Grandma’s "Every-Day Cook-Book" #1: JENNY

 (SMITH/POST)

Pressed between the pages of my grandmother’s well-worn 1892 copy of “THE EVERY-DAY COOK-BOOK, and Encyclopedia of Practical Recipes” reside a number of little treasures, hidden away, just waiting to be re-discovered.

Take, for instance, Jenny.  Her name is written on the back of the small, sepia-toned photograph measuring 1.25 x 1.75 inches. Despite having been tucked, undisturbed, within the pages of this aging book for well over a century, the photo appears to have met with some previous mishap that left it crumpled. Pin-holes at the top suggest it was once displayed on a board but was later carefully tucked between pages 148 and 149, protected on each side by recipes for pickled mushrooms and Indian ‘chetney.’

Although the damaged photo proved difficult to scan due to the wrinkled, reflective paper, I was able to slightly enhance it to highlight the image. Jenny appears confident, smiling. Her hat and clothing suggest that she was from an earlier generation than my grandmother's.

Accurately dating the photo, of course, is impossible but Jenny’s marvelous hat provides a hint. With its high flouncy bow, wide satin band and narrow flat brim, it might lead an amateur like me to wonder if it is a “flower-pot”-style hat from the 1890s. One thing is certain, Jennie was dressed 'as pretty as a picture' that day!

I actually think that my grandmother, Ona D. (Post) Smith was given (or inherited) the cookbook from her mother-in-law, Emma (Emerine) Smith (at left). A number of items pressed between the pages suggest that Emma had originally saved them. So, it seems reasonable to assume that Jenny was either a friend, special acquaintance, or relative of Emma’s. 

(NEXT: what I found on the previous page)