On March 21st, I opened up my email and found a note and surprise image from Sandra deVise. People who have gone down to the Cincinnati Museum Center over the years and made use of the Cincinnati History Library and Archives will know her better as Mickey.
The Library, formerly known as The Cincinnati Historical Society, has been collecting and preserving materials relating to the Greater Cincinnati area since 1831. http://library.cincymuseum.org/
Mickey, along with several other librarians, helped me a great deal while I was in the research phase for Lost Tea Rooms of Downtown Cincinnati. I was gathering photographs & other images, letters, menus, invoices, and newspaper articles – really anything related to Cincinnati’s department stores and tearooms!
Mickey wrote to tell me that while looking for something completely different, she came across a little gem from their ephemera collection. Well, that made me get out the dictionary! For those of you, like me, who aren’t familiar with the word ephemera, Merriam Webster describes it as “paper items (such as posters, broadsides, and tickets) that were originally meant to be discarded after use but have since become collectibles.”
The Order List from The Terrace Tea Room on Race Street in 1933 – my surprise gift – was certainly not expected to have long-term usefulness or popularity, but it is so much fun to look at old items like this one! (Click the link below to see it.) I find it interesting that a 24-hour advance order was needed. With that requirement and the food items being sold by the quart, this certainly wasn’t a regular menu. It appears to be an early version of take-out service, allowing someone who was hosting a meal to be able to pick up the foods to be served without having to cook. Just imagine being able to serve eight people a complete meal, starting with hors d’oeuvres, followed by a main dish, cold slaw & a fruit salad, along with the choice of two desserts for under $10!
P.S.
For those of you waiting to make use of The Cincinnati History Library & Archives once again, it is scheduled to reopen in February 2019.