McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Menu Collection
Collection
approximately 165 cm of textual records
Collection consists of menus acquired individually by the library. Menus date back to 1877, but most of the menus are twentieth century. The bulk of menus are from Montreal-area restaurants and hotels, representing French, Quebecois, and other styles of cuisine such as Indian. Some menus are from specific dinners given at hotels, special events, or in honour of dignitaries, such as a dinner for Edward, Prince of Wales, 1919. A subset of menus relate specifically to travel and include train dining car menus and steamship menus.
Previous to 2019, menu acquisitions by the library were catalogued individually in the McGill Library catalogue. These descriptions have been merged into the Menu Collection MSG 1269 and new menu acquisitions beginning mid-2019 are described only as part of the Menu Collection MSG 1269.
Menus acquired prior to 2019 are locatable by accession number; menus acquired beginning mid-2019 are housed in archival boxes.
Variety of menus from Montreal restaurants and collection of 5 spiral notebooks with notes on restaurant visits, created and compiled by Helene Rochester (1983). Rare Books and Special Collections, FOLIO-1086. Collection of 15 menus and 1 invitation to a restaurant opening previously owned by Montreal food writer Helen Rochester. Three menus are annotated in Rochester's hand: Untitled Thai menu; Restaurant Majestic (with inserted, folded napkin containing notes in Rochester and another's hand); Restaurant Julien. Collection also includes 5 of Rochester's personal notebooks, each with letterhead for The Gazette on the front cover, spiral binding at top, and lined pages. Entries often describe decor, history of location and/or owner(s), dishes consumed, and prices paid for order.
Regular accruals expected.