If a Reuben sandwich cost 35 cents in 1935, how much would that be in "today's" dollars?
You can use
- Purchasing power of the U.S. dollar...1663-2003
- Inflation Calculator, Columbia School of Journalism...1900-2002
- Inflation calculator,U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics...1913-present.
Colonial American tavern prices
Colonial American tavern (publik house, ordinary) prices were set by law. Food was generally
included with the price of room. Urban taverns offered a wider range of services, including both
public and private dining facilties. These establishments offered meals to the general public.
Menus were nonexistant; prices were fixed. About colonial
tavern foods.
Pricing notes here:
"The fare in a rural tavern...was simple, whatever the tavern keeper had on hand for his/her own
family and was willing to share...The prices charged for food (and nearly everything else) in a
licensed tavern were regulated by law. Tavern keepers were even required in some areas to
distinguish between a "good" meal and a "common" one. However, whatever the quality of the
food served, the proprietor was allowed to charge a predetermined price...On December 28,
1785, the day Thomas Allen...opened the doors to his new City Coffee House in New London,
Connecticut, Allen recorded the prices he intended to charge his customers in...his day book.
Breakfast, dinner, and supper were the same price, one shilling and six pence...At Allen, the meals
were seldom as expensive as the drink sold...Dinners in many urban taverns were, following
English custom, offered as "ordinarys"...meaning a prepared meal open to the public offered at an
established time for a set rate...Dishes, in some cases, were passed communally and not available
as individual portions...The Indian King in Philadelphia...offered "a regular ordinary every Day, of
the very best provisions and well dressed at 12d a head...'...Congressman Samuel Read wrote his
wife in 1775: We sit in Congress generally till half-past three o'clock, and once till five o'clock,
and then I dine at City Tavern, where a few of us have established a table for each day in the
week, save Saturday when there is a general dinner....A dinner is ordered for the number, eight,
and whatever is deficient of that number is to be paid for at two shillings and six pence a head,
and each that attends pays only the expense of the day."
---Early American Taverns: For the Entertainment of Friends and Strangers, Kym S. Rice
for Fraunces Tavern Museum [Regnery Gateway:Chicago] 1983 (p. 85-93)
Sample New Jersey prices:
[1784]
Burlington County NJ:
Breakfast, 1 shilling; breakfast extraordinary, 1 shilling 3 pence; Dinner, 1 shilling 3 pence; Dinner
extraordinary, 2 shillings; Supper, 1 shilling; Supper extraordinary, 2 shillings
[1806]
Salem County NJ:
Best dinner with pint of good beer or cider 37.5 cents
Best breakfast, of tea, coffee or chocolate, loaf sugar 31 cents
Ditto of cold meat with a pint of good beer or cider 25cents
SOURCE: Old Inns and Taverns in West Jersey, Camden County Historical Society,
1962)
A note about wartime food prices:
Food in wartime is often a precious commodity. Prices are determined by availability and
governmental regulation. In World War I our federal government established the U.S. Food
Administration, headed by Herbert Hoover.
During World War II the Office of Price Adminstration (1942-1945) set the prices of various consumer goods to stabilize the economy in the United States. Ration books were used to purchase many items. Most countries involved in WWII also rationed food and regulated prices. Dates, prices and food items varied according to availability. In Great Britain food rationing was the managed by the Ministry of Food. Cookbooks published during war years provide a wealth of information on prices, menus and rationing.
War ration
book, New Jersey
Price and Supply on the Home Front,
Harriet Elliott,Consumer Division, Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply,
Survey Graphic, July, 1941.
How can we find prices of popular items through the centuries to
make comparison
charts?
About food prices & weights If you want to make price comparisons in modern times you also have to pay close attention
to changes in weights and measures. Package sizes/weights of popular consumer goods (candy
bars, canned products, cereal boxes) vary greatly over the years.
Historic restaurant prices
Old menus are the best place to find historic restaurant prices. The trick is to find ones from the
type of restaurant you need (Steak house? Family-style chain? Roadside diner? Outdoor lobster
shack? Railroad dining car? World's fair?) in the place/time you are studying. This is not an easy
task. Very few old menus are uploaded to the Internet. Start here:
Local restaurant prices
Breakfast cereal: the Kellogg's Corn Flake study
About Kellogg's: In the beginning, Kellogg's patented foods were served exclusively to the residents of the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
According to the records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Kellogg brand cereals were introduced to the American
public May 1, 1907. A little taste of history. An interesting byproduct of this study was discovering the timeliness of Kellogg's advertising. In the earliest years,
Kellogg's Corn Flakes were touted for their healthful properties as aids to digestion. During the Great Depression and WWII,
Corn Flakes were promoted as meat fillers and milk extenders. In the 1950s and 1960s they were familiar, filling, and fun for afterschool and bedtime snacks. During the health-conscious
1970s these unpretentious flakes led the crusade. Ads laid low during the 1980s-1990s, when pre-sweetened cereals prolifertated. In the 2000s, as we warily watch American corn crops diverted to ethanol production,
Kellogg's prices rise again. What story will these prices tell 10 years from now?
