Culinary Historians | Henry Orr, a Black Caterer in Early Federal Washington, DC

Name: Culinary Historians | Henry Orr, a Black Caterer in Early Federal Washington, DC
Start: 2025-09-28T16:00:00-04:00
Location: Ann Arbor District Library

Schedule

Sun, 28 Sep, 2025 at 04:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Ann Arbor District Library | Ann Arbor, MI

In 1837 the best-known Black caterer in Washington was hired to create a supper in honor of the visiting Englishwoman Harriet Martineau. That man, Henry Orr, the dinner he prepared, and the extraordinary life he lived, form a fascinating episode in U.S. history.
Leni Sorensen of Virginia, a scholar of African American slavery, American agriculture, and women’s work in colonial and post-colonial America, has uncovered how Orr used his many skills to supply fine food and dining service for elite white families, earning enough money to buy himself, his wife, and his children out of slavery.
This event is in partnership with the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor.
Details: https://aadl.org/node/639400