“Kitchen Chronicles: Exploring Culinary Gadgets and Recipes”

About the Exhibition…

Kitchens have long been considered the heart of the home, where everything from cooking to daily chores took place. Pioneer kitchens differed greatly from today's modern versions, often serving as expansive, open spaces that integrated with the living quarters of the household. In these remote settings, families were largely self-sufficient, relying on homemade or homegrown provisions due to the distance from nearby towns.

The Victorian Era marked a significant shift in culinary practices with the rise of the middle class and the introduction of innovative kitchen gadgets. Devices like the cherry pitter revolutionized food preparation, reducing the time spent on kitchen tasks, particularly for women.

By the 1950s, kitchens had largely maintained their basic structure while evolving in cooking methods and the popularity of cookbooks. This period marked a shift in culinary interests, highlighted by the groundbreaking releases of Julia Child’s influential "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and Irma Rombauer’s classic, "The Joy of Cooking."

Visit the Victorian Cottage Museum to delve into the history of kitchens and their gadgets. Our exhibition features a captivating collection of kitchen tools and recipe books from the LHS Collection. Join us for guided tours of the Victorian Cottage House on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM.

Take a look at these three cookbooks we've selected from the LHS Collection below!