The Art of Cookery
The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy : Which Far Exceeds any Thing of the Kind Ever Yet Published
by Hannah Glasse
| The Art of Cookery | |
|
Title page from The Art of Cookery, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary. | |
| Author | Hannah Glasse |
| Published | London: Printed for the author, and sold at Mrs. Ashburn's, a china shop |
| Date | 1747 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | [16], ii, [3]-166 |
| Desc. | Folio (29 cm.) |
Hannah Glasse was born in 1708 as the illegitmate daughter of Isaac Allgood, a landowner in Northumberland, England.[1] Allgood raised Glasse with the rest of his family, giving her a chance to enjoy the lavish lifestyle and food of country landowners.[2] Hannah married soldier John Glasse when she was 16, and the Glasses served in an earl's household in Essex for several years before moving to London.[3]
Unfortunately, John was a free spender, leaving Hannah with little money in London.[4] Hannah began work on The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy in 1746 to help her finances, but also to write a cookbook for the rapidly-growing British middle class.[5] Hannah Glasse distinguished her cookbook from previous publications with recipes containing easy-to-read-and-follow instructions, and with methods of weighing and measuring ingredients that did not require readers to purchase expensive equipment.[6] The recipes could be created in a basic middle-class kitchen, while most other cookbooks available at the time were written for professional chefs and contained elaborate dishes designed for a mansion's or restaurant's cooking facilities.[7] The Art of Cookery's first edition was published in 1747.[8] Sadly, John died before the second edition came out later the same year.[9] Hannah's book became a great success, going through 20 editions in the 18th century and published continuously through 1843.[10] Glasse's book was highly influential throughout its published life, and some modern British food writers call Glasse "the first domestic goddess"[11] and "the mother of the modern dinner party".[12]
The Art of Cookery brought Glasse financial security for a while, but it would not last. On May 27, 1754, she was declared bankrupt, and on October 29 of that year, Glasse had to sell her copyright in the book to bookseller Andrew Miller and his partners.[13] Glasse was discharged from bankruptcy on January 11, 1755[14], but she fell into further financial trouble and on June 22, 1757, she was sent to debtor's prison, then released later that year.[15] Glasse wrote two subsequent books, The Servants Directory in 1757 and The Compleat Confectioner in 1760, but neither work was nearly as successful as her first.[16] Hannah Glasse died on September 1, 1770, at age 62.[17]
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy
Bound in later half calf with calf corners and marbled boards. Purchased from Charles Agvent.
View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.
References
- ↑ Laura Boyle, "Hannah Glasse", Jane Austen.co.uk, last modified October 13, 2011. [1]
- ↑ Rose Prince, "Hannah Glasse: The original domestic goddess", The Independent (UK), June 24, 2006, accessed July 10, 2013. [2]
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ Prince.
- ↑ Prince.
- ↑ Prince.
- ↑ Prince.
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ A. H. T. Robb-Smith, ‘Glasse , Hannah (bap. 1708, d. 1770)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 27 June 2013
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ "Hannah Glasse: The First Domestic Goddess", BBC Four, accessed July 10, 2013.
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ Robb-Smith.
- ↑ Robb-Smith.
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ Boyle.
- ↑ Boyle.
