A collection of over 4,000 menus from French state dinners offers a unique insight into 150 years of diplomatic and gastronomic history. These menus, displayed in Paris before being auctioned, showcase the evolution of international relations through the years.
From royalty to dictatorships, many world leaders have dined at the French table. Heads of state guests have ranged from John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela to Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin. The menus were collected by Lyon chef Christophe Marguin, who was obsessed with their historical significance. They were sold for figures ranging from 10 to 1,500 euros per lot. Some menus are printed on silk, while others feature original lithographs, such as the one for US President Jimmy Carter by painter Marc Chagall.
Examining these menus reveals the complex logistics surrounding diplomatic moments, such as rushing from one dinner to another with different guests, like President Francois Hollande dining with both Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. Some menus contain subtle messages that reveal the political agendas of their creators, such as offering dishes that appeal to both Russian Tsar Nicholas II and Queen Victoria in 1897 to secure close ties with both Russia and Great Britain.
These menus also showcase the grand scale of certain events, like a meal for 23,000 local mayors in 1900 that required seven kilometers of tablecloths, 125,000 dishes, 600 cooks, 2,200 servants, and thousands of kilos of food and wine. The evolution of international relations is reflected in the frequency and nature of these state dinners – rare and exceptional events in the late 19th century became more common occurrences in modern times. Ultimately
