The Twentieth Century Home Cook Book

Practical recipes and household wisdom from 1906 — when the icebox was high technology and dinner had nine courses.

About the Book

1906Published
Mrs. Francis CarruthersAuthor
1372Recipes

The Twentieth Century Home Cook Book appeared in Chicago in 1906, written by Mrs. Francis Carruthers, billed by her publishers Thompson & Thomas as 'the celebrated authority on the science and art of cooking.'

It is a complete manual of the Edwardian American home: bread-making, roasts, invalid cookery, preserving, the sick-room, even the parlor and library. The recipes assume a coal range, an icebox, and a household that baked every day of the week.

This site reproduces every recipe and chapter of the original, re-set for reading and searching, with the original engravings.

This site reproduces the complete text of the original 1906 edition, digitized page by page from the original printing. The book is in the public domain.

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The 20th Century Home Cook Book (1906) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.