We are restoring our 1911 Arts and Crafts bungalow kitchen. I am fascinated by evidence for what the kitchen originally looked like, so I went looking for period images of kitchens. I'm posting the collection here, as other old-house owners might find these useful, as well as those interested in early 20th Century American culture, women's history, etc.

The images you see here are mostly from 1905-1925. There might be a couple outliers. There may also occasionally be an unrelated picture I haven't edited out yet. Click through to see the context, or to see a larger copy of the picture at Google Books.

Many of these are from advertisements, which seem to be the easiest place to find views of kitchens. People didn't seem to show off their kitchens much then, so they aren't usually pictured in pieces about new houses and such. But they are in lots of ads! There are also some images of "model kitchens" from plan books and magazines.

Items are listed under the category the image displays best. For example, an ad for Armstrong Linoleum that shows a great picture of a full kitchen would appear under Kitchen Views. Some items might be found in multiple categories (for example, you can see many stoves pictured in the Kitchen Views and Plans category) so don't limit yourself; browse and see what you find!

More to be added soon!

(See also the Kitchens, etc. category at Shorpy.com.)

General Kitchen Views, Plans, and Cabinets

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Armstrong's Linoleum Floors Complete Description and Detailed Specifications for the Use of Architects, Interior Decorators, and Builders. By Linoleum Division, Armstrong Cork Company, 1918

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American Gas Association Monthly By American Gas Association, 1920

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Good Housekeeping, 1917

Sink, Western Electric stove, and cabinet in a model kitchen
Sink, Western Electric stove, and cabinet in a model kitchen. 1924. Library of Congress

War Kitchen, 1917
Food Administration, U.S. War Kitchen 1917. Harris & Ewing, photographer. Library of Congress

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The Efficient Kitchen Definite Directions for the Planning, Arranging and Equipping of the Modern Labor-saving Kitchen By Georgie Boynton Child, Louise Boynton, George Boynton

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The Economical Cook Book A Practical Guide for Housekeepers in the Preparation of Every Day Meals, Containing More Than One Thousand Domestic Receipts, Mostly Tested by Personal Experience, with Suggestions for Meals, Lists of Meats and Vegetables in Season, Etc By Sara T. Paul, 1905

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Town & County Edition of The American City, 1918

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Architect and Engineer, 1920

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Architect and Engineer, 1920

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Architect and Engineer, 1920


Encyclopædia of Household Economy By Emily Holt, 1903

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Art Principles in House, Furniture, and Village Building: An Exposition of Designing Principles which Every House Builder, Furniture User, and Village Dweller Should Know By Arthur Bridgman Clark, 1921

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Art Principles in House, Furniture, and Village Building: An Exposition of Designing Principles which Every House Builder, Furniture User, and Village Dweller Should Know By Arthur Bridgman Clark, 1921

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Art Principles in House, Furniture, and Village Building: An Exposition of Designing Principles which Every House Builder, Furniture User, and Village Dweller Should Know By Arthur Bridgman Clark, 1921

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Art Principles in House, Furniture, and Village Building: An Exposition of Designing Principles which Every House Builder, Furniture User, and Village Dweller Should Know By Arthur Bridgman Clark, 1921

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Radford's portfolio of details of building construction By William A. Radford, Bernard L. Johnson, Charles P. Rawson, 1911.
(This book has many, many other detailed examples of kitchen cupboards -- click this image and then look on the following pages to see plans and cross-sections of wonderful built-in cabinets.)


Kitchen at the Stares residence on 33rd Avenue in Seattle, 1917. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives.


Housewifery: a manual and text book of practical housekeeping, Lydia Ray Balderston, 1919.


Civic Science in the Home, by George W. Hunter and Walter G. Whitman, 1921.


Good Housekeeping, 1906.


The Boston Cooking School Magazine, 1914.


American Cookery, 1921.

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