Antiquariat Daniela Kromp
RARISSIMA – BRAILLE – GASTROSOPHY – PRINTING FOR THE BLIND. 
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M. Roth (ed.): Das Kochbuch der Blinden – aus Kochbuch-Beilagen der "Frauenwelt" zusammengestellt u[nd] neu durchgesehen [The cookbook of the blind, gathered from cookbook inserts of the "Woman’s World" and reviewed]. Herausgegeben vom Verein blinder Frauen Deutschlands E. V. [Issued by the association of blind women in Germany]. Kassel, Punktdruckverlag Karl Menk, 1925. 1 unn. leaf, 98 numbered leaves, 1 unn. leaf (all in Braille); with one additional leaf in Braille in a different format loosely inserted (taken from another publication). Publisher’s half cloth with printed title label to front cover. 27 x 23,5 cm (oblong).
Unrecorded and of utmost rarity: OCLC / KVK show no entries in libraries worldwide. Furthermore, no other publications by this publisher could be traced in OCLC / KVK. – I wasn’t able to find any evidence for earlier cookbooks printed in Braille in the German-, French- or English-speaking area: The only earlier publication of a cookbook for the blind "Recipes arranged for the cooking class of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind" (Staunton, 1900), held by the University of Virginia, wasn’t printed in Braille according to their catalogue entry. Another related publication, printed in Toronto by the Macoomb Press in the same year like ours (1925) and issued by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, entitled simply "Cook book" neither was printed in Braille (it is held by three Canadian libraries). The book "Recettes: méthodes pratiques et faciles de varier vos menus" (only copy held by the BAn Québec), issued by the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille in Longueuil is printed in Braille, however undated and appears to be much later than 1925, as the merger of the Asile Nazareth and the Institut Louis-Braille took place as late as in 1975 (cf. Wikipedia). Therefore, the 1941 publication entitled "Everyday recipes" by Elizabeth C. Oliver, in its subtitle claiming to be the "first braille cookbook", in fact isn’t the first Braille cookbook ever, but only the first in English (it was issued in Watertown by Perkins School for the Blind, with the only known copy today held by Harvard University). Curiously enough, the second cookbook ever printed in Braille apparently is a Japanese one, teaching Western kitchen: "Katei Seiyō ryōri zenshū" [All about Western Cooking at Home]. It was printed in 1933 by Dainihon Yūbenkai Kōdansha in Tokyo, with the only known copy held by Monash University Library (Australia), however, although their entry clearly states it was printed in Braille, I would doubt this and rather assume this to be a cataloguing mistake. (Note: I didn’t do research in OCLC / KVK on any Braille cookbooks in languages other than German, English and French). – The first and the last page are decorated with Braille ornaments (apparently without any text information). – Spine damaged and becoming loose. Interior front hinge fixed with adhesive tape. 5 leaves show a small brown stain (apparently from some sauce or batter). Else fine. – Cf. E. Güterbock, Die Blindenzeitschriften des Deutschen Reiches, in: Carl Strehl, Handbuch der Blindenwohlfahrtspflege, p. 276, no. 28. Cf. Wikipedia, article "Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille".
1600,- EUR Sachgebiete: Buchwesen, Kochbücher Kontakt zum
inkl. 7% USt./incl. 7% VAT
