The pleasures of dining out are perfectly captured in this menu cover by the esteemed English artist Edward Ardizzone. He was commissioned by Overton's restaurant, located in the St James district of London, to illustrate London high society at play. Portly men brandish glasses of claret or chomp cigars alongside their pretty wives and we love the solemn waiters in formal dress, especially the one bearing a steaming hot casserole to the table. The late 1950s a la carte menu featured English favorites like calves liver and bacon and hot buttered shrimps on toast. Ardizzone was an admired writer and illustrator of children's stories and other books. By all accounts a charming gentleman, he enjoyed the convivial aspects of dining in a restaurant and this illustration perfectly captures an era that is now long gone.
Courtesy Private Collection.
Each print is accompanied by a copy of the interior menu where available.
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