Book of Modern Etiquette by Elinor Ames, 1941

"The average America, always rushed, always going somewhere and doing something, labors under the impression that manners are for use toward company. So he drops them when in the bosom of his family. It isn't possible to do that with success." Pg. 3

Book of Modern Etiquette by Elinor Ames, 1941. The average American was rushed even in 1941! Imagine what the author would have to say about the current modern times. Written after the World Wars, Prohibition and the Repeal this hefty etiquette manual is delightful to peruse as a reminder of the nostalgic social customs of the 1930s and early 1940s. However, there is plenty of useful guidance to be implemented while entertaining in todays world. "If you consider that a cocktail is intended to sharpen the appetite for the meal to follow, you'll realize the importance of a properly mixed drink. Although since Repeal we have seen people blissfully ordering heavy cocktails and following them with light dinner wines, we should remember that a too-strong or too-sweet before dinner drink is apt to deaden the taste of the wines to follow. This is one reason why the English prefer sherry or vermouth as an aperitif." Chapter XXVI Cocktails and Canapes, pg. 255 The green cover has an art deco embossed pattern with black words. Spine has gold words on black stripes.

Hardcover 

Copyright:  1941

Pages:  409

Condition:  Vintage, very good color and condition on outside cover, inside of front and back covers are discolored. All pages intact.