About this Item
A handsome early printing of one of the landmark American restaurant cookbooks, documenting New York City's legendary Luchow's Restaurant, founded in 1882 and long regarded as America's premier German dining establishment. More than a cookbook, the volume combines restaurant history, culinary traditions, anecdotes of famous patrons, and over 170 authentic German recipes, all introduced and illustrated by celebrated author and artist Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the beloved Madeline books. The charming pen-and-ink illustrations throughout the text are quintessential Bemelmans - capturing the restaurant's atmosphere with wit, warmth, and unmistakable linework - making this book desirable to both culinary collectors and Bemelmans enthusiasts.
This copy is particularly appealing because of its laid-in contemporary ephemera, including a newspaper clipping reporting the sale of Luchow's to Longchamps (dated 1969 in manuscript) and a typed recipe card for "Strawberry Bowle" on a rear endpaper. These original accompaniments provide an engaging glimpse into the restaurant's later history.
Near Very Good to Very Good. Brown cloth with gilt decoration and lettering remains attractive with light rubbing at the extremities, mild bumping to the corners, and minor fraying at the spine ends. Pages are clean with light age toning and no ownership markings noted. No dust jacket. A previous owner thoughtfully preserved substantial portions of the original dust jacket by mounting clipped panels onto front pages including the front flap text, portions of the front panel, author photograph, and rear jacket copy.
This is not a First Printing. The bibliographical note states "First published October 30, 1952, Second printing before publication," and "Reprinted December 11, 1952." This copy represents the desirable Second Printing before publication, issued only weeks after the first printing due to strong anticipated demand. Although not the true first, it is an exceptionally early state from the book's initial publication.
Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was one of the twentieth century's most celebrated illustrators and the creator of Madeline. His lively drawings throughout this volume transform it from a conventional cookbook into a visual portrait of mid-century New York dining culture. The understated typography and page design were created by noted book designer Alma Reese Cardi, whose elegant layouts complemented numerous Doubleday publications of the era.
Seller Inventory # NF.MIT.1952.1
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