Some Gorgeous, Some Offensive, All Surprising

Viewed today, these vintage menus are about more than just food — they offer us insight on the times in which they existed.

S.S. Pennland, 1931.New York Public Library Cavanagh's, New York City, 1959.New York Public Library Cafe Zanzibar, New York City, 1943.New York Public Library R.M.S Queen Elizabeth, 1957.New York Public Library Tortola, San Francisco, 1937.New York Public Library Waldorf Astoria, New York City, 1933.New York Public Library S.S. President Johnson, 1932.New York Public Library Horn-Hardart cafeterias, New York, 1958.New York Public Library Hotel San Jose, Mexico, 1958.New York Public Library Hotel Astor, New York City, 1930.New York Public Library Green Mountain Pine Room, Arlington, VT, 1959.New York Public Library Latin Quarter, New York City, 1958.New York Public Library Frisco Lines, St. Louis/San Francisco, 1943.New York Public Library Ferris Restaurant, South Carolina, 1948.New York Public Library The Cotton Club, New York City, 1938.New York Public Library Von's, Seattle, 1957.New York Public Library DiMaggio's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, San Fransisco, 1956.New York Public Library The Regent Cafe, Jackson, Michigan, 1956.New York Public Library Billy the Oyster Man, New York City, 1941.New York Public Library Fred Harvey, Cleveland, 1945.New York Public Library Lakos, Muskegon, Michigan, 1957.New York Public Library Mike Lyman's Grill, Hollywood, 1946.New York Public Library The Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1956.New York Public Library LaGuardia Airport coffee shop, New York City, 1961.New York Public Library The Hotel Commodore Coffee Shop, New York City, 1955.New York Public Library Arthur Wilde's Restaurant, Miami, 1954.New York Public Library

Gazing at a restaurant menu may seem like a rather humdrum affair, but it's one of the first -- and most immediate -- ways to understand an eatery's overall aesthetic and values.

Of course, aesthetics and values change over time and across place. This means that when we look at old menus, we're not just looking at descriptions of food, but taking a peek at how different places, different socioeconomic groups, and so on approached the meal.

The vintage menus above (appear in chronological order from 1931-1961) reveal just that.

After seeing these vintage menus, check out these bizarre (and sexist) vintage ads.

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