Café Nicholson Archive
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Café Nicholson was opened in 1949 by Johnny Nicholson and closed over 50 years later in 2000. The restaurant was famous for its exploration of food innovation prior to this trend becoming popular. The luxurious interior decor of the restaurant in combination with its unique menu made Café Nicholson a hotspot for celebrities and other individuals in the upper echechelons of New York City society. This collection of photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, publications, and Café Nicholson memorabilia all give a distinct sense of the character and culture of the restaurant and its significance to New York City social, cultural and culinary history. Materials in this collection date from 1948 to 2005.
Historical Note
Café Nicholson was opened in 1949 by Johnny Nicholson. Born to Albanian immigrants, Nicholson moved from St Louis to New York after he was declared exempt from military service. Nicholson originally had dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but after an unsuccessful stint in the design industry, Nicholson opened a modest cafe on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Nicholson's good friend and extraordinary southern cook, Edna Lewis co-owned the restaurant until the mid 1970s and made Café Nicholson famous for its fabulous cuisine--especially its chocolate souffle. Café Nicholson was a pioneering establishment in the restaurant industry because it was invested in food innovation long before food innovation was popular. Over the years Café Nicholson moved around to several addresses on Manhattan's Upper East Side, although it is most remembered for its location near the Queensborough Bridge. After nearly fifty successful and memorable years, Café Nicholson closed its doors in 2000.
Known for its lavish greco-roman interior, inspired by Café Greco in Rome, Café Nicholson made the ideal background for fashion magazine photo shoots, and various advertisements. Filmmaker Woody Allen used the restaurant for a scene in his 1994 movie, Bullets Over Broadway. Soon after its opening in 1949, the combination of its decor, consistently good food, and lively personal staff, established Café Nicholson as one of New York's fashionable hotspots. In addition to members of high society, Café Nicholson attracted artistic and literary figures such as Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Jean Renoir and many more. Photographer Karl Bissinger documented this scene and many of his original photographs are included in the collection. Café Nicholson's client list included a range of celebrities, movie stars, politicians, old New York aristocrats and young "up and comings". In the center of this glamorous, theater-like setting was Johnny Nicholson energically running the show with his parrot Lolita perched on his shoulder. Tiffany and Co.'s design director John Loring commented, "High society loves to meet high bohemia, and at Johnny's that made for a certain cafe society." Café Nicholson holds a unique place in New York City social memory.
Arrangement
The records are arranged into four series with an additional series for oversize materials listed at the end. Series I contains five subseries which are arranged chronologically. Series II, III, and IV are arranged alphabetically. The series and subseries arrangement of the records is as follows:
Series I: Scrapbooks
Subseries A: Scrapbook I
Subseries B: Scrapbook II
Subseries C: Scrapbook III
Subseries D: Scrapbook IV
Subseries E: Scrapbook V
Series II: Correspondence
Series III: Printed Materials
Subseries A: Articles, Reviews, Mentions
Subseries B: Books
Series IV: Objects and Memorabilia
Oversize Series I: Scrapbooks
Scope and Contents
The collection, consisting of photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, publications, and Café Nicholson memorabilia, gives a distinct sense of the character and culture of the restaurant and its significance to post WWII New York City social, cultural, and culinary history. Materials in this collection date from 1948 to 2005.
The collection is organized into four series with an additional series for oversize material.
Series I is composed of materials from 5 scrapbooks compiled by Johnny Nicholson. Arranged in rough chronological order, the scrapbooks document the restaurant from the early 1950s through to the restaurant closing in 2000. Series I contains clippings from newspapers and magazines as well as visual materials including small paintings and Karl Bissinger photographs of restaurant patrons including Paul Bowles, Hoagy Carmichael, Jenny Tourel, Jean Renoir and others.
Series II consists of correspondence to Johnny Nicholson from various restaurant patrons.
Series III contains printed materials and is organized into two subseries, one for articles, mentions, and reviews of the restaurant; the second for books with mentions of the restaurant.
Series IV consists of Café Nicholson objects and memorabilia.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Café Nicholson Archive; MSS 165; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by John Nicholson, 1984. The accession number associated with this gift is 2005.165
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processing decisions made prior to September 2018 have not been recorded.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I: Scrapbooks
Scope and Contents note
Series I is composed of materials from 5 scrapbooks compiled by Johnny Nicholson. Arranged in rough chronological order, the scrapbooks document the restaurant from the early 1950s through to the restaurant closing in 2000. Series I contains clippings from newspapers and magazines as well as visual materials including small paintings and Karl Bissinger photographs of restaurant patrons including Paul Bowles, Hoagy Carmichael, Jenny Tourel, Jean Renoir and others.
Subseries A: Scrapbook I
Scope and Contents note
This subseries consists of materials from Scrapbook I, dating from June 1948-July 1952 when Café Nicholson was located at 212 East 58th Street, New York, NY.