ABOUT THESE PRICES
How much did a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes cost?
[June 29, 1907] "large size," 10 cents
Coca Cola & Pepsi prices
A note about canned soda:
"Coca-Cola had tested their product in cans as early as 1940. They tried a 16-ounce and 32-ounce
cone top can with a red, green and white logo that read "canned specially for use at home and on
outings." Coca-Cola began selling cans to overseas armed services in 1955 and, in 1959, test
marketed cans in five U.S. cities. By 1960, however, it was Royal Crown that was selling the
most canned soft drinks. Inspired by the new competition, Coca-Cola began using and promoting
cans on a large scale soon thereafter. The soft drink maker even introduced a new label design
specifically for their canned product called the "Harlequin" which featured a pattern of diamonds
and proved popular with consumers."
Survey of historic U.S. prices for Coca Cola and Pepsi
[1886]
[1887-1959] According to the book Value of a Dollar the price of Coca Cola
(by the glass or bottle) was five cents. This book extracts its information from advertisements.
[1942] Advertisement placed in the Daily Record [Morristown, NJ] newspaper,
Pepsi .05/bottle
If you need to obtain a price for a Coke or Pepsi for specific location/time your best bet is to
check old newspapers for grocery store advertisements. Your local public librarian can help you
identify/obtain old newspapers. Large national papers (New York Times) contained food
advertisements in the early years. These are searchable via databases.
If you are studying the "Cola Wars" (competition between Coca Cola and Pepsi) we recommend:
General company histories:
The "Hershey Bar Index"
The Hershey Company was kind enough to supply us with price/weight data for their
famous Hershey Bar from 1908-1986:
Year.....Size.....Retail price
1908.....9/16 oz.....2 cents
[1991] .45
Great Depression vs. WWII
"Nickel candy bars still cost a nickel. But their cost has soared since CU last tested them in 1939. That's a paradox only until you
examine the facts. The paradox vanishes with the words, "hidden price rise." Here's an example of how the hidden price rise works
for candy bars. Let's say you are in the habit of buying Mars' Forever Yours candy bars. Chances are that you haven't noticed
any appreciable difference in bars you've been buying for the past four years. But had you --like CU--saved the labels, here's what you'd
find: in 1939 your nickel bought four ounces of Forever Yours. Now the nickel bar weighs ony 2 1/4 ounces. In other words,
if you bough the candy bar by weight, they way you buy sugar, you'd be paying almost 9 cents instead of 5 cents for a four-ounce bar.
The sad truth is that price ceilings of candy, as set by the General Maximum Price Regulation last March, have not halted teh boosting
of prices. And the Office of Price Administration recently tried--and failed--to get a permanent injunction against Mars, Inc., because
the company had reduced the weight of its candy bars 11 per cent last May. The Federal Cout judge who heard the case ruled that
"slight reductions" in weight of candy bars sold in March did not constitute a violation of OPA regulations, and therefore he dismissed
OPA's application for an injunction. OPA is appealing the case; unless the decision is reversed, price control will be seriously
threatened. Reduction in Weight CU's survey of prices and weights of popular brands indicates that reductions in the weight
of candy bars have bben far from "slight." CU was able this year to buy 20 of the kinds of candy bars studied in 1939. of the whole
assortment, Tootsie Rolls were the only ones that hadn't shurnk in size. A two-ounce Tootsie Roll used to cost 5 cents; it still
does. But the other bars which were tested then and now showed a hidden price increase averaging around 23 per cent. CU's analysis
of candy bar prices revealed some other interesting facts. The least expensive of the rapidly disappearing milk chocolate bars
in the present survey--aside from the six-ounce bars priced at two for 25 cents (which CU hasn't foudn in the stores for several
months)--was Hershey's 3/4-ounce bar. These used to cost three for 5 cents; not many stores sell them for a straight 2 cents each,
and some, for 3 cents each. At 2 cents they are a good buy. Their cost per ounce is 2.7 cents, compared with 3.1 cents per ounce
for Peter's ( 1 5/8-ounce bar), the lowest priced 5 cents bar CU found, and 3.3 cents for Hershey's 5 cents (1 1/2-ounce) bar.
