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1944 antique PARKER HOUSE boston ma DINNER MENU WWII Central China art ROLLS
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AI-assisted research note: This description was prepared with the help of AI tools using visible details from the item. While care has been taken, AI-generated research may contain errors. Please review the images and description carefully and rely on your own expertise when evaluating the item.
Offered here is an original World War II–era dinner menu from the famous Parker House hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, dated Sunday, January 16, 1944, during the height of the war.
The menu measures approximately 9 × 12 inches when folded, opening to a large multi-panel format listing the evening’s dinner offerings.
The illustrated cover panel features a dramatic wartime painting titled “Central China.” The scene depicts Chinese troops riding in a jeep through a battle-damaged city while engaging enemy aircraft overhead. The artwork was painted by James Sessions for Willys-Overland Motors, builder of the famed military jeep used throughout WWII. The accompanying text references the Chinese war effort against Japan and the mobilization of forces under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, reflecting wartime Allied propaganda and morale messaging common in the period.
Inside, the Parker House menu presents a full dinner selection typical of an upscale wartime hotel restaurant, including:
oysters, clams, and seafood
soups and Parker House specialties
roast chicken, lamb, and salmon steak
salads, sandwiches, and desserts
Parker House ice cream and beverages
Prices reflect the wartime economy and include notes referencing O.P.A. ceiling price regulations, a detail that further anchors the menu to the WWII home-front period.
The Parker House (opened 1855) is one of Boston’s most historic hotels and the birthplace of the famous Parker House rolls and Boston cream pie, making menus from the establishment collectible both for culinary history and Boston ephemera.
This piece also includes a small handwritten notation dated January 15th, 1948 on the interior panel, likely added by a later owner.
Authentic period piece related to family, historyor local heritage - well-suited for historical collections, genealogical /genealogy research, or museum acquisition.Vintage or Antique.
CONDITION: See listing description and photos.
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LOC:
LOC2: PAPERBOXTALL14-TMKTK-F260308BDS175G
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