Historical recipes on display at Delaware Public Archives

Delaware State News
Posted 12/9/22

DOVER — Just in time for the holidays, Delaware Public Archives information resources manager Edward McWilliams has cooked up the idea, and prepared the ingredients, literally, for an …

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Historical recipes on display at Delaware Public Archives

Posted

DOVER — Just in time for the holidays, Delaware Public Archives information resources manager Edward McWilliams has cooked up the idea, and prepared the ingredients, literally, for an informative historical display that visitors can devour this December.

Currently on display in the Archives’ lobby are vintage dessert recipes written by Delawareans in the 19th and early 20th centuries along with examples of antique kitchenware that would have been used to prepare them. Also on display is a selection of staff-selected cookbooks from the Archives for the public to review for reference on other recipes.

“The recipes on display help us reflect on the personal lives of the individuals who wrote and recorded them many years ago,” said Delaware Public Archives Director and State Archivist Stephen Marz. “These recipes are a small sample of what is archived in the collections here at the Archives and are a perfect example of how historical documents can still have meaning for us, especially now during the holiday season.”

The recipes on display all come with interesting back stories. One is Mary Stewart’s apple pie recipe that was entered into an apple pie baking contest organized by the Delaware Apple Commission in 1951 which promoted the use and sale of Delaware grown apples.

On July 10, 1951, a plane flew over Wilmington and dropped free bags of apples and entry forms attached to parachutes. Baked pies were later brought to the WDEL AM-FM radio station and after judging, the top three winners received trophies and the top winner appeared on the WDEL-TV “The Esther Alderman Show” on July 17. Mrs. Stewart’s exceptional recipe was the winning entry.

“After enjoying our display, I hope visitors think about the recipes that they are using this holiday season, look in their hand-written family recipe books, and remember those individuals who wrote them down,” said Mr. McWilliams.

“The learning of those traditional family recipes is important for future generations, so they are passed down and remembered.”

The Delaware Public Archives is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Dover.

The display is free and open until mid-January.

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