California Chinese restaurant menu collection, circa 1924- 2010

Summary

Abstract:

Collection of menus from California restaurants and nightclubs serving Chinese food.

Extent:

1 Linear Feet (1 flat box)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], California Chinese restaurant menu collection (M2776). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, California.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection of approximately 60 menus from California restaurants and nightclubs serving Chinese food, dating from about the 1930s to the 2000s. Also includes some matchbooks and a nightclub program. Many restaurants specialized in Chinese and American dishes, and one even Chinese, American and Spanish cuisine, however about half also contain menu items in Chinese. Some are annotated either by the restaurant or by patrons. Most menus are from San Francisco and Los Angeles Chinatowns.

Acquisition information:

Purchase; 2019. Accession 2019-433; 2021. Accession 2022-049. Majority of menus acquired as groups from dealers, and some were donated or transferred from other collections; many came as part of the Philip Choy papers (M2521: https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13311530)

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

See also the following:

M2543 Bay Area Asian restaurant menus (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13491214)

M2125 California menu collection, 1866-1980s (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/11408128)

MISC 2723 Carleton Watkins - Smoking Divan Chinese Restaurant : Boudoir Card B3760 (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13840823)

MISC 2737 I.W. Taber - Chinese Grand Restaurant, S.F. California : photograph (https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13869993)

Restrictions:

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], California Chinese restaurant menu collection (M2776). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, California.

Location of this collection:

Stanford University, Manuscripts Division

Department of Special Collections, Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US

Contact:

(650) 725-1022

specialcollections@stanford.edu

Website