Wheeler's The Ivy, London, 1950s Lunch A lovely handwritten menu from

A lovely handwritten menu from London's celebrated Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair

Courtesy The Culinary Institute of America Menu Collection

This is a charming example of vintage menu art from a banquet honouring Firefighters

Diners entered from Shaftesbury Avenue

Wheeler's The Ivy, London, 1950s Lunch A lovely handwritten menu fromThe Ivy, one of London's most celebrated restaurants, began life in 1916 as an unlicensed caf selling food but soon got a dash of glamour when owner Abel Glandellini joined forces with maitre d'Hotel Mario Gallati. It quickly became a favorite of the theatre crowd, attracting Marlene Dietrich, Laurence Olivier and Dame Nellie Melba among others. The Ivy's fortunes waxed and waned but its boom years came around again in the 1990s when Hollywood stars