No study of the marketing of turtle soup and New York is complete
without reading Edmund Wilson's brilliant short story "The Man Who Shot
Snapping Turtles" in his _Memoirs of Hecate County_ (1946).


-----Original Message-----
From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State
history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Oliver
Marshall
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [NYHIST-L] turtle soup

I am interested in the history of turtle soup in London and New York
City. My impression is that although the dish reached its height of
popularity in New York in the late 19th century,  it had long been on
menus and it would remain so until the early 1960s.

I am now looking for sources relating to turtles and turtle soup in New
York City. In particular I am hoping to find information on the
importation and sale in markets and shops of live turtles from the
Caribbean, descriptions of official functions, restaurants and taverns
where turtle soup was served, and material on the commercial production
of the soup. It would also be wonderful to identify locations of
pictures -- prints, paintings or photographs.

I was hoping that members of the list might have come across references
to turtle soup in archives, memoirs, works of fiction or historical
studies. If so, I would be most grateful if you could direct me to any
such material. If you don't have any specific sources to suggest,
general advice on archives to approach would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Oliver Marshall
London, England