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''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation'' is a series of cooking class leaflets created by the School District of Philadelphia. The book was used in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_economics Home Economics] class in Philadelphia and published in 1942. It contains recipes and instructions for cleaning, caring, and cooking. While the textbook itself is generic and mass produced, this particular copy was owned by a female student, Edith Fineberg and contains notes, recipes, and doodles within the pages and on the covers. The book is full of her personality and becomes a beautiful view into the past. It shows how young girls were taught to be members of society and the expectations placed on them from a young age.
[https://franklin.library.upenn.edu/catalog/FRANKLIN_9946759163503681 ''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation''] is a series of cooking class leaflets created by the School District of Philadelphia. It is available at the Kislak Center for Special Collections at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania]. The book was used in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_economics Home Economics] course in Philadelphia Public School and was published in 1942. It contains recipes and instructions for cleaning, caring, and cooking. While the textbook itself is generic and mass produced, this particular copy was owned by a female student, Edith Fineberg, and contains her unique notes, recipes, and doodles within the pages and on the covers. The book is full of her personality and becomes a beautiful view into the past. It shows how young girls were taught to be members of society and the expectations placed on them from a young age.
 
[[File:IMG_0317.jpg|thumb|200px|Front Cover]]


=Background=
=Background=


===Historical Context===
===Home Economics===
===Home Economics===
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_economics Home Economics] originated in the early 1900s as part of a movement aimed at preparing young women for professional jobs by equipping them with basic skills like cooking, cleaning, and home care. The course was created as a form of science.<ref>Elias, Megan J. Stir It Up: Home Economics in American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.</ref> Female students wore lab coats and were taught necessary skills that could help them procure a wide range of jobs for their future. It was created to help women gain independence as part of the liberal feminist movement of the early 1900s.<ref>Elias, Megan J. Stir It Up: Home Economics in American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.</ref> [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Home_Economics The Federal Bureau of Home Economics] was erected around the same time. The government organization helped teach women during the first world war how to cook with the limited food supplies, had an advice radio show, published recipes, and taught lessons on food and nutrition.<ref>Parkin, Katherine J. Food Is Love: Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.</ref> There was a focus in American culture that the home could contribute to social change. Managing a properly fed and cared for nuclear family was a way in which young women could have a powerful impact on the future of the country.<ref>Parkin, Katherine J. Food Is Love: Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.</ref> But in the 1950s there was a major shift in the feminist movement that highlighted how the current structure was a conformist and repressive culture. The home economics field became a primary example for feminists in the 1960s of sexist, inhibitory culture. In response to the backlash the field is no longer studied or taught.
===Chef Fritz Blank===
The textbook was donated to the Penn Library in 2008 by Chef Fritz Blank, in the largest donation of cookbooks the library has received. Chef Fritz owned a famous restaurant in Philadelphia called Deux Cheminees, one of the first high-end restaurants in Philadelphia. It was opened in 1979 and it brought classic French style cooking to the growing Philadelphia restaurant scene. [[File:Fritz_0.jpg|thumb|200px|Chef Fritz Blank]]
The restaurant was located in two conjoined townhouses decorated to feel cozy and homey. The restaurant was full of bookcases of Chef Fritz's extensive cookbook collection. This particular cookbook stands out, as Chef Fritz was very interested in teaching children. He would go to Philadelphia schools and run cooking classes. Though the book appears to be very generic, as there are thousands of copies of this specific textbook. This one is special for its marginalia and the history behind it.
=The Textbook=
[[File:unnamed.jpg|200px|thumb|The back page of ''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation''. Staples bind the pages together. The back cover is falling off.]]


