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Preserve or Perish: Food Conservation in New York State During the Great War, 1916-1919Sarah Wassberg is currently editing Preserve or Perish: Food Conservation in New York State During the Great War, 1916-1919, under contract with SUNY Press.
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Preserve or Perish Q&A
What's the book about?
Preserve or Perish is a deep dive into everything food-related on the wartime home front in New York State during the First World War. It covers everything from local canning kitchens and milk strikes to the impact of federal economic policy and market regulation (it's more fascinating than you might think). Home economists, voluntary organizations, and propagandists are among the folks playing starring roles. Plus Herbert Hoover when he was almost universally beloved (long before the Crash of 1929 ruined him).
What's with the title? Isn't it a little dramatic?
The title is a direct quote! "Preserve or Perish! Can or Collapse! Dry or Die!" were all slogans suggested by one particular group of ladies called the Orange County Food Preservation Battalion, who organized an instruction train and a canning kitchen in Orange County, NY in 1917 and 1918. They're too good not to use.
Why food in World War I?
The World War II home front is fairly well-covered in the historiography (there's always room for improvement). But the World War I home front has had very little written about it, although that is changing. Plus, the 1910s are a really fascinating time to study, especially since they have so many parallels to modern life.
But really, it's all because some archivist and museum friends tipped me off to the existence of this scrapbook put together by a woman named Gillian Webster Barr Bailey, who was the chairman of the Orange County Food Preservation Battalion. I wrote my master's thesis (all 89 pages!) on the scrapbook and I got completely hooked on the First World War.
That's a cool cover image - where is it from?
It is a beautiful propaganda poster by the artist Carter Housh (1887-1923). He did a number of posters on the same "Preserve" theme, but this is my favorite (well, really, they're ALL my favorite, but this is my most favorite). It features Columbia, the Goddess representation of the United States, holding a tray with all sort of gorgeous produce, with a big canning pot and lots of jars. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a biography of Carter Housh anywhere on the internet, not even on Wikipedia. He's a mystery.
When will the book be published?
That's the million dollar question, isn't it? Lol. It's gone through peer review once already, and I'm currently working on implementing the suggested edits including adding secondary sources, context, and writing a whole new chapter on propaganda (although it might turn out to be two new chapters! We'll see!).
As an independent scholar holding down a day job in the museum field, sometimes time gets away from me, but the book is always on my mind. I'm hoping to finalize the manuscript by the end of 2022 at the latest.
So how can I find out more before the book is done???
If you REALLY can't wait, there are a couple of ways you can access all the WWI knowledge in my brain. One is to become a member of The Food Historian. You'll get members-only access to my completed thesis, plus sample chapters from the manuscript. You can also check out my upcoming events and join us for my WWI-themed talks. Still not enough? If I get enough interest, I'm considering podcasting some of the history from the book. If that's something that interests you, let me know!
Preserve or Perish is a deep dive into everything food-related on the wartime home front in New York State during the First World War. It covers everything from local canning kitchens and milk strikes to the impact of federal economic policy and market regulation (it's more fascinating than you might think). Home economists, voluntary organizations, and propagandists are among the folks playing starring roles. Plus Herbert Hoover when he was almost universally beloved (long before the Crash of 1929 ruined him).
What's with the title? Isn't it a little dramatic?
The title is a direct quote! "Preserve or Perish! Can or Collapse! Dry or Die!" were all slogans suggested by one particular group of ladies called the Orange County Food Preservation Battalion, who organized an instruction train and a canning kitchen in Orange County, NY in 1917 and 1918. They're too good not to use.
Why food in World War I?
The World War II home front is fairly well-covered in the historiography (there's always room for improvement). But the World War I home front has had very little written about it, although that is changing. Plus, the 1910s are a really fascinating time to study, especially since they have so many parallels to modern life.
But really, it's all because some archivist and museum friends tipped me off to the existence of this scrapbook put together by a woman named Gillian Webster Barr Bailey, who was the chairman of the Orange County Food Preservation Battalion. I wrote my master's thesis (all 89 pages!) on the scrapbook and I got completely hooked on the First World War.
That's a cool cover image - where is it from?
It is a beautiful propaganda poster by the artist Carter Housh (1887-1923). He did a number of posters on the same "Preserve" theme, but this is my favorite (well, really, they're ALL my favorite, but this is my most favorite). It features Columbia, the Goddess representation of the United States, holding a tray with all sort of gorgeous produce, with a big canning pot and lots of jars. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a biography of Carter Housh anywhere on the internet, not even on Wikipedia. He's a mystery.
When will the book be published?
That's the million dollar question, isn't it? Lol. It's gone through peer review once already, and I'm currently working on implementing the suggested edits including adding secondary sources, context, and writing a whole new chapter on propaganda (although it might turn out to be two new chapters! We'll see!).
As an independent scholar holding down a day job in the museum field, sometimes time gets away from me, but the book is always on my mind. I'm hoping to finalize the manuscript by the end of 2022 at the latest.
So how can I find out more before the book is done???
If you REALLY can't wait, there are a couple of ways you can access all the WWI knowledge in my brain. One is to become a member of The Food Historian. You'll get members-only access to my completed thesis, plus sample chapters from the manuscript. You can also check out my upcoming events and join us for my WWI-themed talks. Still not enough? If I get enough interest, I'm considering podcasting some of the history from the book. If that's something that interests you, let me know!