Antique Silk Menus used by “Cafe Martin” in New York 1904/6.

One of four Menus in silk on the site that are intriguing. They were advertised for sale as Stevengraphs, and very rare. Maybe this was because the subjects are similar to Steven’s as he covered them all but the images are so different in composition. It is also interesting as Stevens was not known to have produced Menu silks. So a little research took me to similar Menus used by “Cafe Martin” in New York 1904/6. The distinctive Menu script was the prime connection where the M underlines the e and the n. There were the same Menu styles with an image to the top, the identical Menu script configuration, and fringe finish top and bottom. Importantly, the Cafe Martin detail was also on the Menu. Cafe Martin opened in 1902 in the Art Nouveau style, and interesting as the history of menus and the Cafe are, it is the origin of this silk item that caught attention. At that time it was the Cheney Brothers of Manchester, Connecticut that were producing silk locally. The history of this silk manufacturer (found here for further study) shows its increased manufacturing to match that with the growth of the Eastern Seaboard economy at the same time. The proximity of the industry to New York makes it most likely to be the source of these Menus. It is possible that the earlier silk work of Stevens and others in the UK influenced these designs. That they are not from the UK or France is also reinforced by the tighter weave pattern created by the more modern looms. This one is an unused horse race Menu in the steeplechase style. Looking at the background there is a cityscape, and it is more a North American one than European, adding further to origin. Some Menus were printed or hand written when in use. An unlikely survivor of this period, especially in the unused state.