Have you ever wondered what a simple cookbooklet could tell you about history? If so, this exhibit is for you! This piece of culinary ephemera, “Minute Meals with Swift’s Premium Canned Meats”, was produced by the Swift Canadian Corporation, Limited in Winnipeg, Manitoba. By comparing the model of Martha Logan to the different versions of her character throughout the 20^thcentury, it is estimated that this cookbooklet was created and distributed during the 1970’s. At twelve pages in length, this cookbooklet features twenty-four different recipes, all incorporating, and, in turn, advertising Swift’s Premium Canned Meats. As stated on the inside cover, these canned meats are perfect for “cross-country trips, fishing and hunting trips, boating trips, or for hiking trips.”

Through research and analysis of this cookbooklet, it is clear that culinary ephemera can provide a viewer with information on the economic and gender history. It can also inform the viewer of the values and norms of society during the cookbooklet’s time period.