By using good cookbooks often and by building an interesting recipe file we can get away from the monotony of twenty-one meals a week. Amy Vanderbilt, 1952

{HISTORY}

Kitchen binders, in use since the 1930's, were a popular way for home cooks to not only organize their favorite recipes but they also served as a springboard for inspiration and a scrapbook book for memorable meals. 

In the early 1950's, Holson, a Connecticut- based retail company who made photo albums, debuted their own version of a custom recipe file binder which they called Cooking Clips. Containing 9 storage envelopes, and a handful of blank card stock paste cards it encouraged recipe collectors to be adventurous in the kitchen by trying out new recipes clipped from various publications and product marketing materials. By tossing out the recipes that were disliked and saving the ones that turned out to be delicious, home cooks quickly began to assemble a favorite book of recipes along with a more in-depth understanding of personal food preferences thanks to binders like this one. 

 Bursting with retro charm, this yellow and green edition is a hard to find first version (other later editions including a red and black version) of the Cooking Clips Recipe File. As a great example of organization and efficiency in the midcentury kitchen, it is now a wonderful piece of kitchen nostalgia. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Three ring binder

- 9 envelope pockets with tabs

- 17 blank recipe cards

- Instruction card included

- Great retro graphics

{CONDITION}

In well-loved condition, this vintage cooking binder has definitely seen some adventures in its 65+ years of life. The cover boards are fraying at the spine crease, but are still intact. There are a few stain marks on front cover. Artwork (done in pencil) by a previous admirer, a little gal named Betty, adorn three of the blank recipe card pages. These could be erased since they are done in pencil, but Betty added a little spirit to the inside with her drawings, so we recommend keeping them just as they are. Two of the envelope pockets bear a small rip. These do not affect the use of the pockets though and do not affect the integrity of the pocket. The three-ring binder works as it should - opening and closing easily. Please see photos for condition issues. 

Please note, this vintage Cooking Clips Recipe File is in somewhat delicate shape, so we'd recommend that it be handled with extra care.

{SIZE}

Measures 8" inches (width) x 9.25" inches (length) x 1.25" inches (depth)

{STYLE IDEA}

A charming piece of vintage Americana, this retro recipe file is a great candidate for photo shoots, film props and vintage kitchen displays.