We read them, save them, or toss them—but how do kitchen appliance manuals reflect cooking trends, language, typography, visuals, and changing times? Find out when historian and bookseller Liz Pollock presents an illustrated lecture on appliance instruction manuals that came with the many different types of Gas and Electric kitchen appliances—from Air Conditioners to Yoghurt Makers. 

Pollock’s Power Point presentation examines the historic role of these appliances in the American home. The directions are essentially early examples of technical writing; the product’s designers and experts explained in a sequence of steps how to accomplish the desired result. 

This will be an opportunity for today’s bibliophiles and graphic designers to study the typography, designs and color combinations used in past advertising campaigns. Highlights include when directions in Spanish first appeared in the mid-1970s.

A detailed listing of Gas and Electric Appliances, including manufacturers and dates, arranged in chronological order, will be handed out at the talk.

Liz Pollock has owned and operated The Cook's Bookcase, Santa Cruz, Calif., since 2007, specializing in unique books and ephemera on cookery and wine. cooksbookcase.com