Typescript, "Mr. Nicholson's Magical, Moveable Feast." By Michael Batterbury, undated
Two photocopies of black and photographs, undated
One 8"x10" black and white photograph by Gerry Mandell, 1949
Two 8"x10" black and white photographs by Gerry Mandell, 1949
One 9"x11.5" watercolor by Richard De Menocal, undated
One 10"x7", one 8"x11" and three 4"x5" black and white photographs of Jenny Tourel by Karl Bissinger, ca. 1950
Printed materials of fashion photographs from unknown magazines, 1950
Photocopy of 8"x10" black and white photograph taken by Karl Bissenger of Tanaquil Le Clercq, Donald Windham, Buffie Johnson, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal and Edna Lewis., undated
One 8"x11" black and white photograph of Charles Russell Bennett by Karl Bissinger, undated
One 9"x 11.5" black and white photograph of Hoagy Carmichael by Karl Bissinger, ca. 1950
One 7.5"x 8.5" black and white photograph of Gower and Marge Champion by Karl Bissinger, ca. 1950
Magazine clipping of Karl Bissinger photograph of Jean Renoir, ca. 1950
Mixed media painting by Tom Prentiss, undated
NY Herald Tribune clipping, "New Discovery in Restaurants", by Clementine Paddleford, 1951
Subseries B:Scrapbook II
Scope and Contents note
This subseries consists of materials from Scrapbook II, dating from 1952-1954, when Café Nicholson was at 323 East 58th Street and Café New Johnny was at 146 East 57th Street
Clipping from Town and Country, "New Years' Newest", 1953
Clippings from unknown publications including review by Herb Caan, 1952
Clipping from unknown publication, "New Johnny's Café a Decorator's Dream," by Clementine Paddleford, 1955
Subseries C: Scrapbook III
Scope and Contents note
This subseries consists of materials from Scrapbook III, dating from 1954-1967, when Café Nicholson was at 147 East 57th Street
Cover of The Continental Magazine, 1962
Full page layout in unknown publication, undated
One 9"x11.5" black and white photograph of restaurant facade, undated
New York Times clipping, "Restaurant on Review," by Craig Claiborne, ca. 1964
Clippings from unknown publications, undated
Town and Country and DeCor Furs advertisement, 1959
Clippings from unknown publications including Saks Fifth Ave advertisement, undated
One 8"x10" black and white photograph of Paul Bowles by Karl Bissinger for Millicent Dillon's "A Little Original Sin", undated
Advertisement from unknown publication, undated
Two 8"x10" black and white photographs, photographer unknown., undated
Old Charter Bourbon advertisement, undated
Two "with compliments" cards, and one copy of photograph from unknown publication, undated
Subseries D: Scrapbook IV
Scope and Contents note
This subseries consists of materials from Scrapbook IV, dating from 1967-1999, when Café Nicholson was at 320 East 57th Street
Fourteen page feature article in Mademoiselle magazine, photographs by David McCabe, 1970
One 4"x6" color photograph, printed invitation, and 4"x6' mounted print of a pastel drawing by Jared Barn, ca. 1988
Three 4"x6" color photographs, and two 3.5"x4.5" color photographs, 1981, undated
Photocopy from New York Cookbook, by Molly O'Neil, undated
Misc. printed materials and copy of color photograph from closing night at Café Nicholson, 1967, 1995 and undated
Subseries E: Scrapbook V
Scope and Contents note
This subseries consists of materials from Scrapbook V, dating from 1967-1999, when Café Nicholson was at 323 East 58th Street
Four 8"x10" color photographs of the restaurant interior, undated
Two 8"x10" color stills taken from the Woody Allen film "Bullets Over Broadway", undated
Two 8"x10" black and white photographs of the restaurant interior, undated
Clipping from On the Town in New York City by Michael and Araine Batterberry, 1973
Misc. printed materials from Forbes Magazine, 1994
Printed materials, unknown publication, photograph of Edna Lewis, undated
Printed materials, unknown publication, Benson and Hedges 100s advertisement, undated
Seven 8"x10" black and white photographs by Bill Cummingham, 1985
Misc. enclosures and color copy of "staff" photograph, 1952-71
Misc. enclosures, Forbes correspondence, 1994, 1997
Misc. enclosures from the end of scrapbook
Series II: Correspondence
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence to Johnny Nicholson. The bulk of the materials date from the 1980s-1990s; some items are undated.
Correspondence A-D, various
Correspondence E-H, various
Correspondence I-L, various
Correspondence M-P, various
Correspondence Q-T, various
Correspondence U-Z, various
Correspondence, misc envelopes, various
Series III: Printed Materials
Scope and Contents note
Articles, reviews, mentions and books
Subseries A: Articles, Reviews, Mentions
Article from Architectural Digest, "Brendan Gill: Café Nicholson", 1992
Article from Diversion, "Café Nicholson" by Geri Trotta, 1994
Article from Esquire magazine, "A Café That's Never Open" by Suzanne O'Malley, 1978
Mention in Gourmet magazine, "Specialities de la Maison" by Donald Aspinwall Allan, 1968
Advertisement from The New Yorker, 1961
Mention from The New Yorker, "Talk of the Town", 1975
Mention from New York Magazine, "The Place to Be" by John Homans and Marc Jacobson, 2003
New Yorkskiye Sezony, 1997
Advertisement in The Playbill, 1960
Advertisement in The Playbill, 1977
Advertisement in The Playbill, 1978
Advertisement in The Playbill, 1988
Prestige Art, 1995
Mention in New York Magazine, "Blow-Out: The Decline and Fall of the Fashion Photographer" by Owen Edwards, 1973
article in Vanity Fair, "High Bohemia" by Gore Vidal, 2003
Article in Vanity Fair, "A Nightspot to Remember" by Mary Cantwell, 1999
Subseries B: Books
ABC-The Museum of Modern Art New York, by Florence Casen Mayers, 1986
The New York Times Guide to Dining Out in New York, 1972
The New York Times Guide to Dining Out in New York, by Brian Miller, 1976
The New York Times Guide to Restaurants in New York City, 1991-1992
On the Town in New York From 1776 to the Present, by Michael and Ariane Batterberry
Richtig Reisen New York, 1978
The Tiffany Gourmet Cookbook by John Loring, 1992
Zagat Survey 1999 New York City Restaurants, 1999
Series IV: Objects and Memorabilia
Scope and Contents note
Restaurant related objects and memorabilia.
Staff ledgerbook, 1962-65
Matchbooks, undated
Oversize Series I: Scrapbooks
Scope and Contents note
Oversize materials from scrapbooks in Series I.
