The Culinary Institute of America Library Opens Archives to Public Tours
Hyde Park, NY – The archives at The Conrad N. Hilton Library on the New York campus of The Culinary Institute
of America are opening to the public for tours and discussions. A new program
on the first Thursday of every month welcomes visitors to learn more about the library’s
special collections. These tours provide an insider’s glimpse at rare menus and
documents, as well as sneak peeks of newly discovered materials.
“We created First Thursdays
in the Archives to showcase the many interesting and
one-of-a-kind treasures
from our library’s special collections in an informal, hands-on
setting,” says Nicole Semenchuk, archives and digital collections
specialist
at the CIA. “By inviting visitors into our reading room and sharing
our favorite
items, we hope that the historical materials will facilitate
discussion and inspiration
within the CIA community and beyond.”
The tour on October 1 takes a look at a rare menu ledger by the
famous caterer and restaurateur Louis Sherry. The ledger recorded details about
events catered by Sherry in 1901 and 1902, including dinners for Stanford White
and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. November’s tour will delve into Craig Claiborne’s
scrapbooks of clippings dating from 1949 to 1988. Future topics include the history of the CIA property, the former St. Andrew-on-Hudson
Jesuit novitiate; patent medicine pamphlets from the late 1800s; rare historical
cookbooks; railroad menus from World War II; and wartime letters from wine importer
Julius Wile as he toured European vineyards.
First Thursdays in the
Archives tours are free and are held from noon to 2 p.m.
The Archives and Special Collections room at the CIA’s Hilton
Library houses materials from the college’s history, a collection of more than 30,000
menus from 80-plus countries dating back to 1855, and a rare books collection. Learn more online at our website.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Photo 1 (top photo): The 1901–02 menu ledger of
famous caterer and
restaurateur Louis Sherry. The ledger recorded the menu, along with
the host's
name, location of the dinner, number of guests, date and time of
event, and
Sherry's notes about service and wine. The Vanderbilts were among
the famous clients listed in this ledger, part of The Culinary
Institute of America's rare book and menu collection. (Photo credit: Courtesy CIA)
View hi-res image >
Photo 2: A 1916
menu for Restaurant Maxim in New York City. The collection at The Culinary
Institute of America contains more than 30,000 menus and is regularly used by
students and faculty in research projects, classroom activities and exhibitions. (Photo credit: Courtesy CIA)
View hi-res image >
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary
college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the foodservice and hospitality
industry, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate degrees in culinary
arts and baking and pastry arts; bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary
science, and applied food studies; and executive education through its Food Business
School. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank
of the food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world
cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The college
also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts.
Its worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every area of foodservice
and hospitality. The CIA has campuses in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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