Abstract
The Bohn-Bettoni Menu Collection contains menus dating from 1854 to 1939 from restaurants around the world that were collected by Henry J. Bohn, including a large number of international menus gathered into a single scrapbook by Henri Bettoni, manager of the Globe Restaurant in London, England. The collection contains menus from hotel restaurants located primarily on the eastern coast of the United States, but also contains menus from Western states such as Montana, Colorado, Washington, and California. Stretching well in the first three decades of the 20th century, the menus in the Bohn-Bettoni collection showcase the evolving nature of American and European cuisine.
Finding Aid PDF
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Scope and Contents Note
The Bohn-Bettoni Menu Collection contains menus dating from 1854 to 1939 from restaurants around the world that were collected by Henry J. Bohn, including a large number of international menus gathered into a single scrapbook by Henri Bettoni, manager of the Globe Restaurant in London, England. The collection contains menus from hotel restaurants located primarily on the eastern coast of the United States, but also contains menus from Western states such as Montana, Colorado, Washington, and California. Dated holiday menus featuring Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas luncheons and dinners are some of the more unique items in the collection. Other notable items in the collection include banquet menus that celebrate the lives of prominent Americans, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as well as Civil War generals such as Ulysses S. Grant. Stretching well in the first three decades of the 20th century, the menus in the Bohn-Bettoni collection showcase the evolving nature of American and European cuisine.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into four series:
Series I. International restaurants, 1858-1920;
Series II. United States restaurants, 1854-1930;
Series III. Excursion travel, 1880-1939;
Series IV. Menus and wine lists from unidentifediable locations, 1880-1929.
Biographical / Historical Note
Born the son of German immigrants on February 7, 1855, Henry J. Bohn worked first on the family farm, then as a telegrapher and in a printing office before moving to Chicago in 1876. At age twenty-three, he became foreman in a newspaper office; this initial work in publishing led to a lifetime of work as owner and editor of
Bohn’s work for the hotel industry was not limited to his work with the magazine; he worked throughout his life worked to promote the activities of the many organizations of which he was a member or leader. In 1887, he co-founded the Hotel Men’s Mutual Benefit Association of United States and Canada with Col. F. Willis Rice, publisher of the
Source:
"Henry J. Bohn," Menus: the Art of Dining. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Digital Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. https://digital.library.unlv.edu/collections/menus/henry-j-bohn
Preferred Citation
Bohn-Bettoni Menu Collection, 1854-1939. MS-00793. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Material was purchased from Marion B. Knutson in 1970; accession number AC-80.
Processing Note
In 2019, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Sarah Jones rehoused and arranged the materials, wrote the finding aid, and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.