Dr. Paul Meyer Menu Collection
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Abstract
This collection includes over two hundred restaurant menus collected by Dr. Paul Meyer, an orthodondist from Queens, New York. The menus were collected from the New York City and greater tri-state area, between the late 1930s through the 1960s. The menus included cover a wide range of ethnic cuisines, types of dining establishments, and geographical locations within the greater New York City area. This collection offers perspective on the history of food service, commercial design, and American cuisine in the New York Century area in the mid twentieth century.
Biographical Note
Dr. Paul Meyer (1904-1970) was an orthodontist from Queens, New York. He authored and self-published the book Headgear Orthodontics, was a mentor of African American dentists during the mid-20th century, and established one of the first integrated dental practices in New York City. He pursued many hobbies outside of his career, including photography, art, and music. Additionally, Meyer collected menus from the various eating establishments he explored and frequented throughout the greater New York City area, which are compiled in this collection.
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of restaurant menus from New York City and the Tri-State area from the 1930s through the 1960s, collected by Dr. Paul Meyer, an orthodontist who lived and worked in Queens, New York. The menus cover a wide range of cuisines and types of eating establishments, including Kosher, Chinese, Italian, French, Polynesian, and Eastern European restaurants, steak houses, bars, lounges, delicatessens, and dining halls. The menus span a diverse range of New York City geography, covering large portions of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Additionally, Dr. Meyer's collection covers roadside destinations around the Tri-State area in Long Island, Jersey, and upstate New York. This collection offers perspective on commerce, cuisine, and graphic design in the New York City area during the mid-twentieth century.
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Genres
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
Identification of item, date; Dr Paul Meyer Menu Collection; MSS 562; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Melissa Meyer and John Meyer in August 2018. The accession number associated with this gift is 2018.127.
Other Finding Aids
A list of individual items in this collection is available upon request, but does not contain information on which item is in which box.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning, materials were rehoused in appropriately sized acid-free folders and boxes.
