To Live And Dine In L.A.

June 3, 2015 7:31 AM

To Live and Dine in L.A. is a multi-platform project of The Library Foundation of Los Angeles based on the extraordinary menu collection of The Los Angeles Public Library.

The entire project, which includes a book, an exhibition, and a variety of city-wide public programs and media events, is dedicated to curating and mobilizing the Library’s collection of historic L.A. menus in order to explore both the food history of the city and the city’s contemporary struggles with food insecurity, food deserts, and youth hunger.

(You can also navigate the collection via the Archive page.)
posted by Room 641-A (4 comments total)

Menu history previously (one of the comments linked to LAPL menus, but the links are dead now).
posted by languagehat at 8:06 AM on June 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Two sets of my great grandparents (maternal mother's and maternal father's parents) came to Los Angeles in the early 1920's ('23 and '24 respectively). My mother's father's family was orthodox Jewish and fairly low income, so we don't have a lot of photos from their family. My mother's mother's father owned a general store in Boyle Heights until the 1950's and they did enjoy a night out. I am lucky enough to have quite a collection of old photos from some dinners out in the 30's and 40's. Probably some menus as well, I have to go dig through the box again. I should donate some of these to the collection.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:39 AM on June 3, 2015 [3 favorites]

I preordered the book after seeing a talk at the LA Times Festival of Books with the author, Josh Kun, and Roy Choi, chef extraordinaire. Reading it now, and it's a blast. Definitely recommended.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:55 AM on June 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

Live link to New York Public Library's "What's on the Menu?" project here http://menus.nypl.org/
posted by waninggibbon at 2:03 PM on June 3, 2015