Mrs. Gilpin's Frugalities

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883. Hardcover. Pictorial paper labels front and back with cloth spine. Good. 102 pages. 13 x 19 cm. Susan Anna Brown was inspired to write Mrs. Gilpin's Frugalities by a desire to address and remedy wastefulness in American kitchens. She drew inspiration for the book's title character, Mrs. Gilpin, from William Cowper's late 18th-century comedic ballad The Diverting History of John Gilpin - highlighting her "frugal mind". Brown's book embodies the Victoria values or morality and economy, aiming to promote resourcefulness and prudent epicureanism through practical recipes and advice for repurposing leftovers. Interior has some stains and a couple of pencil marks. Front hinge cracked but holding. Covers are heavily rubbed with some tears to the spine.