Puffed milk chocolate bars were found to be mroe expensive than unpufed bars of either the same or competing brands. But for utter
extravagance in candy buying CU cites the penny bar. Hershey's penny bars of milk chocolate cost from 6.3 cents to
6.7 cents an ounce. As for milk chocolate with almonds, Aero (made by Hershey) was both the best buy and the worst,
depending upon how it was bought. The 5 cent bar was comparatively cheap, costing 3.3 cents an ounce; the penny bar, on the other hand,
cost 10 cents an ounce. CU's shoppers found that there was no abundance in the stores of any kind of candy bars. The supply varied
from day to day, as evidently most retailers sold out one shipment long before the next one arrived."
McDonald's hamburger prices
If you are researching the price of McDonald's hamburgers in the United States these sample
prices will get you started:
[1955]--15 cents
[1964]--15 cents
[1972]
We find several articles about a scandal concering the McDonald's food prices and the
Federal Price Commission, no simple hamburger prices quote in tje New York Times.
Sample here: "Quarter pounder priced at 55 cents." --"McDonald's Told to Reduce Prices,"
New York Times, June 3, 1972 (p.21)
[1979]--38 cents
[1997]--55 cents
There is plenty of interesting information regarding McDonald's pricing strategies. If you
need more information ask your librarian to help you find this book: McDonald's: Behind
the Arches, John F. Love [Toronto:Bantam Books] 1986.
If you want to learn more about the global economic impact of McDonald's food prices you might
be interested in the Big Mac
Index maintained by The Economist.
Historical
photos (some showing price billboards) from McDonalds.
Local historic food prices
Please note: finding local historic food prices is a great project, as long as you can be
flexible with the food items. Why? Prices in newspaper ads reflect seasonal availability,
popular demand, company promotion, and product surplus. Some products rarely go on sale (a
bag of Hershey's Kisses), making their prices almost impossible to track. If you want to compare
food prices based on newspapers ads you will have the most success if you stick with the basics:
bread, butter, ice cream, steak, bacon, eggs, cereal, soda, canned vegetables, grape juice, oranges,
etc. Don't waste your time scanning through weeks of microfilm looking for one specific brand.
Pricing is competitive; store/generic brands are always a little cheaper than national brands. It also
makes sense to pick a week (first week in May?) to deflect the seasonal nature of food pricing.
Historic food prices for other countries
About culinary research & about copyright.
A "Food Thru the Ages " project sounds wonderful! Unfortunately, this is not a simple task.
Determining accurate historic values of consumer goods is a complicated economic process--one
which must factor in regional differences, inflation, labor costs and personal income.
To make
international comparisons one must also study the evolution of monetary systems and foreign
exchange rates. This is why (for example) it is impossible to draw a simple chart of bread prices
through the ages across all cultures. If you want to compare your local prices from one decade to
another you will need to factor in the Consumer
Price Index for your area. Numbers are supplied by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Did you know that in Great Britain that a penny-loaf was set by law? Karen Hess, culinary
historian, explained "Bread was the staff of life in Tudor and Stuart England, more so among the
poor than the rich.... Its importance was such that the Assizes of Bread, dating from
1266, took upon itself overseeing and pricing of the bakers. The price of the loaf was fixed; the
weight was permitted to fluctuate in compliance with an official table that took into account the
price of wheat and the extent of bolting. The finest regular loaf was the penny white, next the
penny wheaten...and the household penny 100% whole wheat..." (Martha
Washington's Booke of Cookery, pps 17-18). You will find a link to the Assize of
Bread and the Judgement of the Pillory (the punishment for breaking this law!) in
the Food Timeline's teacher resources
page, under the heading
"laws".
Pioneering 19th century breakfast cereal manufacturers (Kelloggs, Post, Quaker, Ralston) left an indelible mark
on American tables. In addition to filling generations of hungry bellies, breakfast cereals provide viable insight into
our nation's economic situation. How? Prices and sizes of breakfast cereal products reflect dietary recommendations, agricultural surpluses, supply shortages,
and political purpose.
We selected Kellogg's Corn Flakes for our breakfast cereal price study because it has survived a century of changing consumer tastes, two World
Wars, price fixing investigations, Stagflation and (now) Agflation. It's one of the few constants in a churning bowl of changing norms.
