The Experienced American Housekeeper, or Domestic Cookery: Formed on principles of economy, for the use of private families

Hartford, Ct: Published by Andrus & Judd, 1835. Duodecimo (15 x 9 cm.), [2], [3]-216 pages. Table of Contents. Nine plates including frontispiece and additional engraved title page. Engraved title page has a different title: "The American Domestic Cookery by a Lady" with woodcut of a steer and list of meat cuts with same publisher information. Originally published under the title A New System of Domestic Cookery, London 1806 or 1807, and under this title in 1823. Lowenstein notes in earlier editions of her bibliography (but not in the latest 3rd edition) that this work was based on the same title, published in 1823 (#95), and that earlier entry contained a note that this work was taken from Mrs. Rundell's 'A new system of domestic cookery." While not present in the 3rd edition, we've chosen to retain this attribution, assuming that the renumbering that Lowenstein did for the third edition of the bibliography introduced some inconsistencies, and especially as the earliest entry still retains the attribution. Either way, this example is a much later edition of the work initially printed in 1823, a testament to its immense popularity. ~ Period leather binding with blind-stamped decorations front and rear. Simple gilt tooling and embellishments on the spine. Overall wear, light browning and foxing throughout. Lower right corner missing from front free endpaper. A nice, unsophisticated example. Of extra interest... the embossed design on the front and rear covers was stamped on the front twice, once at an angle, and once closer to straight. This offers some insight into the binding process – the front and rear panels were blind-stamped with a single tool which would have required considerable pressure in a press. And material costs being what they were, the leather double strike was allowed rather than discarded, an interesting decision by the binder. [OCLC locates six copies; Bitting page 411; Cagle 674 ff. (various printings); Lowenstein (noting only a frontispiece and one plate) 185]. (Inventory #: 9879)