The Kitchen

This single-volume explores the historical development of the kitchen, a space dedicated to food preparation, preservation, and household maintenance in North America.

What might a history of a single domestic space tell us about American society and culture? The Kitchen explores the historic transformation of this space of production and sociability by considering technology and design, kitchen wares and appliances, traditional foodways and modern cookery, and the human choices and practices that shaped the modern kitchen.



The introduction and main chapters take the reader from the modest kitchen spaces of pre-colonial America to the high-end, contemporary kitchens so coveted in today's society. With chapters focusing on topics such as energy use, water and waste, food storage, and efficiency, the text takes an in-depth look at how each facet of the modern kitchen evolved from its early beginnings in colonial America. Emphasizing the kitchen's centrality in the lives of Americans and in American life, this illustrated work reveals how this space shaped, and was shaped by, American thought and culture.


* Includes an in-depth look at material culture and how the kitchen shaped and was shaped by the people cooking within that space

* Offers a timeline detailing major developments in kitchen technology and materials throughout history

* Provides 20 images meant to visually support the material culture of the American kitchen

* Features an introduction that describes pre-colonial kitchens throughout the world