[1908] no size, 10 cents
[1909] no size, 10 cents
[1910] no size, 9 cents
[1911] no size, 10 cents
[1912] no size, 9 cents
[1913] no size, 10 cents
[1914] no size, 10 cents
[1915] no size, 8 cents
[1916] no size, 8 cents
[1917] no size, 8 cents
[1918] no size, 8 cents
[1919] no size, 12 cents
[1920] no size, 11 cents
[1922] "large size," 12.5 cents
[1923] no size, 9 cents
[1924] no size, 8 cents
[1925] no size, 9 cents
[1926] no size, 10 cents
[1927] no size, 10 cents
[1928] no size, 8 cents
[1929] no size, 7 cents
[1930] 7.6 oz, 7.5 cents
[1931] no size, 9 cents
[1932] 8 oz, 25 cents/four pkgs
[1933] no size, 20 cents/three pkgs
[1934] 8 oz, 8 cents
[1935] 8 oz, 8 cents
[1936] 8 oz, 20 cents/three pkgs
[1937] no size, 7 cents
[1938] 8 oz, 13 cents/two pkgs
[1939] 8 oz, 13 cents/two pkgs
[1940] 8 oz, 11 cents/two pkgs
[1941] no size, 9 cents
[1942] 11 oz, 8 cents
[1943] 11 oz, 8 cents
[1944] 6 oz, 5 cents
[1945] 11 oz, 8 cents (also: 6 oz, 5 cents & 18 oz, 12 cents)
[1946] 6 oz, 5 cents
[1947] 13 oz, 17 cents
[1948] 8 oz, 12 cents
[1949] 13 oz, 19 cents
[1950] 8 oz, 16 cents
[1951] 8 oz, 13 cents
[1952] 8 oz, 16 cents
[1953] 8 oz, 15 cents
[1954] 8 oz, 25 cents
[1955] 12 oz, 19 cents
[1956] 8 oz, 29 cents/two pkgs
[1967] 8 oz, 17 cents
[1958] 8 oz, 18 cents
[1959] 12 oz, 22 cents
[1960] 18 oz, 27 cents
[1961] 12 oz, 23 cents
[1962] 18 oz, 27 cents
[1963] 12 oz, 23 cents
[1964] 12 oz, 29 cents
[1965] 12 oz, 25 cents
[1966] 12 oz, 25 cents
[1967] 12 oz, 29 cents
[1968] 18 oz, 39 cents
[1969] 12 oz, 29 cents
[1970] 18 oz, 38 cents
[1971] 8 oz, 21 cents
[1972] 18 oz, 37 cents
[1973] 12 oz, 25 cents
[1974] 18 oz, 43 cents
[1975] 12 oz, 45 cents
[1976] 18 oz, 69 cents
[1977] 12 oz, 50 cents
[1978] 24 oz, $1.15
[1979] 12 oz, 59 cents
[1980] 19 oz, 99 cents
[1981] 18 oz, $1.12
[1982] 18 oz, $1.25
[1983] 18 oz, 99 cents
[1984] 12 oz, 89 cents
[1985] 18 oz, $1.09
[1986] 18 oz, $1.39
[1987] 24 oz, $1.99
[1988] 18 oz, $1.49
[1989] 18 oz, $1.69
[1990] 18 oz, $1.99
[1991] 18 oz, $2.19
[1992] 18 oz, $1.99
[1993] 18 oz, $1.29
[1994] 24 oz, $2.19
[1995-1996] no prices found yet
[1997] 18oz, $2.59
[1998] 18 oz, $2.29
[1999] no prices found yet
[2000] 18 oz, $2.99
[2001-2003] no prices found yet
[2004] 12 oz, $2.99
[2005-2007] no prices found yet
[May 10, 2008] 12 oz, $2.99
Tracing price histories for specific products (even ones as famous as Coca Cola and Pepsi) can be
a complicated project. Why? Point of purchase (vending machine, grocery store, restaurant, army
PX?), product size (10 ounce cans, 8 ounce glass bottles, 2 litre plastic bottles), and economic
factors (sugar availability) all play significant roles. Most products do not maintain a uniform
presence throughout the years. Unless the company itself has conducted such a study, the best
you can do is approximate. If this is the case, base your study on price per ounce rather than
container.
