A menu for a convention

A menu for an international convention in 1930

In Mänttä people usually make serious efforts in arranging meetings. Our Pearl of the Month in September, a menu for an international convention of greaseproof paper manufacturers, held in December 1930, proves this.

Gösta Serlachius acted as the host of the convention. He tended to get involved even with the smallest details of events as his letter to artist Eric O.W. Ehrström dated November 17, 1930 indicates.

The intention was at first that a picture from Mänttä would decorate the cover of the menu. Senior engineer Silfversparre of the G.A. Serlachius Ltd. had proposed a view of the cellulose mill for that purpose, but Gösta reflected that since the convention focused on greaseproof paper, it would perhaps be more appropriate to choose an image of the new greaseproof paper machine.

On the other hand, as so many countries are represented in this meeting, we do not want to promote our mill and ourgreaseproof paper, but could rather choose a more general view of Mänttä.  In the Mänttä book there should be plenty of such images… In order to make the menus as pleasant as possible, we have been racking our brains over this matter during several days, and I am of the opinion that the result is quite good.

I intend to put the menu in a shiny white greaseproof paper bag, manufactured in Mänttä. Naturally, it would do no harm if one or two of Your pigs were applied here, but preferably in as light colors as possible.

Gösta also decoded the playful text of the menu, where “a rooster’s tail” (tuppstjärt) referred to a cocktail, ”cherie” meant sherry and Serre-la-Cuise pronounced in a French manner referred to the name Serlachius, but entailed the meaning of ”pinch me by the thigh”! Gösta even offered to elaborate on his ideas on the telephone, if the letter could not unfold them.

Helena Hänninen
Curator