Cooking Up Change: Women’s Agency and Community Building Through Cookbooks

About this event

Drawn from the Schlesinger Library’s collection of more than 4,300 community cookbooks, ‘Cooking Up Change: Women’s Agency and Community Building Through Cookbooks’ explores the cultural and historical significance of community cookbooks from the nineteenth century to today. These volumes document how women’s groups across religious, educational, and civic organizations raised funds while preserving the social histories and culinary traditions of their communities.

Featuring cookbooks from diverse geographic regions and racial and ethnic communities, the exhibition highlights the intersection of foodways and community advocacy. Archival materials from local organizations reveal how these cookbooks were produced and marketed, while handmade and artistically embellished volumes underscore the creative labor involved. Annotated, food-stained pages attest to their everyday use and lasting presence in homes. Through recipes and reflections, ‘Cooking Up Change’ celebrates shared cooking traditions and the enduring power of women-led community building through the kitchen.