It was not alone that gave seeming indicatons of a change to a revival of ornamental pieces, for its precursor, a similar exhibition at Berlin a year or two previous, which has already been alluded to in this book (No. 692) where the Emperor and Empress gave their personal attention to the encouragement of such work had the appearance of origrinating the movement of which the London exhibition with its imposing plan and extensive advertising: was a continuation.

The after report shows it to have been principally an advertising exposition of materials and appliances, and in spite of the best endeavors of its promoters, the cooking department attracted less attention than the sideshows and the music. There were about 300 exhibitors, however, and several gold medals and purses were contested for in various departments, that of artistic cookery being the most interesting.

In accordance with the European proprieties, the London exhibition started under the patronage of a dozen titled personages and a jury besides of twenty-six ladies and gentlemen in the artistic cookery department. The motive power of the whole affair seems to have been furnished by three or four firms extensively engaged in the catering and restaurant business,with a hard working honorary secretary who managed all the details, and for whom at last a purse was made up by subscription of the exhibitors in recognition of his untiring exertions. One of these catering firms contracted to furnish meals as follows:

Hot and cold lunches at 50 cents per head..

Dinners a la carte from 60 cents upwards.

The club dinner at 85 cents.

The table d'hotel dinner at $1.25.

The dinner a la carte is the restaurant style where every dish in the bill of fare has the price attached, and a person can order according to what he wishes to spend.

The club dinner is in courses, the person takes all that is offered,in good form but without much choice and pays a fixed price for the repast.

The table d'hote is the hotel plan; the person chooses from the bill of fare whatever he pleases and as much as he pleases, and pays a fixed price for the repast, be it little or much. We give these particulars to show the ideas of the London caterers, of the worth of the different meals.

On certain stated dates they announced they would serve:

The Indian dinner at $1.25 per head.

The American dinner at $1.75.

The old English dinner at 1.50.

Dinner a la Francaise at $1.50.

The Indian dinner was intended to give prominence to East Indian products and dishes of curries, pillaus, kabobs, rice, chutneys and teas, a feature that was instigated by a firm engaged in the East India trade.

The old English dinners we have no particulars about, but doubtless it included roast beef and plum pudding, whatever the side effects may have been, and the French dinner as surely included bards and braizes, sautes and ragouts, as well as sorbets and sucres.