Archives Center Menu Collection
name: label: Donor
content: Ford, Brian H.
topic: label: Topic
content: Cruise ships
label: Topic
content: Postcards
label: Topic
content: Restaurants
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Archives Center Menu Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection consists of restaurant menus ranging from 1937 to 2016 from the Unites States, Canada, as well as cruise ships.
accruals: label: Accruals
content: Donors to this collection include unknown donor, Brian H. Ford and The Morris Communications Company.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Largely from the 1950s, these menus are evidence of American imagery, food prices, and food culture.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.5 Cubic feet (4 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1937-2017
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was sent anonymously and unsolicited to the National Museum of American History in 2016.  In 2017, Brian H. Ford donated an addition to this collection.  Also in 2017, the Morris Communications Company donated an additional two cubic feet of menus gathered as part of research on the Washington, D.C. restaurant scene.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1391
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Fans (costume accessories)
label: Type
content: Menus
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged alphabetically by restaurant name into file comprising 1 series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Holly Nelson.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Fans (costume accessories)
label: Genre/Form
content: Menus
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: A collection of resetaurant menus from 1937 to 1999, but with the majority from the 1950s. While a large number are from California, especially the Los Angeles area, the menus come from twenty U.S. states, plus the Virgin Islands, Canada, and a few are from cruise ships. The menus tend to be picturesque or have colorful illustrations. Cowboy and western themes are emphasized and some of the menus are in novel or odd shapes. Some menus from famous restaurants are included such as Palmer House in Chicago, Old Original Bookbinders in Philadelphia, and Tavern on the Green in New York.