A 1970s test kitchen, which was once housed in Chicago’s Johnson Publishing headquarters (known for creating the innovative Black magazines Ebony and Jet), is coming to New York City in 2020. When it arrives, it will be part of a national traveling exhibit called “African/American: Making the Nation’s Table,” which will begin its journey at the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) in Brooklyn.
Back in its heyday on South Michigan Avenue, this 1971 kitchen—which is best described as downright groovy—was used for decades by Ebony food editors to test all of the recipes featured in the magazine’s "A Date With a Dish" column. The oval-shaped kitchen, which sprang from the minds of interior designers William Raiser and Arthur Elrod (who were celebrated for their mid-century modern sensibilities), is defined by its bright orange refrigerator, cactus-green countertops, and psychedelically-patterned walls and cabinets. The kitchen’s central island and original 1970s General Electric appliances are also notable details.
The test kitchen was located on the building’s 10th floor—the same floor where the Ebony employees’ cafeteria was. In a recent interview with Landmarks Illinois, Charla Draper, Ebony’s Director of Food & Home Furnishings from 1982 to 1984, praised the space’s functional "work triangle" layout because it allowed her to move quickly between the sink, refrigerator, and counter.
In the same interview, Charlotte Lyons, a food editor at Ebony Magazine for 25 years and an advisor on the upcoming MOFAD exhibition, also spoke to the novel design choices and historical importance of this kitchen. "It was my great honor to be the food editor of that publication and to create 25 years' worth of one-of-a-kind meals in a one-of-a-kind kitchen."
Though Ebony, Johnson Publishing’s flagship publication, left this landmarked building in 2012 after 41 years, the test kitchen’s unique interior was never destroyed or redecorated. Columbia College owned the building—and instead of deciding to repurpose it, they simply sold it to a Chicago developer instead. With this sale, the trippy test kitchen was at risk of being lost to history, but a local nonprofit, Landmark Illinois, stepped in and saved the historic culinary tableau; they bought the kitchen for one single dollar in 2018.
While the kitchen sat disassembled in a temporary storage unit, MOFAD proposed to acquire it for their forthcoming exhibit dedicated to the Black American dining experience and the community’s contributions to American cuisine. MOFAD is still raising funds for the full exhibit, but plans to make Ebony’s Test Kitchen the centerpiece.
MOFAD's exhibition team is led by American culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris, author of several cookbooks and works of nonfiction. "For many African Americans who lived in the second half of the 20th century, Ebony was a touchstone that inspired, informed and defined," said Dr. Harris in a press release. "It would not be hyperbole to say that the magazine had a large part in forming the aspirations of more than two generations of African Americans. It is difficult to overstate its importance."
MOFAD will reveal where the iconic kitchen will be heading next once additional funds for the traveling exhibit are secured.
