New Exhibit Highlights Community Cookbooks from the U.S. and Britain

News item published on: 2026-01-16 11:15:00

Vintage-style recipe card on a torn-edged, parchment-colored background titled “Bobotjies Curry (South African Recipe).” The text lists ingredients including a large onion, curry powder, stock, and an egg, followed by cooking instructions. Simple line illustrations of an onion and a loaf of bread appear on either side of the text. The recipe is credited at the bottom to Mrs. A. B. Colquholm. On display in McCain Library and Archives is "The Taste of Community: Community Cookbooks from the United States and Britain," a new exhibit exploring cookbooks as reflections of community, culture, and shared identity. Far more than simple recipe collections, cookbooks document traditions, local histories, and the social networks that bring people together around the table.

Drawing from Special Collections’ rich holdings, the exhibit features cookbooks from the United States and Britain created by churches, civic groups, organizations, chefs, and authors. Together, these materials highlight how food traditions connect people and reflect the communities that created them.

Co-curated by Jennifer Brannock, curator of rare books and Mississippiana in Special Collections, and Andrew P. Haley, a professor of history, the exhibit invites visitors to consider how cookbooks serve as historical records—capturing voices and histories often absent from more formal archives.

The exhibit will be available through March 27, 2026. For questions about the exhibit or cookbook collection, contact Jennifer Brannock at .