Menu Collection
This collection of menus emanate from the days of J Lyons Restaurants and its subsidiary
company Strand Hotels, they include the Trocadero, Popular Café, Corner Houses, Maison
Lyons, The Cumberland ,Strand and Regent Palace hotels. ( link to J Lyons Web site) Most of
them are for special events or Christmas and New Year arrangements you will see very little to
match this today. Many date from the 1930’s and our rare in their own right. Note the signature
of the artist who provided the design for the front in some of the more attractive menus Do
you know who the artist was? Relative? Friend and what else did they produce in fact if you
have an old menu from this time we will happily display it. Some of the designs and displays
on opening an individual menu were very creative such as the ones for the Cumberland Hotel
in the 1950’s. My favourite is probably the 3D version from 1955. Also from this time were the
amazing Cabarets provided at the News Years Eve Gala’s best example of this is the 1953
Christmas arrangements at the Cumberland . Muffin the Mule (TV 1960’s) Joan Turner, still
going strong Stubby Kaye ( Hollywood Actor) Bernard Miles and David Niven ( had his own TV
show.
The Trocadero
This prestigious restaurant was open from late 1890 and closed in 1965 it was renown
throughout London for the Long Bar ( meet me in the Long Bar after the war was a famous
quote from the trenches of the first world war) It introduced the tea dance and cabarets to
London in the 1920’s. The only menus I have date from 1934 and show the care taken over
their design. All in French and several courses.
Image 1 Front of Trocadero Christmas day evening menu beautiful design lavish menu.
Image 2 Menu
Image 3 Menu designed by Clarki Hutton do you know who this was ?
L.Smith
