Who? Menu Design in America, 1850 –1985.
What? Menus at their most basic are a list of food and beverage offerings. However the 800 vintage examples in this deluxe volume could not be further from the restaurant standard: spanning 100 years, illustrated in vibrant colour, Menu Design is an omnibus showcasing the finest and most elaborate in this graphic art. Whilst providing an extraordinary collection of paper ephemera – ranging from the weird to the wonderful – this publication also serves as a great history of restaurants and dining out in America.
Why? Whether you are a food fanatic or art enthusiast, this book highlights everything from the Waldorf-Astoria to L.A.'s famous early fast-food chain Bob's Big Boy, ensuring that you never overlook the everyday artifact that has told us what’s for dinner for centuries. With an introduction on the history of menu design by graphic design writer Steven Heller, extended captions by culinary historian John Mariani and various photographs of restaurants accompanying the menus throughout, this definitve book will appeal to anyone who enjoys eating at restaurants and its graphic and gastronomic history. Now, what’s for lunch?
Menu Design in America, 1850 –1985 is published by Taschen and out now.
Text by Lucia Davies