===Structure===
===Structure===
;Cover
:Like other copies, the cover of the book is plain white, with no title or illustrations, and paperback, made with some sort of heavier acid-free paper. It is also protected by a plastic cover, though this is most likely a later addition from Kislak to preserve the book. Despite the relative fragility of the paper cover, it remains in good shape for a 54-year-old book, with little wear and only some slight yellowing around the edges. The only exterior text lies on the spine—the last names of contributing artists and publishers are listed alphabetically on the top and bottom respectively.
;Binding
:The book is adhesive bound, with evidence of discoloration from the glue on inner edges of the cover flap and clumping on the spine. Since there is no pastedown, closer inspection shows notches in the spine where hot glue would have penetrated the spine of the book and face-trimming on the three sides of the paper, suggesting the book to have been bound through "perfect binding" (See: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookbinding Bookbinding], Thermally activated binding), a popular method for paperbacks during this time. The sectioned sides of the book may also point to traditional gatherings of 8 leaves (octavos); however, the paper is letter size (8.5 inches by 11 inches) as opposed to the typically smaller octavos, and the gatherings are hard to discern towards the middle and end.
;Paper and Print Quality
:The interior paper is thin and slightly transparent, with ink from the recto visible on the verso. The ink-bleeding may have led Siegelaub to print all content on the recto, though the choice could have also been a creative one, mimicking the single-sided photocopying of the Xerox machine. Furthermore, though Siegelaub had intended to reproduce the book with the Xerox machine, photocopying proved financially unfeasible. All copies in the first edition were thus printed by offset lithography.


Overall, the plain exterior, lack of title, inexpensive cover and binding, and fragile paper suggest a lack of importance in the book as an object; rather, this codex form only serves as a platform to widely disseminate its interior ideas.
''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation'' was bound by W. Newkirk. Indented into the front cover is “BOUND BY W. NEWKIRK 186 W. NEDRO AVE. PHILA, PA." After extensive research, information on W. Newkirk was hard to come by. Though the address listed on the cover, 186 W. Nedro Ave, was home to the [https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Pennsylvania/Dorothy-Newkirk_s69vx Newkirk family in the 1940s.] Any more information on Newkirk is inconclusive. It's possible that he exclusively ran a book binding business, or maybe he bound books in addition to working other jobs. The book itself is bound for durability. There are three thick staples holding together the pages, almost like a pamphlet. The staples are holding just about the maximum amount of pages they can while maintaining the integrity of the book. The book is a series of leaflets. There is no pagination which could mean that the leaflets were printed separately and put together after printing.<ref>Stewart, A. A. The Printer's Dictionary of Technical Terms: a Handbook of Definitions and Information About Processes of Printing; with a Brief Glossary of Terms Used In Book Binding. Boston, Mass.: School of Printing, North End Union, 1912.</ref> The back cover is close to falling off while the front cover and each page is still fully in tact. The front and back cover are likely sturdy cardboard able to endure years of being shoved into book bags, held by children and worn down. These textbooks were designed for practical, functional use by a schoolchild, they were not designed for leisure reading. The books are not beautiful, and they are certainly not expensive. There is nothing elegant about the binding, it is simply functional. The textbooks were produced as cheaply as possible. Nothing could be more generic than these government issued textbooks.


===Marginalia and Readership===
===Content===
The pages in this copy show little wear, with no obvious creases nor environmental damage. It also remains relatively free of marginalia, with only faint pencil markings on the inside of the back cover. Besides the current Kislak catalog code in the middle, there is a circled "389," which suggests this to be the 389th copy in the first edition. Since, the writing of the number “8” originates at a different spot, and the pencil shade is different than the Kislak code, indicating that perhaps the seller or even the publisher had made this notation. There is also a small slip of paper stuck between the back cover and the last page with the price of $450. Interestingly, each copy in the first edition had originally sold for $20 in 1968.<ref name="Art as document">Berryman, Jim. "Art as document: on conceptual art and documentation." Journal of Documentation, vol. 74, no. 6, 13 Aug. 2018, pp. 1149-61.</ref> Regardless of whether Kislak had obtained the book recently or in 1968, the dramatic increase in price and the first edition's classification as a collector’s item soon after publication may suggest an inability of even Conceptual Art to defy commodification.
Furthermore, the well-preserved state of this copy suggests scant readership, failing, as Siegelaub had intended, to disseminate amongst a wide audience beyond collectors.


