Ida Bailey Allen
Her history and career
Ida Bailey Allen was arguably the most prolific and influential cookbook author and Radio/TV cooking show host before James Beard and Julia Child. She started writing cookbooks before 1920 and ended up authoring over 50 of them. One of her most famous books titled “ The Modern Method of Preparing Delightful Foods” was written in 1926 and became an essential resource for homemakers focusing on balanced, nutritional and inexpensive dishes.
Preceding this, in 1923, she gave a lecture in St. Louis which got broadcast over the radio which then led to many listeners writing letters. Subsequently, she went on to develop a radio domestic science/cooking show called the “National Radio Home Makers Club”. Her audience grew into the millions and she became a trusted advisor by providing women with the tools and information they needed to manage everyday life.
Regarding her personal life, she was born in 1885 in Connecticut and secured a degree as a dietician from New York Metropolitan Hospital1. She married Thomas Allen in 1912 who became a tenor for the Metropolitan Opera. Thomas passed away in 1920 leaving her with 2 children. She then married William Chapman ( a chemical manager) who died in 1931. After that, she began a 25 year long collaboration with Charles Premmac - a French chef who partnered with her on a radio show called “The Singing French Chef”. 2 Pressure Cooking was demonstrated on the show.
While she also had relationships with commercial food producers; they don’t seem as dominant as with other early radio cooking pioneers. She introduced the practice of the manufacturers financially supporting the radio show through spot advertising and then endorsing them in turn.
Other aspects of her long career:
As a result of her first husband’s singing career, she studied voice, language and piano.
Before 1920, she was an endorsed lecturer for the U.S. Food Administration; operated a cooking school and served as Director of the YWCA Domestic Science School.
In the mid-20’s she was the Food Editor for the Sunday New York American newspaper and wrote a column for Good Housekeeping entitled “Three Meals a Day.”
By 1928, she was hosting a regular daytime radio show that expanded to 2 hours a session the following year.
In 1932, started a radio show on CBS called “Mrs. Allen and the Chef.”
Also in 1932 she wrote a promotional book for the Coca Cola Company titled :When you Entertain” that sold 375,000 copies within 6 months.
Reputationally, she was known as “ the Nation’s Homemaker.”
In the next blog; several of her recipes will be reviewed.
Food for Thought: Ida Bailey Allen - First Tv Cooking Show; 1/27/2025
YouTube has a recording of the show performed during WWII - Harold’s Old Time Radio. Definitely worth listening to! YouTube also has a recording of her doing Grand Etiquette - My Footage 1920
What an amazing person. A version of an influencer in today's social media universe. Who knew? Fascinating. Thanks.