Excellent essay—I especially like the phrase “culinary propaganda!” But I’ve a quibble: Godey’s Lady’s Book (published under several titles since its introduction in 1830) continued publication after Godey’s death in 1878 and Hale’s death in 1879.

Thanks so much for bringing these fascinating artworks to light. I am especially intrigued by Kapralik’s views about caricature. Some of these seem to be of a kind with the era’s Warner Bros. Looney Tunes caricatures of Hollywood stars (Lorre, Bogart, Sinatra, for example). Interesting to think about the larger visual…