=Content=
;Title page
:The ''Xerox Book'' lacks any introductory text to the following works besides a title page (p3). This title page resembles one of a generic codex, listing the artists in alphabetical order in the center, providing the publishing date, location, and publishers in a smaller font near the bottom, and stating the copy as one of 1000 in the first edition. The scant information emphasizes the importance of its content, and further, the following pages as stand-alone works. This page, in resembling any cheap paperback, also adds an interesting dimension to the work as a whole: one on hand, it establishes the ability of the physical codex to be an exhibition, to be the art; on the other hand, the physical object itself is widely available, an interchangeable copy, and only a vessel for a greater idea.


;Artwork
The book is broken up into 40 separate sections. The sections are laid out on the first page of the book in green-colored text—one of the only two pages with color in the book. There is no title page, just an index with each leaflet section title and number. The first eleven sections are labeled A-L while the subsequent 29 are labeled 1-29. Sections A-L include titles such as “Housekeeping Practice,” “Cleaning Practice,” and “Baby Care.” These sections are quite informative and give a clear set of rules for those to follow. For example, in “Food for the Sick,” there are lists of appropriate foods and their best preparations, a “rules for serving” section, and a seemingly never-ending list of cooking do’s and don’ts. The format is largely based on strict rules, instructions that are clear and easy to follow. The textbook is full of commands rather than recommendations. Textbook lines include: “Avoid discussing food in the presence of the patient and do not ask the patient what she wants.” This textbook approached Home Economics similar to how a mathematics textbook functions. The rules were definitive, leaving little room for creativity. This reflects a way in which the Philadelphia public school system was teaching all of their courses—focused heavily on yes or no answers and memorization rather than creativity. This home economics textbook is an example of the form of education being taught to students in the 1940s.  
All of the pages utilize the Xerox machine as a means of creating art, and as such, each work, totaling 25 pages, is bound within the standard 8.5 by 11 format and presented in black and white. They also all fall under Conceptual Art, emphasizing the idea over the physical, and provoke various questions on topics including the nature of the book, the Xerox machine, and the relationship between the art, the artist, the producer, and the audience.


*'''Carl Andre'''
<gallery mode="packed" perrow=2 heights=250px>
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Andre Carl Andre] (born 1935) is the first artist to show up in the alphabetically-organized ''Xerox Book.'' An American Minimalist sculptor and poet, he is most known for his use of materials such as bricks or stone tiles to create simple geometric sculptures. <ref name="Tate"> https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/carl-andre-648 </ref> This theme is evident in his 25 pages, which involves a progression of squares, starting from one square on the first page, to a total of 25 on the 25th page. Jack Wendler remembers that Andre had been in Rome during the time of the book's production and had asked him and Siegelaub to create the work for him. Following Andre's directions, they started from the top left and dropped one-by-one inch cubes on the Xerox machine to produce the black outlines as seen in the final work. The fact that Siegelaub and Wendler created the material piece and Andre only provided the idea foregrounds the de-materialization of art, as the artist, a creator of art, is cited here as Andre. Second, like all following works, the use of an everyday office machine as a mode emphasizes its de-aestheticization. On the other hand, this work also contains the self-reflexivity typical of artist's books. During a later interview when asked why the squares began in the top left corner, Wendler said it just occurred to him that it was "like writing." <ref name="Interview"> </ref>This subconscious decision demonstrates that the immaterial idea of art is still bound by its material medium, in this case, established conventions of the codex format. Further, the transformation of a three-dimensional object (the cube) into a two-dimensional figure on the page points to the limited transference of information through the codex format, whereas the progressive accumulation of squares as the audience flips through the pages points to the codex's temporal affordances. Each page consists of a phrase, translated into English, German, and French, that offers varying explanations of the dots or lines on the page.
File:IMG_0223.jpeg|Index
File:IMG_0225.jpeg|"Food for the Sick"
</gallery>


