The Art of Cookery. By Hannah Glasse. Pratt Edition, First Printing. J.S. Pratt. London, 1843.

First published in 1747, The Art of Cookery was a major work on cuisine from the period and one of the bestselling books for over a century. Its author, Hannah Glasse, was a working-class English subject along with her husband who served at various English estates. She was also a mother to ten children. In the 1740s, she began to work on her cookbook, gathering recipes from numerous other works and producing many of her own. The result was The Art of Cookery, a text that remains one of the most significant cookbooks in Western history. It sold widely in Europe and North America, shaping popular cuisine on both continents and making Hannah Glasse one of the most famous food writers of her time. It contains recipes for all manner of dishes–everything from ham or bacon toast to turkey with truffles to raspberry brandy. It is an essential volume for any cookbook collection. This 1843 edition emphasizes its significance. Published nearly a century after the first edition, it demonstrates how lasting Glasse’s cookbook had been in England and abroad.

This 1843 edition is in fine condition. Rebound in modern three-quarter leather over antique paste paper boards. Binding is fine. Raised bands. Gilt spine label. Text block fine. Former owner signatures to half-title page. Woodcut frontispiece present and fine.

A scarce 1843 edition of The Art of Cookery.