Research at the California Academy of Sciences

A Short Biography of Carl Austin Rietz

Collector of the Rietz Collection of Food Technology

Collecting



Rietz's storehouse of information about international cuisine and cooking technologies was gained first-hand during his world travels. He disdained places with typical "tourist fare" and sought out the cuisine peculiar to a specific locale. Intrigued by the cooking methods of the various cultures he encountered, he began to collect objects related to the foodways of these local cultures. Anything that had been used in the procuring, preparing, cooking, serving or eating of food was fair game. He collected what was available in the places he traveled, places where he had sampled the cuisine. His collection reflects his travels.


Collecting as an engagement in the world was nothing new to Rietz. He had been actively collecting jade and Asian ceramics since the 1930s. He was also an avid collector of books and liturgical music. Later he became interested in folk arts and textiles. However, the greatest extent of his collecting focused on objects related to the history of cooking and food processing.

CAS 0389-0656
CAS 0389-0443
CAS 0389-0657

Palestinian and Middle Eastern items from the Rietz Collection of Food Technology.
Left to right: CAS 0389-0656, CAS 0389-0443, CAS 0389-0657.

The Rietz archive located in the library of the California Academy of Sciences provides a modest paper trail of his collection travels and practices. Receipts from antique dealers, galleries, curio shops and even museums give clues to what he purchased as well as where and when. Customs papers, Tax Duty receipts and income statements give descriptions of objects and their origins along with contemporary estimated values. All of these documents attest to the variety of his collecting tastes, but also to his desire to share his finds. The archive describes, through some limited correspondence and money transfers, his support of universities and museums through donations of his collections or support of foundations dedicated to education. Equally valuable in the archive is a chronology of his travels and purchases, outlining how he built his various collections.



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Introduction
Education
Innovations
Collecting
Antiquities
Foundations
Publication
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Travel Dates
Manufacturing Dates
The Rietz Collection
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