The New Haven RR Image Page -- Children's Dining Car Menus

THE IMAGE PAGE

The 'image page' is where we put a changing variety of New Haven Railroad photographs and advertising material for you to enjoy. Be sure to check back here often because we plan to refresh these images on a regular basis.

Children's Dining Car Menus

March 1st, 2003

Like many other railroads, the New Haven began to offer special menus for children in its dining cars during the 1930s. The special children's meals were much less expensive than the Table de Hote (full meal) offerings on the regular dining car menus. Additionally, portion sizes were smaller than on the regular menu and the meals were specially selected to appeal to the less sophisticated tastes of children. Special children's menus seem to have gone out of favor on the New Haven during the late 1940s. All items from the collection of Marc Frattasio.

Despite the fact that it is not marked with the railroad's name, this is a New Haven Railroad children's menu. It is likely that this was the first special children's menu distributed on the New Haven Railroad. This is a standard menu design that was used by a number of railroads during the mid to late 1930s when the children's menu concept was new. Note the illustrations from the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" children's story.

The cardstock jigsaw puzzle at right, depicting a pivotal scene from the old children's story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" was distributed in a paper envelope marked "For One Of Our Little Guests", initially with the children's menu shown above and then later (apparently) with a special menu having the exact same artwork on its cover.

This children's menu, in the shape of an I-5 class steam locomotive, was distributed in the dining cars when the streamlined Hudsons were first delivered to the railroad during 1937. This same menu cover cutout design was also used for placeholders at various New Haven executive dinners and other official functions held during the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Here is the inside of the children's menu shown above. The children's meals were much less expensive than the offerings on the regular menu and the selections were specifically oriented to appeal to children.

The New Haven used children's menus shaped like circus animals during the years leading up to the Second World War. Along with the elephant shown here, the New Haven is known to have used children's menus shaped like a hippopotamus and a giraffe. The railroad may also have used children's menus shaped like a lion, monkey, and tiger too but I have not seen them for myself.

This is the front cover of the style of children's menu distributed on New Haven dining cars during the mid to late 1940s. The design of this children's menu is intended to simulate the personal slate boards used for note-taking in elementary schools during the old days.

Here is the back cover of the children's menu shown above, which appropriately shows the back end of the passenger train depicted on its cover. This children's menu design was pictured in the "Fun on the Train" coloring books distributed on the New Haven's passenger trains for many years starting in December 1944. It would appear that this was the New Haven's last special children's menu as these types of menus were discontinued during the late 1940s.