Midland Cook Book

pp. [3-5], 6-246, [247]. 8vo., measuring 20 x 13.5 cm. Light-brown cloth over boards, stamped black lettering and borders to the front board. Many advertisements by sponsoring local business, and merchants interspersed throughout. Comprises of a rich selection of recipes, all accompanied with the names of their respective contributors. Sections include: Soups, Fish, Meats, Vegetables, Salads, Salad Dressings and Sauces, Made Dishes, Bread and Biscuits, Puddings and Sweet Sauces, Cold Desserts, Cakes, Pickles & Sauces, Conserve and Marmalade, Canning and Preserving, Miscellaneous, Time Table for Cooking Meats, et al. Excepting a touch light edgewear, occasional rare spotting to the extremities, there are no other detectable flaws. Single stamp to the front pastedown stating: "Compliments of the Great Lakes Transportation Co. Ltd.", otherwise, text-block remains thoroughly bright, clean, and unmarked with tight, sound binding. Overall, remarkably well-preserved; very good+. Exceedingly rare in commerce, and equally so amongst institutional holdings (See OCLC #15059856) with only two Canadian holdings recorded at time of cataloguing. Rare indeed. See Driver's Citation in 'Culinary Landmarks', O265.2, p. 489. Preceded by an identically titled edition, and printed in 1911 in a similar fundraising effort, though, for a different entity ("to prepare and complete a cook book.was deemed a wise and popular means whereby a sum of money could be raised to aid the building of a new Catholic church") by the Women's Auxiliary of St. Margaret's Church [Source: Driver, Elizabeth: Culinary Landmarks; Citation No. O265.1, p. 488]. And, indeed, the preface to this present title confirms as such: "The Midland Cook Book which the Auxiliary of St. Andrews Hospital now offers to the public for sale, is practically a revised edition of the one published in 1911 by the Women's Auxiliary of St. Margaret's Church, with the addition of many new recipes. The idea came to us as the 1911 books are now out of print and are constantly in demand. Therefore we decided on this means for raising money for our Hospital.". Driver further notes: "The first section of the text, titled 'General Suggestions' and 'Small Leakages of a Household (suggestions for economy and cleaning), is signed Mrs. Playfair, ie., Charlotte Playfair, the wife of James Playfair, a leading member in the industrial and municipal affairs of Midland. Both Mrs. Playfair and her husband were involved with the development of St. Andrews Hospital at the time of the book's publication. James had purchased the building for the town's new hospital and renamed the institution after his birthplace in Scotland. In 1922, Charlotte herself purchased the house next door for a nurses' residence and paid for its interior furnishings. Charlotte was the daughter of Senator Alexander A.W. Ogilvie, who along with his two brothers had built the flour milling business, which, later, as Ogilvie Flour Mills Co., published many editions of Q55.1, Ogilvies Book for a Cook.".…