The actual cover of the $2 Goodwill book that caught my eye.
From time to time I am asked how I come up with topics to write about. After over almost 300 articles for creativepro.com alone, it is not an easy task. In fact, I often think I will run out of ideas – but one always miraculously pops up!
This particular article was not planned ahead, but originated from my local Goodwill adventures – one of my favorite pastimes. I came upon an intriguing book sitting on top of the book section: The Fireside Cook Book, by culinary icon James Beard, and its delightful, colorful images totally blew me away! The full title on the title page is A Complete Guide to Fine Cooking for Beginner and Expert, and is jam-packed with 1217 recipes and over 400 color pictures. This 3rd printing of the first edition by Simon & Schuster, 1949, with its beautifully sewn binding, is highly illustrated from front to back cover, and everything in-between – many incorporating type and hand lettering, all fun, whimsical, and relevant to the theme and mood of the book.
The front (and back) endpaper is an exciting preview of the subject and style of the interior artwork to come.
The image, which faces the Title page, suggests a Greek or Roman goddess preparing a feast. The Title page is typeset in Bodoni and Bauer’s Bernhard Cursive.
A wealth of hand-written lettering coupled with image.
Here, the type is totally separate from the illustration, and is typeset in Bodoni.
Alice and Martin Provensen at work in their studio.
Turns out these enchanting drawings are by renowned children’s book illustrators Alice and Martin Provensen, whose creative partnership of almost 40 years was widely known and respected in the world of children’s books. They worked side by side for forty-three years, when together they illustrated dozens of books for young readers. Their collaborative work revolutionized the world of picture books, creating memorable, award-winning books that entertained generations of children and influenced many of today’s best-known illustrators.
The Provensen’s first picture book was The Fireside Book of Folk Songs, published by Simon & Schuster in 1947. After that, they illustrated several beloved Little Golden Books, the popular series of children’s books, including The Color Kittens and The Fuzzy Duckling. They also wrote their own texts to go long with their artwork, including The Year at Maple Hill Farm and The Animals at Maple Hill Farm (both Simon & Schuster), which captured life on their farm in Dutchess County.
Together, they wrote and/or illustrated more than fifty books. Their work was on The New York Times’ annual list of “Ten Best Illustrated Books” nine times, they were honored with the Art Books for Children citation of the Brooklyn Museum, were awarded the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children, as well as a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators. Since Martin’s death in 1987, Alice has written and illustrated her own work, including My Fellow Americans: A Family Album (Harcourt) and The Buck Stops Here: The Presidents of the United States, which Viking re-released in updated form.
Their work for The Fireside Cook Book is slightly different from that they created for children’s books, and is a bit reminiscent of the muted yet rich color palette and whimsical style of Cipe Pineles, as well as some of the more angular, linear, and very flat movie sequences of Saul Bass. In her own words, Alice explained their process: “We work(ed) together on all our illustrations, much as the medieval scribes and scriveners did, passing the drawings back and forth between us, adding this or taking out that, until each is satisfied. We discard sketch after sketch until finally we obtain the effect we feel will most delight the young eye.”
The hand-lettered type matches the style of the illustrations perfectly.
This image incorporates collage elements i.e. the newspaper, and includes a charming hand-drawn script.
These two illustrations of tables once again contain collage-like newspaper textures.
A busy but well-balanced composition.
The Fireside Cookbook has been reprinted many times since 1949, and the latest version is available here with a forward by The New York Times food journalist Mark Bittman. Thankfully, all 400 illustrations are still included!
The warm yellow color draws the eye in amidst the cooler pink and blue.
This map combines several image and lettering techniques.
This wonderful illustration creates the illusion of the pie maker walking thru a 3-D door near the fold to the left page.
Another two-page spread, but this one surrounds the colorful central image with a game board-like clockwise listing of salad greens.
This circular arrangement of Paris-inspired images contains a related recipe.
Words and image are blended for a directory of seasonings.
Chapter headings combine black line art with solid brush strokes of color.
No type or lettering, just a quartet of cooking methods.
These Topping Tips are organized within an illustrated platter, each tip with its own spot drawing.
I just love this charming ‘vegieman’!
From gaining to loosing weight, just follow the curved path.
To top it off, choosing the right wine.
This article was last modified on June 29, 2021
This article was first published on September 23, 2019
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I came across your article by accident but what a treat to see all the illustrations! As a commercial artist in the middle 1950’s I collected the Provensens’ children’s books. You have brought back memories. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing these charming illustrations! I’m going to look for a copy of this cookbook for my own collection!
I’m confused by the title of this article, however, which says illustrations are by Alice & James Provensen, whereas the cookbook’s title page and article copy say Alice & Martin Provensen. A possible mix-up with the content author, James Beard?
So glad you enjoyed this article, Lynne, and thanks for the heads up re: the error in the title, which has now been fixed. Ilene
What a beautiful article, prose and pictures! Thank you, thank you!
I absolutely LOVE this. A ‘feast’ for the eyes! Thank you so much for sharing.