At Home: A Julia Child Road Trip

If I was having an "imaginary dinner party" and inviting people who have fascinated me over time, living or dead, Julia Child would be on the list. (That is, assuming I'd have the confidence to serve food to the Queen of the Kitchen! Maybe it should be a pot luck.) So, when a Julia Child exhibit came to Jackson, Michigan, about a half hour from home, my friend Kate and I decided that this would be our "Holiday Experience" (in lieu of presents, more or less!) I'm so glad we went!

I probably don't have to explain that Julia Child revolutionized cooking in America with the publication of her cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," in the 1961. She went on to write many more books and host numerous cooking shows on PBS, the first of which -- "The French Chef" -- was a joyful primer on not only cooking French dishes but being relaxed and joyful in the kitchen.

Julia's early life was privileged, growing up in Pasadena, California and on to college at Smith, a women's college in Massachusetts. Her family was conservative, her path should be that of a typical matron in the 1940s.

The early part of the exhibit focuses on family and her time at Smith College.

But life had other plans for Julia. She joined the OSS, a forerunner to the CIA, and was stationed in Asia, where she met Paul Child, ten years her senior.  

After the war, the couple married and moved to France where Paul was stationed. Those who saw the film "Julie and Julia" might recall that the day the couple arrived, they stopped at a restaurant in Rouen for lunch. That lunch, so different from any in America, inspired Julia to learn more about French cuisine. The restaurant moment is recreated in the exhibit with a set table and both screen and overhead projections that showed the restaurant and changed as each course was described. It was well done and very clever.

While Paul was cooking, Julia looked for ways to fill her time and decided on taking classes at the Cordon Bleu. When completed, she continued on with private lessons and met two women with whom she opened a small at-home cooking school. Eventually, they would partner on "Mastering the Art..." 

For me, one of the exhibit highlights was a massive installation, reaching almost to the ceiling, that flipped through pages of the book.

 The exhibit moves through Julia's life, telling viewers about her pen-pal friendship with Avis DeVoto, who was instrumental in helping Julia find a publisher. Fans of Julia's work can credit a fan letter from Avis' husband, which spawned the friendship and later, helped bring the book into being.

From there, it went on to television. After doing a demonstration on Boston's local public television station to promote the book, the station received an unprecedented amount of fan mail. Producer Russ Morash of WGBH decided to give this woman a try and "The French Chef" was born. This was in public television's early days. Julia wasn't the first to have a cooking show on television but she rapidly became one of the most popular. She shared wise cooking advice and recipes while also being down to earth, handling mishaps with a casual aplomb. (In later years, most probably remember the mishaps more than the recipes!)

A model studio is set up and we can see a bit "behind the scenes" (although the "studio" installation is far smaller than the original and far from being "to scale.) Paul's drawing gives a better idea of the set-up.

It's interesting to note that the drawers on the set were labeled so Julia could easily find things. We also learned that she and Paul set up their home kitchen like the set so the nervous host could practice her program staging at home.

I was interested in the opposite wall, where you could pull open drawers and cabinets for more displays and video.

And an original script from the series, fully marked up, was another bit I found fascinating.

 

Throughout the exhibit, we are reminded that Julia and Paul Child's relationship was one of great love, but also of great support. Julia may have been the "star" but Paul was there every step of the way, working with her, from those early days in Paris right through her television series. 

They were the ultimate valentine. (And yes, there was even a tub where you could recreate this pose!

Happy Valentine's Day this week! And Bon Appetit! 

(Future locations for this exhibit in 2025 are Cincinnati OH, Muskegon MI, St. Paul MN, and Charlotte NC. A gallery and video can be found HERE.)