*'''Robert Barry'''
The numbered sections are recipes. The organization of the recipes is a bit peculiar. It begins with basics, breads, and breakfasts but scatters other sections like “cereal” and “cake” in seemingly random sections of the book. The recipes are very simple and easy to follow. This textbook was probably made for middle school students considering the simplicity of the recipes.<ref>Perkins, Wilma Lord. The Fannie Farmer junior cook book. Boston, USA. Little, Brown and Company. 1942.</ref> It is a starting point for cooking and teaches many basics that one can carry with them.
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Barry_(artist) Robert Barry] (born 1936) is a New York based artist whose installations, non-material works, and performances highlight the multi-faceted nature of space in art<ref name="Barry">https://qg-gallery.com/robert-barry/ </ref> and the power of language to change the perception of said space.<ref name="Organizing Art"> </ref> Barry's 25 pages consist of repeating grids of dots, with the bottom of the final page also including the words "ONE MILLION DOTS." Again, this piece speaks to the temporal and linear nature experience of a codex. As the viewer flips through each page, he or she has a sense that there are many dots; however, only on the last page, the viewer understands that one, the dots on each page are meant to be viewed in relation to each other (accumulated), and two, there are a finite, specific number of dots. Through the strategic placement of language, Barry is manipulate the perception of past sensory experiences.  


*'''Douglas Huebler'''
===Edith Fineberg===
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Huebler Douglas Hubler] (1924-1997) began his career as a painter before transitioning to sculptures, photographs, and multi-media work that often incorporated text. He is considered one of the founders of Conceptual Art, and, in his artist's statement for a show at Seth Siegelaub's gallery a year after the publication of the ''Xerox Book'', famously declared, "The world is full of objects, more or less interesting; I do not wish to add any more."<ref name="Double">https://www.artforum.com/print/200604/double-or-nothing-the-art-of-douglas-huebler-10617</ref> Out of all the ''Xerox Book'' artists, Huebler's work may be considered the most de-materialized, and indeed, his 25 pages heavily engages the audience's rational intellect. The formulaic language is reminiscent of a mathematical text<ref name="Rawcliff> Rawcliffe, Chris. "The Xerox Book: the book that was an exhibition that became an artwork." Ambit, vol. 214, fall 2013, pp. 80-86.</ref>, and highlights the de-aestheticization and informational transmission of Conceptual Art<ref name="Art as document"> </ref> The format further enables this latter goal, as the codex had mostly been relegated solely as a tool for the communication of ideas in the contemporary consciousness. However, this codex's inherent nature as the physical manifestation of fine art, particularly those within the first edition, places value back on the codex as an object, raising the question of whether visual art can ever evade materialization.


