Elizabeth David (1913-1992), the influential English food writer whose recipes inspired a generation of cooks, amassed a superb collection of historical cookery texts during her lifetime.
The pages of these practical and well-thumbed guides offer grease-spattered testimonies to their regular use, both by David herself and by previous owners. David generously bequeathed her collection of historical texts to the Warburg Institute after her death. The rest of her book collection(Opens in new window) may be found in London’s Guildhall Library(Opens in new window).
Most of the 200+ historical cookbooks and texts are shelved under Banqueting (DCH 250-DCH 540) in our Festivals section on the fourth floor. Each book bears Elizabeth David's personal book plate.
The Elizabeth David collection is currently being digitised on the Warburg Digital Library: link.