The Iridor Complete Candy Making Course' [Scarce 6-Volume Professional Boxed Set with the 'Iridor Plan']

A definitive professional correspondence archive designed to launch independent confectionery businesses during the early years of the Great Depression. This collection serves as a complete vocational toolkit, centered on the innovative 'Iridor Plan'—a strategic business model aimed at providing women with a path to financial self-sufficiency through professional-grade candy making. KEY FEATURES +++ Visuals: Extensively illustrated with monochrome 'action' photographs detailing the technical precision required for dipping, molding, and professional finishing. +++ Binding: Set comprises four softcover technical manuals, one softcover 'Introduction/Index', and one black cloth hardcover 'Business Manual'. +++ Content: - No. 1: Bonbons and Other Cream Candies. - No. 2: Glacé and Hard Candies. - No. 3: Caramels and Other Chewing Candies. - No. 4: Chocolates. - Business Manual: Detailed marketing and profit strategies for 'The Iridor Plan'. +++ The 'Iridor Plan': A sophisticated entrepreneurial framework that taught graduates how to supply high-end department stores and open boutique 'Iridor' shops, bridging the gap between home-kitchen hobbyists and professional retailers. +++ Imprint: A high-production publication by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, legitimizing the course for a national audience. +++ Rarity: Scarce; complete sets with the original box and 'Business Manual' are uncommonly encountered due to the heavy utilitarian use of the manuals. +++ Specs: Approx. 7.5 x 9.75 inch box; manuals average 30-40 pages. CONDITION Good -- A complete and structurally sound set. Consistent with being stored together, Manuals 3-4 show surface loss to the front covers, with Manuals 1-2 showing corresponding loss to the rear covers from previous adhesion. The hardcover 'Business Manual' and all internal text blocks are fine, clean, and tight. The original black snap-box is sturdy with a fully functional front snap, showing typical open corners and edge wear. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- The Iridor School was founded in New York by Iris Leonard and Dorit Weigert to transform the 'domestic art' of candy making into a rigorous, profitable trade for women. At a time when the Great Depression was narrowing economic opportunities, 'The Iridor Plan' offered a radical alternative: a turn-key business model that empowered women to become producers and entrepreneurs. The success of the school was significant; its graduates became well-known for their 'Iridor' branded confections, which were often distinguished by their high quality and professional packaging. This 1931 Putnam-issued set represents the high-water mark of the program, documenting a pivotal moment in American vocational history where gender-specific 'craft' was codified into modern business practice. SUBJECTS: Confectionery, Candy Making, Women in Business, Great Depression Entrepreneurship, Vocational Education, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York History, Cookery, Instructional Manual, Business History, Boxed Set.…