*'''Joseph Kosuth'''
There are a number of scribbles and notes in the book. Most notably, the front inside cover has the name Edith Fineberg and her address 5810 Rodman St. Philadelphia, PA. The name and address is written twice. Underneath her name, Edith wrote “Edith loves him” and scribbled a little note to herself that section 10 has sugar cookies. Edith lived in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Philadelphia West Philly] in the 1940s, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia at the time.<ref>Joselit, Jenna Weissman, and Murray Friedman. “Jewish Life in Philadelphia, 1830-1940.” The Journal of American History., vol. 72, no. 3, Associated Publishers of American Records, 1985.</ref>
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kosuth Joseph Kosuth] (born 1945) is another pioneer of the Conceptual Art movement. In 1969, he published a seminal essay titled, "Art After Philosophy," which explores the relationship between words, ideas, and visual images.<ref name="Replace">https://magazine.artland.com/joseph-kosuth-shifting-art-from-how-to-why/</ref> His belief in language-based art is evident in his 25 pages, that include a series of sentences describing a non-existent image of the project's creation process, such as "Photograph of ink and toner used." Similar to Huebler, Kosuth's "art" manifests in the audience's imagination<ref name="Organizing Art"> </ref> in typical Conceptual Art fashion and again references the notion of the book as an idea. Self-reflexivity is also prominent in this as it draws attention and "aesthetifies" the creation process of the material object at hand. According to Wendler, Kosuth had initially hoped to physically pass elements in the creation process (such as ink and toner) through the Xerox machine, but had been asked to reconsider due to its infeasibility.<ref name="Interview"> </ref> Perhaps this points to limits in the documentary capabilities of the codex format and, more specifically, the photocopy technology; at the same time, the final product also highlights the power of printed words to generate ideas that can overcome such a barrier.
Other sparks of Edith’s personality shine through the book. She scribbled-in-pencil her own recipe in her own added-in chapter, number “29 ½”—for “Italian Spaghetti." There is another recipe for “Hamburg Stew” and one for “Peach Short Cake.” These recipes don’t appear elsewhere in the book. Maybe they were taught to her by her teacher or maybe she had assignments to bring in or create her own recipes. On the back of leaflet 5, Vegetables, you can see her notes from an activity in class or a homework assignment. Edith organized different vegetables into the categories roots, leaves, stems, seeds, and tubers. She also scribbled the notes, “1. Vitamins 2. Minerals 3. Roughage.” It’s amazing to see a student of a 1940s home economics course brought to life through her interactions with a textbook.


*'''Sol LeWitt'''
<gallery mode="packed" perrow=5 heights=250px>
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_LeWitt Sol LeWitt] (1928 - 2007] was a Conceptual and Minimalist artist, most famous for his large-scale wall drawings. He began his career as a graphic designer, an experience that influenced his reliance on lines and simple shapes in later works.<ref name "maybe delete">https://www.theartstory.org/artist/lewitt-sol/</ref>LeWitt emphasized the conception of his works over the material through a refined artistic process: first, he decided on a system of elements; then, he mapped out various permutations through a combination of the elements; last, he would entrust this "blueprint" to others for production. LeWitt's work in the ''Xerox Book'' reflects his process, with each of the first 24 pages depicting some rotation of squares filled with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines, and the last 25 page revealing the overall schematic. Interestingly, LeWitt's work is the only one to reference an outside piece of art, as they served as the "blueprint" for his first wall drawings in 1969. Though LeWitt may seem to have violated Siegelaub's stipulation that works in the "Xerox Book" must be the art, the notion in Conceptual Art that the idea takes precedence over its physical manifestation allows LeWitt's "blueprint" to take greater importance. The codex format, with its element of "copies," underscores the ''idea'' behind the work and its two physical iterations as the same.
File:IMG-0326.jpg|Peach Short Cake
File:IMG-0329.jpg|Hamburg Stew
File:IMG-0323.jpg|Vegetables
File:IMG-0319.jpg|Front Inside Cover
File:IMG-0322.jpg|Italian Spaghetti
</gallery>


*'''Robert Morris'''
=Significance=
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Morris_(artist) Robert Morris](1931 - 2018) was an American artist and art critic whose work touched upon several art movement during his lifetime, from Minimalist to Conceptual Art. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, bracketing the publication of the ''Xerox Book'', Morris experimented with unorthodox material, such as dirt or masses of thread, to create "Anti-form" pieces that lacked rigid structure. His 25 pages also demonstrate a similar idea, featuring an imperfect copy of the photograph of Earth as taken from space.<ref name="Organizing Art"> </ref> Though the audience recognizes the picture is of Earth, imperfections from the Xerox machine are evident: the circular planet and the clouds lacks a definitive outline; there are glitches and toner dust marks surrounding the image; each of the 25 pages vary in their quality. Morris's work most plainly comments on the unreliability of the Xerox machine and perhaps even physical prints as a whole.<ref name="Rawcliff> </ref> However again, his use of the technology to create fine art adds complexity to any potential critique. 


