VINTAGE Cookbooks. Your Choice Prudence Penny of San Francisco or National Edition of The American Woman’s Cook Book.

Step into the golden age of home economics with this pair of iconic cookbooks—two variations of the beloved American Woman’s Cook Book, issued under the syndicated pseudonym Prudence Penny by Hearst newspapers.

🧁 The “Prudence Penny” Phenomenon
“Prudence Penny” was not a real person but a marketing identity used by newspaper home economists across the U.S. to offer recipes, household tips, and editorial content tailored to local readers. To promote their columns, Hearst papers issued customized versions of The American Woman’s Cook Book, edited by Ruth Berolzheimer of the Culinary Arts Institute.

📚 Choose Your Edition:
🥄 The American Woman’s Cook Book (National Edition)
• Traditional title with deco stripe cover
• Thumb-indexed hardcover
• Edited by Ruth Berolzheimer
• Some cosmetic wear but binding is secure

🥄 San Francisco Examiner Prudence Penny Edition
• Features the Examiner's branding and the Prudence Penny name
• Thumb-indexed binding with the same interior content
• Includes an unusual printer’s error: the front colorplate (of pastel petits fours) is upside down, while the back plate is correct — a charming production quirk!

📸 Vintage Appliance Bonus:
Inside both editions is a photograph of a smiling 1940s homemaker pouring milk into a bowl using a Sunbeam Mixmaster Model 7 — a dream find for any vintage kitchenware lover!

📖 Both Include:
• Stunning color endpapers of retro confections
• Hundreds of vintage recipes and household tips
• Detailed illustrations and black & white photographs
• Hardcovers in green with maroon printing
• Moderate vintage wear and aging typical of books from this era