“One of my favorite components of the archive is the collection of old menus and drinks lists. Impeccably illustrated in the Art Deco style, they give a flavor of what the well-heeled patrons of the Jazz Age were enjoying in between dancing at the Empire Room and Starlight Roof.” —Luke Spencer, “The Long Lost Archives of New York’s Most Glamorous Hotel”

I sometimes run into archived menus in the course of my work, and Luke Spencer’s fascination is one I share. There’s something intimate about knowing what people were eating at a given time. Menus are a direct look at fashions, priorities, typography, and economics. Should they happen to be beautifully designed, all the better.

Spencer’s article is an exploration of the archives of the Waldorf-Astoria, which were apparently hidden in a walled-off secret chamber for years. Well worth a read for the glimpse into the lives of the movers and shakers who frequented the hotel in its first years.

From the archives of the Waldorf-Astoria. Photo by Luke Spencer (not originally, of course, but in this reproduction).