*'''Lawrence Weiner'''
Overall, the Home Economics Textbook is a reflection on the past, on the role of young women and wives in the 1940s and the expectations placed upon them from a young age. Home economics raises a question that remains relevant to this day. What role should the government and public school systems play in teaching young children basic skills and “non-academic” lessons? If lessons such as these aren’t the governments responsibility, then where are children expected to learn it? Are we not placing yet another unfair advantage on students who don’t have stable homes or those whose parents don’t have the time to teach them skills such as cooking, cleaning, and changing a tire? In the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s, anti-Home Economics sentiment grew and in response to the backlash, Home economics courses are nearly completely extinct.<ref>Rowbotham, Sheila. The Past is before Us - Feminism in Action since the 1960s. Pandora, 1989.</ref> But is the abolishment of home economics really the answer? Or should public education be considering a reinstatement of “home economics” in a non-gendered format where all students are taught a form of both “home ec” and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_arts “shop?”]
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Weiner Lawrence Weiner] (1942 - 2021), the final artist in the ''Xerox Book'', was another key figure in the Conceptual Art Movement. He is famous for his "Declaration of Intent," formulated in 1968:
::1.The artist may construct the piece.
::2. The piece may be fabricated.
::3. The piece need not be built.
::Each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist the decision as to condition rests with the receiver upon the occasion of receivership.
:This last line emphasizes his belief in audience engagement with the work, which is also evident in his contributions to the ''Xerox Book''. Each page consists of a xeroxed graph-paper with the following text:
::A RECTANGULAR REMOVAL FROM A XEROXED GRAPH SHEET IN PROPORTION TO THE OVERALL DIMENSIONS OF THE SHEET
:Wendler recalls that Weiner had intended these words as instructions for the audience to alter something about the work (remove it) in order to manifest the intended art.<ref name="Interview"> </ref> These instructions to destroy highlights the another dimension of the paperback codex format at this time, its fungibility. Furthermore, the instructions de-emphasize its value as an object, in accordance with Siegelaub's intentions. However, the first-edition copy at the Kislak Center (and most likely all other copies) retains its pages, which again points to the limitations of art to evade all commodification.


=Significance=
''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation'' gives us a look into the life of a young student and the expectations placed on girls in the 1940s to be caretakers and wives. It makes us think about the implications of mass produced documents and the reach they have. And it makes us contemplate our current education system and understand how it has changed throughout history. Finally, ''Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation'' reminds us that even in cheap, popular, mass produced documents, you can still find something special and marginalia often tells a completely new story than the one stamped into the pages.
===Reception===
===Legacy===


=References=
=References=
<references />
<references />

Latest revision as of 13:56, 3 May 2022

Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation is a series of cooking class leaflets created by the School District of Philadelphia. It is available at the Kislak Center for Special Collections at The University of Pennsylvania. The book was used in a Home Economics course in Philadelphia Public School and was published in 1942. It contains recipes and instructions for cleaning, caring, and cooking. While the textbook itself is generic and mass produced, this particular copy was owned by a female student, Edith Fineberg, and contains her unique notes, recipes, and doodles within the pages and on the covers. The book is full of her personality and becomes a beautiful view into the past. It shows how young girls were taught to be members of society and the expectations placed on them from a young age.

