The Cookbook Shelves Project is a digital archive of cookbooks that provides access to users to explore the histories and cultures of food. The project began in 2017, initiated by Dr. Barbara Ketcham Wheaton, a culinary historian and retired librarian at Harvard’s Schlesinger Library. The goal of the project is to digitize a vast collection of cookbooks owned by Wheaton and her late husband, multimedia artist Frank Gerritz.
As a culinary historian, Wheaton has collected over 25,000 cookbooks, ranging from 16th century to contemporary recipes around the world. The Cookbook Shelves Project documents her personal collection through an online catalogue that is easily accessible to the public. The archive includes significant material from the 16th century, the first printed cookbooks, to modern cookbooks that span years of cultural change and social history. The archive also preserves cookbooks that might be at risk of getting lost, damaged or destroyed due to age, usage or neglect.
The Cookbook Shelves Project has partnered with the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, where Wheaton was a fellow in 2017-2018, and Harvard Library to create a digital platform that will allow users to explore the vast collection with greater ease. The platform features a search function that allows users to browse by title, author, publication year, and other relevant criteria. Users can see images of book covers, table of contents and, in some instances, full pages of text, including illustrations and marginal notes. Moreover, users can get a glimpse into the culinary habits of individuals and societies in the past.
Besides providing access to the collection, the Cookbook Shelves Project engages in initiatives to promote the study of food and culinary history. For instance, the Cook and Book series invites people to discuss a specific cookbook and its cultural significance. The series aims at bringing together people who share a passion for food and culinary history, promoting interdisciplinary discussion, and fostering intellectual curiosity.
Another initiative is The Cookbook Lab, a project-based class on food and culinary history taught by Wheaton at Harvard University. Students collaborate on a project that utilises the digital archive of cookbooks to create something new, exciting, and informative. Projects range from creating culinary exhibitions and digital presentations, to putting together a cookbook of historical recipes.
The Cookbook Shelves Project is more than just an archive of cookbooks. It is an initiative that promotes interdisciplinary dialogue, intellectual curiosity, and the study of history through food. The digitization of Wheaton’s collection provides access to a vast array of recipes, culinary techniques, and cultural practices that are often overlooked. The archive is a testimony to the power of food in shaping the cultural and social history of societies around the world.
Posted by greg_guarino on 2014-09-01 02:26:51
