Sweet and savoury

PLAN A VISIT TO MEALS AND MENUS OF THE PAST. UNTIL 30 JUNE 2023 AT THE STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Sweet and savoury: enjoy a taste of our menu collection.

Lovely example: Commonwealth Press Union Dinner at the South Australian Hotel, 1955:

Menus are kept as part of the State Library of South Australia’s ephemera collection. Ephemera is material which is designed to be short lived – such as posters, handbills, programs, wine labels, and advertising material. In fact, such everyday ephemeral items are a record of South Australian life and social customs, arts and popular culture, and local and national issues.

From the plain to the ornate and from the simply functional to the beautiful, the State Library has many thousands of menus. This exhibition looks at menus from our oldest, a dinner at Government House in 1867, through to those recently acquired from South Australian restaurants large and small celebrating cuisines from around the world. The menu collection has many hidden stories, showing not just how our eating and drinking tastes have changed, but also the changing styles of graphic design.

Children eat too

A special collection of children’s tea sets, a Teddy Bears’ picnic and cookery books are now on display for young folks to see. Forming part of the Sweet and Savoury exhibition, be inspired by these displays and design your ultimate party menu at the family table in the Treasures Wall area.  

Would you really serve Green Eggs and Ham at a party? What about Tom Kitten baked in a Roly Poly pudding? A tea party is a wonderful way to host a party. Will your party be a Teddy Bears’ Picnic, or a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party? 

These toys and books about food could give you some ideas to help you with your party menu and think about what yummy foods you might have at your party.

The items on display are from the Children’s Literature Research Collection, a special collection of books, games, toys, and ephemera representing the reading and play interests of South Australian children from days gone by.