Viewed today, these vintage menus are about more than just food — they offer us insight on the times in which they existed.
S.S. Pennland, 1931.New York Public Library
Cavanagh's, New York City, 1959.New York Public Library
Cafe Zanzibar, New York City, 1943.New York Public Library
R.M.S Queen Elizabeth, 1957.New York Public Library
Tortola, San Francisco, 1937.New York Public Library
Waldorf Astoria, New York City, 1933.New York Public Library
S.S. President Johnson, 1932.New York Public Library
Horn-Hardart cafeterias, New York, 1958.New York Public Library
Hotel San Jose, Mexico, 1958.New York Public Library
Hotel Astor, New York City, 1930.New York Public Library
Green Mountain Pine Room, Arlington, VT, 1959.New York Public Library
Latin Quarter, New York City, 1958.New York Public Library
Frisco Lines, St. Louis/San Francisco, 1943.New York Public Library
Ferris Restaurant, South Carolina, 1948.New York Public Library
The Cotton Club, New York City, 1938.New York Public Library
Von's, Seattle, 1957.New York Public Library
DiMaggio's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, San Fransisco, 1956.New York Public Library
The Regent Cafe, Jackson, Michigan, 1956.New York Public Library
Billy the Oyster Man, New York City, 1941.New York Public Library
Fred Harvey, Cleveland, 1945.New York Public Library
Lakos, Muskegon, Michigan, 1957.New York Public Library
Mike Lyman's Grill, Hollywood, 1946.New York Public Library
The Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1956.New York Public Library
LaGuardia Airport coffee shop, New York City, 1961.New York Public Library
The Hotel Commodore Coffee Shop, New York City, 1955.New York Public Library
Arthur Wilde's Restaurant, Miami, 1954.New York Public Library
Gazing at a restaurant menu may seem like a rather humdrum affair, but it's one of the first -- and most immediate -- ways to understand an eatery's overall aesthetic and values.
Of course, aesthetics and values change over time and across place. This means that when we look at old menus, we're not just looking at descriptions of food, but taking a peek at how different places, different socioeconomic groups, and so on approached the meal.
The vintage menus above (appear in chronological order from 1931-1961) reveal just that.
After seeing these vintage menus, check out these bizarre (and sexist) vintage ads.
