Mixed Messages: Making and Shaping Culinary Culture in Canada

978-0-7727-6124-8; 78 pages, $25

This exhibition examined how the culinary culture of Toronto and surrounding areas was made and shaped by those who participated in or were excluded from the making and using of culinary materials. On display were many scarce items which are part of the Fisher collections due to the generous donations of Mary Williamson. Objects on display included a copy of the Frugal Housewife's Manual, the first cookbook written and published in Canada, posters advertising the beloved Canadian Cook Book, and an English curry bottle from the early 1900s. This exhibition was curated by Nathalie Cooke, Professor and Associate Dean (Library Rare and Special Collections), McGill University; Irina D. Mihalache, Assistant Professor, Museum Studies, Faculty of Information; and Elizabeth Ridolfo, Special Collections Projects Librarian, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.