The New York Historical Explores the Culinary Delights Served Aboard Planes, Trains, and Ocean Liners in the First Half of the 20th Century in New Exhibition

RMS Campania, August 27, 1905, Cunard Line. Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, The New York Historical

Dining in Transit on view June 20 – October 26, 2025

Arriving at The New York Historical this summer, Dining in Transit, a new exhibition on view June 20 – October 26, 2025, showcases the innovative ways ocean liners, trains, and airplanes catered to passengers’ appetites and expectations during the first half of the 20th century. The exhibition explores how travel dining evolved—from hiring French chefs to crafting signature dishes to unveiling the deeper stories of race and gender that shaped the industry.

Featuring distinctive objects from the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library collection—such as souvenir menus, promotional recipe books, employee handbooks, and collectible tableware—the exhibition reveals how transportation companies used memorable dining experiences to attract and retain customers. Dining in Transit also delves into the labor behind these culinary experiences, examining the racialized hiring practices of the Pullman Company, which recruited formerly enslaved Black men to serve as railroad cooks and waiters, and the exacting physical requirements used by airlines in their hiring of women flight attendants. Curated by Nina Nazionale, director of library curatorial affairs and research, this exhibition, on view in the Pam & Scott Schafler Gallery, offers a captivating look at the intersection of food, travel, and culture.

“Dining in Transit transports visitors to an era when the journey itself was as significant—and as glamorous—as the destination,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO, The New York Historical. “This exhibition uncovers the creativity, labor, and cultural shifts that shaped travel dining, from lavish menus and celebrated chefs to the untold stories of the people who made these experiences possible.”

Exhibition Highlights
The exhibition traces the evolution of ocean liners crossing the Atlantic, illustrating how fine dining elevated the travel experience for the wealthiest passengers. When US laws drastically reduced European immigration in the 1920s, ships responded by transforming “steerage” into “tourist third class,” expanding the customer base to include middle-class travelers. European dishes like “grenadines de veau Milanaise” (small slices of veal fillets, larded and braised) made the new tourist third-class passengers feel that they, too, were having a luxurious experience.

Culinary partnerships elevated the experience further—renowned Parisian chef Auguste Escoffier, for instance, oversaw menus on ocean liners. By the 1950s, ships like the SS United States brought an American touch to transatlantic dining with specialties like Lobster Newburg, California asparagus, and baked Idaho potatoes. Photographs depicting the Ritz’s Carlton Restaurant on board the SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, a 1911 menu from the RMS Lusitania, along with other illustrated ship menus are on view. Visitors can also page through digital versions of select menus and watch vintage clips.

Dining cars on trains began in1868 with the Pullman Palace Car Company, already known for its luxurious sleeping berths. As meal service flourished across railway lines, regional cuisine began playing a central role—in 1932, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad served Chesapeake Bay seafood, like clams on shell and boned shad, paired with coffee in a cup and saucer adorned with the train’s route. A Baltimore & Ohio Railroad saucer and cup, circa 1925-1955, is on view.

Dining cars were a splurge for most travelers, so wealthy patrons were the primary clientele. Black passengers often faced segregation in these spaces, with curtains separating them from white diners; more frequently, they were seated in a separate car. The Pullman Palace Car Company was known for employing formerly enslaved men as porters, cooks, and waiters, who were paid poorly and continuously subjected to taunts and insults from passengers. On view is Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus (1911), a cookbook by Rufus Estes, who was born enslaved in Tennessee and worked for Pullman as a chef from 1883-1897. In 1925, the formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union—which also included cooks and waiters—improved working conditions and wages, helping many Black families join the middle class.

The exhibition also examines how air travel brought new opportunities—and challenges—for women, who were recruited as stewardesses or air hostesses with promises of adventure but subjected to strict physical standards. Stewardesses performed a variety of duties, including loading luggage, reassuring and tending to anxious and sick passengers and of course, serving meals. A stewardess hat, vintage magazine and newspaper advertisements, and photographs are among the items on view.

Meals were a necessity at a time when even the shortest flights lasted many hours. Picnic-style meals were served on the first commercial passenger flights. When United Air Lines opened its first flight kitchen in 1936, in-flight meals elevated the dining experience. Committed to culinary excellence, some airlines hired Swiss chefs, featured them on menus, and introduced seasonal, holiday-themed offerings. On display are artifacts such as Favorite Recipes of Mainliner Chefs (published in 1954) as well as holiday-themed menus, like a 1944 Halloween menu from United Air Lines that served an evil-eye salad.

Private group tours can be arranged throughout the exhibition. 

Support
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.

About The New York Historical 
New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; peerless collections of art, documents, and artifacts; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better. Connect with us at nyhistory.org or at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.