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

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Share it: Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: 35 Offensively Sexist Vintage Ads Vintage Christmas Ads: Sexist, Offensive And Just Plain Weird 55 Vintage Photos Of Your Parents Being Cooler Than You Will Ever Be 1 of 27 S.S. Pennland, 1931. New York Public Library 2 of 27 Cavanagh's, New York City, 1959. New York Public Library 3 of 27 Cafe Zanzibar, New York City, 1943. New York Public Library 4 of 27 R.M.S Queen Elizabeth, 1957. New York Public Library 5 of 27 Tortola, San Francisco, 1937. New York Public Library 6 of 27 Waldorf Astoria, New York City, 1933. New York Public Library 7 of 27 S.S. President Johnson, 1932. New York Public Library 8 of 27 Horn-Hardart cafeterias, New York, 1958. New York Public Library 9 of 27 Hotel San Jose, Mexico, 1958. New York Public Library 10 of 27 Hotel Astor, New York City, 1930. New York Public Library 11 of 27 Green Mountain Pine Room, Arlington, VT, 1959. New York Public Library 12 of 27 Latin Quarter, New York City, 1958. New York Public Library 13 of 27 Frisco Lines, St. Louis/San Francisco, 1943. New York Public Library 14 of 27 Ferris Restaurant, South Carolina, 1948. New York Public Library 15 of 27 The Cotton Club, New York City, 1938. New York Public Library 16 of 27 Von's, Seattle, 1957. New York Public Library 17 of 27 DiMaggio's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, San Fransisco, 1956. New York Public Library 18 of 27 The Regent Cafe, Jackson, Michigan, 1956. New York Public Library 19 of 27 Billy the Oyster Man, New York City, 1941. New York Public Library 20 of 27 Fred Harvey, Cleveland, 1945. New York Public Library 21 of 27 Lakos, Muskegon, Michigan, 1957. New York Public Library 22 of 27 Mike Lyman's Grill, Hollywood, 1946. New York Public Library 23 of 27 The Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, 1956. New York Public Library 24 of 27 LaGuardia Airport coffee shop, New York City, 1961. New York Public Library 25 of 27 The Hotel Commodore Coffee Shop, New York City, 1955. New York Public Library 26 of 27 Arthur Wilde's Restaurant, Miami, 1954. New York Public Library 27 of 27 Like this gallery?

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From The Gorgeous To The Offensive, 26 Surprising Vintage Restaurant Menus View Gallery

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.