Coca cola began selling its products in cans in 1940, two years after the first soda in cans (Cliquot
brand ginger ale) went to market. Our research indicates these cans cost 5 cents each. About
Coca Cola in cans:
Can Central
Notes: We include unit size whenever possible; some old newspaper advertisements exclude
this piece of data. Pricing for these two products is generally competitive, meaning they are
approximately the same on average. A sale one week for Coca Cola is likely be matched the next
by Pepsi.
When Coca Cola was launched in 1886, it was offered free to customers in drug store soda
fountains. This popular period marketing strategy soon created a demand for the product. About
Coca Cola.
[1944] Daily Record, Coca Cola, .05/bottle
[1945] Daily Record, Pepsi, .23/six 12 ounce bottles
[1968] Value of a Dollar, Pepsi, .59/6pack of 10oz bottles
[1972] Daily Record, Pepsi, .69/six-pack 12 oz cans
[1974] Daily Record, Pepsi Cola, .88/6 12oz cans
[1982] Daily Record, Coke, .99/1 litre bottle
[1985] Daily Record, Pepsi, .89/2 litre bottle
[1992] Daily Record, Coke, 6.98/two 12-packs 12 oz cans
[1994] Daily Record, Coca Cola, 3.99/two "12" packs
[1995] Daily Record, Coca Cola, .59-.99/2 litre bottle
[2002] Daily Record, Coca Cola .99/2 litre bottle
[2005] Daily Record, Coca Cola, 1.09/2 litre bottle
Marketing students will find hundreds of articles on the "cola wars" in consumer/business
magazines, trade journals (Beverage Digest, for example), and newspapers. Ask your
librarian how to access these databases. Some of these should be accessible from your own
computer. All you need is a library card or student ID.
Tracking the prices of "regular" candy bars is a complicated project because over the
years the definition of regular (ie, size and weight) has also changed. Contrary to popular
opinion, the size of the average chocolate bar is not ever-shrinking. The price? Is a function of
global trade.
1918.....16/16 oz.....3 cents
1920.....9/16 oz.....3 cents
1921.....1 oz.....5 cents
1924.....1 3/8 oz.....5 cents
1930.....2 oz.....5 cents
1933.....1 7/8 oz.....5 cents
1936.....1 1/2 oz.....5 cents
1937.....1 5/8 oz.....5 cents
1938.....1 3/8 oz.....5 cents
1939.....1 5/8 oz.....5 cents
1941.....1 1/4 oz.....5 cents
1944.....1 5/8 oz.....5 cents
1946.....1 1/2 oz.....5 cents
1947.....1 oz.....5 cents
1954.....7/8 oz.....5 cents
1955.....1 oz.....5 cents
1958.....7/8 oz.....5 cents
1950.....1 oz.....5 cents
1963.....7/8 oz......5 cents
1965.....1 oz.....5 cents
1966.....7/8 oz.....5 cents
1968.....3/4 oz.....5 cents
1969.....1 1/2 oz.....10 cents
1970.....1 3/8 oz.....10 cents
1973.....1.26 oz......10 cents
1974.....1.4 oz.....15 cents
1976.....1.2 oz.....15 cents
1977.....1.2 oz......20 cents
1978.....1.2 oz.....25 cents
1980.....1.05 oz.....25 cents
1982.....1.45 oz.....30 cents
1983.....1.45 oz.....35 cents
1986.....1.45 oz.....40 cents
1986.....1.65 oz.....40 cents
"Last year, candy makers raised the price of candy bars 5 cents, to an average of 45
cents. The previous hike was in 1986."
---M&Ms Plans to Nickel and Dime the Competition, New York Newsday, April 8, 1992
(p. 41)
[NOTE: product weight not referenced in this article]
[2003]
1.55 oz Hershey Bar purchased at Quik (privately owned convenience store), Randolph NJ...80 cents
[2008]
1.55 oz Hershey Bar purchased at Super FoodTown (regional grocery chain), East Hanover NJ...59 cents
---"Candy Bars," Consumer Reports, April 1943 (p. 94-95)
[NOTE: this article offers a chart comparing the weights and costs for the following candy bars: Tootsie Rolls, Hersehy's Milk
Chocoalte, Suchard Bittra, Suchard Milka, Oh Henry, Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Butterfinger, Milky Way, Nestle's Mlk
Chocoalte, Peter's Milk Chocolate, Nestle's Puffed Milk Chocolate, Nestle's Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Baby Ruth, Love Nest, Baker's
Milk Chocolate, Mounds, Mr. Goodbar, Rockwood's Sweet Chocolate with Fruit and Nuts, and Forever Yours. Happy to fax or scan chart
if you would like to examine it for yourself.]