Front Cover

Background

Home Economics

Home Economics originated in the early 1900s as part of a movement aimed at preparing young women for professional jobs by equipping them with basic skills like cooking, cleaning, and home care. The course was created as a form of science.[1] Female students wore lab coats and were taught necessary skills that could help them procure a wide range of jobs for their future. It was created to help women gain independence as part of the liberal feminist movement of the early 1900s.[2] The Federal Bureau of Home Economics was erected around the same time. The government organization helped teach women during the first world war how to cook with the limited food supplies, had an advice radio show, published recipes, and taught lessons on food and nutrition.[3] There was a focus in American culture that the home could contribute to social change. Managing a properly fed and cared for nuclear family was a way in which young women could have a powerful impact on the future of the country.[4] But in the 1950s there was a major shift in the feminist movement that highlighted how the current structure was a conformist and repressive culture. The home economics field became a primary example for feminists in the 1960s of sexist, inhibitory culture. In response to the backlash the field is no longer studied or taught.

Chef Fritz Blank

The textbook was donated to the Penn Library in 2008 by Chef Fritz Blank, in the largest donation of cookbooks the library has received. Chef Fritz owned a famous restaurant in Philadelphia called Deux Cheminees, one of the first high-end restaurants in Philadelphia. It was opened in 1979 and it brought classic French style cooking to the growing Philadelphia restaurant scene.

Chef Fritz Blank

The restaurant was located in two conjoined townhouses decorated to feel cozy and homey. The restaurant was full of bookcases of Chef Fritz's extensive cookbook collection. This particular cookbook stands out, as Chef Fritz was very interested in teaching children. He would go to Philadelphia schools and run cooking classes. Though the book appears to be very generic, as there are thousands of copies of this specific textbook. This one is special for its marginalia and the history behind it.

The Textbook

The back page of Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation. Staples bind the pages together. The back cover is falling off.

Structure

Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation was bound by W. Newkirk. Indented into the front cover is “BOUND BY W. NEWKIRK 186 W. NEDRO AVE. PHILA, PA." After extensive research, information on W. Newkirk was hard to come by. Though the address listed on the cover, 186 W. Nedro Ave, was home to the Newkirk family in the 1940s. Any more information on Newkirk is inconclusive. It's possible that he exclusively ran a book binding business, or maybe he bound books in addition to working other jobs. The book itself is bound for durability. There are three thick staples holding together the pages, almost like a pamphlet. The staples are holding just about the maximum amount of pages they can while maintaining the integrity of the book. The book is a series of leaflets. There is no pagination which could mean that the leaflets were printed separately and put together after printing.[5] The back cover is close to falling off while the front cover and each page is still fully in tact. The front and back cover are likely sturdy cardboard able to endure years of being shoved into book bags, held by children and worn down. These textbooks were designed for practical, functional use by a schoolchild, they were not designed for leisure reading. The books are not beautiful, and they are certainly not expensive. There is nothing elegant about the binding, it is simply functional. The textbooks were produced as cheaply as possible. Nothing could be more generic than these government issued textbooks.

Content

The book is broken up into 40 separate sections. The sections are laid out on the first page of the book in green-colored text—one of the only two pages with color in the book. There is no title page, just an index with each leaflet section title and number. The first eleven sections are labeled A-L while the subsequent 29 are labeled 1-29. Sections A-L include titles such as “Housekeeping Practice,” “Cleaning Practice,” and “Baby Care.” These sections are quite informative and give a clear set of rules for those to follow. For example, in “Food for the Sick,” there are lists of appropriate foods and their best preparations, a “rules for serving” section, and a seemingly never-ending list of cooking do’s and don’ts. The format is largely based on strict rules, instructions that are clear and easy to follow. The textbook is full of commands rather than recommendations. Textbook lines include: “Avoid discussing food in the presence of the patient and do not ask the patient what she wants.” This textbook approached Home Economics similar to how a mathematics textbook functions. The rules were definitive, leaving little room for creativity. This reflects a way in which the Philadelphia public school system was teaching all of their courses—focused heavily on yes or no answers and memorization rather than creativity. This home economics textbook is an example of the form of education being taught to students in the 1940s.

