Barbara Haber is a culinary historian and speaker. She is the former book curator of the Schlesinger LibraryatHarvard University. Haber is credited with expanding the library's focus on women's social history to include food-related books and cookbooks, as well as fiction and memoirs, despite critics that were originally against it.[1][2][3] She has authored and co-written books on subjects related to culinary history.
In 1968, she began a part-time job at a then-small women's history library, the Schlesinger Library.[5] For over 30 years, Haber curated books and organized events at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard University.[6][5] During her time at Schlesinger, she expanded the library's collection from 8,000 to about 80,000 books—16,000 of which were food-related books or cookbooks.[7]
Her addition of cookbooks to the library was initially controversial.[5][3] The debate on whether cookbooks should have a substantial role in the library's collection started in 1943, and up until the late 1980s, the library generally did not allow the purchase of cookbooks.[8][7] Critics were concerned about adding cookbooks to a feminist library. Speaking about the controversy, Haber said, "For some reason, cooking, more than any other household chore… was the symbol of the patriarchy."[5] In the early 1990s, culinary history was not seriously considered as an academic subject.[3] During that time, however, Haber was a supporter of creating academic studies on the role of food in culture and establishing more formal degrees on subjects like "Culinary History".[9]
Her 2002 book, Hardtack to Home Fries: An Uncommon History of American Cooks and Meals, drew on materials in the Schlesinger Library to explore a range of culinary history topics,[11] including its connection to society, politics, and economics.[12] Haber retired from the Schlesinger Library in 2003 to pursue writing full-time.[5][3]
With Arlene Voski Avakian, Haber co-authored From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies, a culinary history book published in 2005.[13] In 2005, Haber joined the James Beard Foundation awards board of governors.[14] She later became a Committee Chair of the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America.[15]
^ abLem, Ellyn (2006). "From Hardtack to Home Fries: An Uncommon History of American Cooks and Meals". The Journal of Popular Culture. 39 (1): 170–172. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00219.x. ISSN0022-3840.
^ abRossi-Wilcox, Susan M. (2006). "From Betty Crocker to Feminist Food Studies: Critical Perspectives on Women and Food". The Journal of Popular Culture. 39 (5): 922–923. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00324.x. ISSN0022-3840.
