The Godey's Lady's Book Receipts and Household Hints

The Godey’s Lady’s Book was a widely read journal that pioneered the field of women’s magazines. When first published in 1830, it included mainly images of the current fashions, but later it expanded to include fiction, essays, and recipes. In 1870, the magazine published its first cookbook, The Godey’s Lady’s Book Receipts and Household Hints. The book is a compilation of featured recipes along with a chapter of household and cooking advice. The chapter ends on a playful note with a poem —each couplet is a cooking tip or proverb. The author, Sarah Annie Frost (later Sarah Annie Frost Fields) was a contributor to the magazine for many years. Books like this are particularly useful to the staff in the Home and Community Life Division at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for researching how thoughts on household management and the roles of women have changed over the years.