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This is an exceptionally rare, museum grade piece of Chicago medical history. It is an original alumni banquet program and multi course menu from Tuesday June 16 1903.
The event was hosted by the faculty of the Northwestern University Medical School, formerly known as the Chicago Medical College. No other copies or duplicate public sales are on record for this specific 1903 artifact, making it an incredibly scarce piece of early twentieth century institutional ephemera.
PHYSICAL CONDITION AND EXQUISITE DESIGN DETAILSThe piece exhibits premium Gilded Age book production values. The front cover features a beautiful, crisp gold leaf embossed seal of Northwestern University. The outer back cover features a sharp, distinct gold leaf embossed seal of the original Chicago Medical College, marking its independent 1859 founding year. (Surface dust soiling is consistant on front and back covers.)
The document is bound together at the spine with its original, untrimmed silk -2 color weave ribbons in the school colors of purple and gold. These were not tied in any way , when found.
The high grade heavy paper stock retains its authentic hand feathered deckled edges. The item is in excellent antique condition with no flaking to the gold leaf, solid structural binding cords, and an honest, light edge patina that reflects over one hundred and twenty years of careful preservation. A faint printer monogram hallmark is blind stamped on the final rear page, indicating it was produced by an elite Chicago boutique printing house.
THE HISTORIC GILDED AGE BANQUET MENU: The multi course menu provides a fascinating look into high society culinary trends of 1903 Chicago. Every single course is paired with a classical literary quote from authors like William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Alexander Pope.
-The documented feast includes the following courses in exact order. First course was Little Neck Clams. Soup course was Cream of Asparagus Royale, accompanied by radishes, olives, and celery. Fish course was Fillet of Sole a l'Orly with Potatoes Parisienne. Entree course was Tenderloin of Beef Bearnaise with Peas a l'Anglaise. A mid meal cigarette tobacco break followed, quoting Milton's Paradise Lost. The game course was Roast California Squab. This was followed by a Lettuce Salad, a dessert of Meringue Glace with assorted cakes, and a cheese course served with historic Bent's Crackers. The dinner concluded with hot coffee, Apollinaris mineral water, and premium cigars accompanied by a poem on professional camaraderie by Edwin Carlile Litsey.
DIGNITARIES AND REVERED MEDICAL FACULTY SPEAKER LISTThe evening was managed by a legendary roster of pioneering figures who shaped the course of modern American medicine and academia. Welcome remarks were delivered by University President Edmund Janes James. The toastmaster for the night was Dr. Archibald Church, the legendary Chicago neurologist for whom Northwestern's medical library is named. A humorous legal critique titled The Doctor's Foibles was given by Civil War veteran and Illinois Appellate Court Judge Arba N. Waterman. Additional presentations were given by prominent civic leader Frederick Greeley and renowned Universalist minister Reverend Dr. R. A. White.
STUDENT FOLKLORE AND UNEDITED PARODY CLASS SONG: A significant historical value driver for this specific document is a multi page parody class-song written by the students, to the tune of Mr. Dooley. The lyrics offer a rare, uncensored window into early medical student culture, lightheartedly lampooning their world famous professors.
Dr. Nathan Smith Davis Junior is teased for being grave and gray but called the kindest man the seniors knew. Ophthalmology pioneer Dr. Henry Gradle is ribbed for his short stature. Surgery pioneer Dr. Weller Van Hook is praised as the ultimate man to take out your appendix. World famous surgeon Dr. John Benjamin Murphy, the inventor of the Murphy Button, is immortalized for his demanding, intense clinical teaching methods in the operating pit. Obstetrics pioneer Dr. Joseph Bolivar DeLee is celebrated for his strict anti septic safety measures. The lyrics also contain playful verses targeting physiology professor Dr. Winfield Scott Hall, chemist Dr. John Harper Long, pathology expert Professor Ferdinand Robert Zeit, laryngologist Dr. Frederick Menge, and assistant surgeon Dr. Harry M. Richter.
SUMMARY FOR COLLECTORS AND INVESTORSThis item represents a premiere crossover collectible. It appeals directly to investors in medical history, Gilded Age ephemera, culinary menu enthusiasts, and Northwestern University alumni. The presence of the dual historical seals, intact original silk ribbons, and extensive, humorous transcriptions detailing the founding fathers of Midwestern medicine make this an irreplaceable addition to any serious historical collection.
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