  • Index

    Index

  • "Food for the Sick"

    "Food for the Sick"

The numbered sections are recipes. The organization of the recipes is a bit peculiar. It begins with basics, breads, and breakfasts but scatters other sections like “cereal” and “cake” in seemingly random sections of the book. The recipes are very simple and easy to follow. This textbook was probably made for middle school students considering the simplicity of the recipes.[6] It is a starting point for cooking and teaches many basics that one can carry with them.

Edith Fineberg

There are a number of scribbles and notes in the book. Most notably, the front inside cover has the name Edith Fineberg and her address 5810 Rodman St. Philadelphia, PA. The name and address is written twice. Underneath her name, Edith wrote “Edith loves him” and scribbled a little note to herself that section 10 has sugar cookies. Edith lived in West Philly in the 1940s, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia at the time.[7] Other sparks of Edith’s personality shine through the book. She scribbled-in-pencil her own recipe in her own added-in chapter, number “29 ½”—for “Italian Spaghetti." There is another recipe for “Hamburg Stew” and one for “Peach Short Cake.” These recipes don’t appear elsewhere in the book. Maybe they were taught to her by her teacher or maybe she had assignments to bring in or create her own recipes. On the back of leaflet 5, Vegetables, you can see her notes from an activity in class or a homework assignment. Edith organized different vegetables into the categories roots, leaves, stems, seeds, and tubers. She also scribbled the notes, “1. Vitamins 2. Minerals 3. Roughage.” It’s amazing to see a student of a 1940s home economics course brought to life through her interactions with a textbook.

  • Peach Short Cake

    Peach Short Cake

  • Hamburg Stew

    Hamburg Stew

  • Vegetables

    Vegetables

  • Front Inside Cover

    Front Inside Cover

  • Italian Spaghetti

    Italian Spaghetti

Significance

Overall, the Home Economics Textbook is a reflection on the past, on the role of young women and wives in the 1940s and the expectations placed upon them from a young age. Home economics raises a question that remains relevant to this day. What role should the government and public school systems play in teaching young children basic skills and “non-academic” lessons? If lessons such as these aren’t the governments responsibility, then where are children expected to learn it? Are we not placing yet another unfair advantage on students who don’t have stable homes or those whose parents don’t have the time to teach them skills such as cooking, cleaning, and changing a tire? In the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s, anti-Home Economics sentiment grew and in response to the backlash, Home economics courses are nearly completely extinct.[8] But is the abolishment of home economics really the answer? Or should public education be considering a reinstatement of “home economics” in a non-gendered format where all students are taught a form of both “home ec” and “shop?”

Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation gives us a look into the life of a young student and the expectations placed on girls in the 1940s to be caretakers and wives. It makes us think about the implications of mass produced documents and the reach they have. And it makes us contemplate our current education system and understand how it has changed throughout history. Finally, Home Economics Foods and Food Preparation reminds us that even in cheap, popular, mass produced documents, you can still find something special and marginalia often tells a completely new story than the one stamped into the pages.

References

  1. ↑ Elias, Megan J. Stir It Up: Home Economics in American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.
  2. ↑ Elias, Megan J. Stir It Up: Home Economics in American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.
  3. ↑ Parkin, Katherine J. Food Is Love: Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.
  4. ↑ Parkin, Katherine J. Food Is Love: Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.
  5. ↑ Stewart, A. A. The Printer's Dictionary of Technical Terms: a Handbook of Definitions and Information About Processes of Printing; with a Brief Glossary of Terms Used In Book Binding. Boston, Mass.: School of Printing, North End Union, 1912.
  6. ↑ Perkins, Wilma Lord. The Fannie Farmer junior cook book. Boston, USA. Little, Brown and Company. 1942.
  7. ↑ Joselit, Jenna Weissman, and Murray Friedman. “Jewish Life in Philadelphia, 1830-1940.” The Journal of American History., vol. 72, no. 3, Associated Publishers of American Records, 1985.
  8. ↑ Rowbotham, Sheila. The Past is before Us - Feminism in Action since the 1960s. Pandora, 1989.
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