OP: The Book of Bread

Maclaren & Sons, London, ND [1903]. Hardcover. Good Plus. Now here is something truly iconic. The Book of Bread (1902) is highly prized, not only in the food world but also among photographers and conceptual artists. It is one of the most thrilling items we’ve had in the shop. Written by Owen Simmons, co-founder of the National Bakery School in London and contributor to trade journal The British Baker, the book is an exceptional technical treatise on bread making and its science. What sets The Book of Bread apart, however, is the inclusion of 12 chromolithograph plates, 8 tipped-in black and white photographs, and 2 silver bromide prints. Simmons notes that achieving the photographic excellence he required involved extensive experimentation and cost. Representing the most cutting edge technology of the period, the photographs are printed in the loaves’ actual sizes and reproduce, to the fullest extent, the whiteness of the crumb. A high production value and unlike anything else see