A comprehsive study of McDonalds hamburger prices through time is a complicated
topic. The ultimate authority is the company. Articles in newspapers, magazines, and
wire services typically report major changes, and promotions (dollar wars, reduced
price when purchased with other products).
"On that cold, cloudy first day of business 30 years ago, Mr. Kroc's No. 1 McDonald's sold
$366.12 worth of 15- cent hamburgers, 19-cent cheeseburgers, 20-cent milkshakes and 10- cent
sodas and orders of fries."
"THE MCBURGER STAND THAT STARTED IT ALL," SHIPP, E. R., New York
Times, Feb 27, 1985, pg. C.3
"1964: St. Paul's first McDonald's restaurant opens, on Fort Road. A burger costs 15
cents. "
---Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) September 29, 2002
"Plans by the McDonald's Corp. to lower its hamburger prices by a nickel drew plaudits
Monday from the president's chief inflation fighter, who said it would save the firm's
customers millions of dollars. The firm said it would do its part to fight inflation by
instituting a 10 percent cutback in prices of its regular hamburgers and
cheeseburgers at its company-owned stores. Effective Tuesday, hamburgers will drop
from 43 to 38 cents and cheeseburgers from 48 to 43 cents."
---AP Newswire, August 20, 1979
"FAST-FOOD CONNOISSEURS got a break with McDonald's announcement that it
would fight the competition by selling its famed two all-beef patties, special sauce,
lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun for 55 cents - when
purchased with a drink and fries."
---AP Newswire, March 2, 1997
Contact your public library and historical society and ask about the availability of old newspapers,
store ledgers, menus, and personal diaries. Be specific. Tell them which date(s) and place(s) you
need. Your librarian can confirm availability or direct you to the closet holding library. If you are
a teacher/scout leader assigning this project, please call ahead to alert the librarians you class is
coming. This is a great project for students who have not yet had the pleasure of looking through
old microfilm. Your librarians many also have other sources they can gather and have waiting for
your student. If your library does not have old newspapers, your librarian can help identify which papers were
published in certain towns for a specific time period. She can usually borrow the paper
(on microfilm) for you. This is especially helpful if you are compiling prices for another city, as is
often the case with birthday and anniversary presents.
[1901-2002] Tasmanian food prices
[17th century] Prices in New France
[20th century] Retail food prices have been culled by the Canadian government from the 20th century forward. They
are reported in a number of government documents. Unfortunately, most of these documents are not
uploaded full-text and free to the Internet. Summary of our findings:
[NOTE: this chart indicates data is collected from the Canada's CPI Survey. Ask your local public
librarian about access.]
[Ancient Rome] Diocletian's Edict of Maximum Prices, 310AD (p. 7)
[19th century] Potatoes, rice, peaches, chickens, sake, etc.
[Medieval period] Food & livestock
[1272-1327] Abstracts And Extracts From
Smyth's Lives of the Berkeley Family, MS.
[17th century] British
provisions prices (Southampton)
[18th century] London prices, mid-1700s
[1825] Cost of Living in Jane Austen's England (includes weekly food prices)
[1861] Book of Household Cookery, Isabella Beeton (some recipes include average cost)
[20th century] Cost of groceries (1914, 1950, 1975, 2000:
cheddar cheese, margarine, butter, eggs, tea, sugar, bread, potatoes, milk)
[1909] Mrs. Beeton's Everyday Cookery, 11th edition (p. 37-44)--prices for beef, mutton, pork, veal, lamb, poultry, game, fish,
vegetables, dairy produce, ham & bacon, fruit, grocery (nuts, candied peel, dried fruit, coffee, tea, mustard etc.), tinned provisions
(jams, fruit in tins, jellies, tinned meats, soup, milk, vegetables), sauces & pickles (ketchup, chutney, curry) & grain/prepared
foods (arrowroot, pea flour, oatmeal, rice, tapioca).
[1914-2004] Average Retail Prices/National Arcives...requires creating dataset, not
all foods reported for all years, includes alcohol. Be sure to include year and note dataset number for your selections.
About these notes: Food history can be a complicated topic. These notes are not meant
to be a
comprehensive treatment of the subject, but a summary of salient points supported with culinary
evidence. If you
need more information we suggest you start by asking your librarian to help you find the books
and articles cited in these notes. Article databases are good for locating current recipes, consumer
trends, and new products.
Have questions? Ask!
Research conducted by Lynne
Olver, editor The Food
Timeline. About this site.