus is the diversity of quality in the artwork (I suppose the same is true of new menus, too). In some, the art is crudely fashioned, while in others, you can see incredible talent. They’re such a rich source of graphic inspiration for me. I really love the artwork in that Big Boy’s menu (I also wasn’t aware that different franchises had different appellations), I would love to learn the name of the artist. It reminds me a little bit of the non-Disney work Mary Blair did (not that I think she’s the artist).
Now, the Steak Chart… I am somehow changed for having seen it. It’s wonderful.
Thanks for posting the inside of the DtB menu — I love the manner of wording for the Malihinis bit — and the drink list is a fun read.
Thanks for the link, too!
Hah. Thanks for the link. I don’t know if I’d consider myself a member of any Beachcomber “cult”, although if Donn were still around, I’d probably be tithing a fair amount of my salary at his various temples of tikitude.
And as always, a great set of menus. Bob’s Big Boy and I go back a long ways.
Hey Bosworld,
It figures pople like the menus since so many people to search the Web for the recipes. Might be some kind of sideboard fetish or something. Very Americana, here, Collectoman!
I suspect this comment may be better suited to the other blog; however, the only thing that ever reminds me of this are the Bostworld menu threads, so here goes… I can remember being in some idiosyncratic burger joint in Tempe about 10 years ago with some friends, and somehow we got the idea for a fictional restaurant called Puppet’s Meat Burgers. Of course it was a joke, but it still yielded an ornate fake menu (drawn on the back of a placemat) rife with entrees like dog-eared donuts, freeze-dried gerbil ears, and six gallon pie for dessert. Yes, we were nerds.
Nice!
NRA Member right in the middle…
To Whom It May Concern I have been collecting menus for the past 40 years and have a LARGE collection from all over the USA. I am now in the process of downsizeing and must get rid of my menus. i have some very different ones and some very interesting ones. I would like to sell the whole collection as one.All in very good condition. I can furnish more info if you know of someone that is interested in buying. Would appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Pat
Pat –
I like downsizing! Good luck!
I acquired approximately 30 old menus, mostly resturants and no longer existing resturants in Houston, TX. Any collectors out there interested in buying these menus?
Bill
Ahhhhh, now I know I am not alone. I have a small but growing collection of menus from restaurants owned by celebrities — from the old Jack Dempsey and Joe Dimaggio restaurants to more current ones by Carl Perkins, Michael Jordan, and Jimmy Buffet. Other than EBay where can one find these gems of “dreque” or meet other collectors? Also, is there any special means of storing them? Mine are just in a growing pile, not very appealing! Thanks
Jack in NJ
I just keep ‘em in a banker’s box. Not the most elegant of solutions, I guess.
Hello: As a young girl my friend Donna and I were fans of the group called The Crew Cuts. We went to all the performances we could and got to know them on a first name bases, Donna invited them to her home for dinner and to our amazement they accepted. Of course Donnas mom went crazy trying to think of what to make for dinner.
A few days before, they sent their regrets and canceled dinner. Wow! was Donnas mom relived.
They invited us to the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago, as there guests. We were so excited to be invited to such a grand place.
I have that menu signed by Johnny, Rudi and Ray. Would anyone be interested in buying this menu? I also have several other menus from the Chicago Land area.
The Crew Cuts! Cool!
Derrick, I have a collection that includes menus from the S.S.FRANCE and a very rare(only 1000 printed) menu and pit building instructions booklet that was put out by Trader Vic’s. The collection has The Brown Dirby, El Trovar(Grand Canyon), “21″ and many other locations. Last count of the collection was in the 600 item range inclusive of hard original and about 60 paper to go menus. I wanted to cover a wall with them but it is a project that is never going to get done. I wish to move this collection on to someone that has a real interest in same. How does one value a collection and do you think I should make a list of what is in the collection? I also have about 1000 bussiness cards from resteraunts and food and beverage supplyers from all over the USofA. Any info you could share I would be greatful for. Thanks for sharing your site.
At your wing
Col Hugh Alexander III
“Texas Raiders” B-17-G
Flight Engr./Loadmaster
It’s funny how many people email me about selling, grading and pricing menus.
I have absolutely no idea; I don’t actively collect menus.
But I do collect unique hits to this site; thanks for visiting!
I have a friend that has a 1946 menu from Billy Rose Diamond Horseshoe in NYC. Any interest?? drop a line. tnx
New one here.
Say, does anyone have a menu from the restaurant in the World Trade Center in NYC — the late Windows on the World?
Thanks,
I am looking for the menu for the Copper Penny Family Restaurants (60′s / 70′s) . I had received information that they had used large plastic penny’s to print the menu on with the logo “In our food you can trust”. Any information, even a picture, would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks Penny
I, too have a large menu collection (about 900) from all over the world, including one from Casablanca. Many are from airlines (when they used to serve meals), and at least one is from a famous NY restaurant which is no more- Club 21. Also, a 12 X 17″ Linen bound menu from Begues (the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. I would like to sell this large collection as a whole. Interior decorators or restauranteurs might be interested.
The collection is really quite exciting and eclectic. – Edgar
I collect menus (old and new) from restaurants that were owned by celebrities. I have about 100 going back to the 40′s, restaurants owned by actors, politicians, or sports figures. Just about every sports figure at one time or another tried the restaurant business. If anyone has any to sell or give away, please contact me at jackhoffman1@optonline.net. Thanks.
Dear Myles Garcia ~
i have a framed menu, in pristine condition,” circa 1980, from “Windows on The World” Restaurant, the only time I ever ate there.
Sincerely,
Bruce
Bruce Levinton, Ph.D.
415-386-4703