A 1948 article in the journal “Economic Botany” referred to the coconut palm as “Mankind’s Greatest Provider in the Tropics.” The article discussed the uses not only of coconut flesh but of the oil and fiber and sap. “The palm provides almost every want except clothing,” concluded author Oscar K Moore. This was far from…
Halfway through February of 1958, the daily temperature had rarely been above freezing. The 11th started the morning at 5 degrees. Icebreaking boats made their way through the harbor, smashing paths to free ice-locked boats. When the possibility of snow was reported on Valentine’s Day, “the Weather Bureau said it could give no estimated snow…
A few weeks later I found myself in her house, flipping through a recipe scrapbook that had belonged to her mother-in-law.
The papers of caterer William Johnson, in the collections at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, offer a rare look at the finer details of the business of catering in the early 1900s. The documents aren’t extensive, but they include the purchase price of supplies like dishes and bottled water, the cost per person…