À la carte

13- North American Phalanx 1855.jpg

Creator

North American Phalanx

Title

À la carte

Coverage

Red Bank, New Jersey

Date

September 22, 1855

Description

The North American Phalanx was a Utopian community founded on the theories of French philosopher Charles Fourier in 1844. Over the course of its twelve-year history, there were between 120 and 150 members in this non-sectarian association in which women were accorded the same rights and wages as men. The community maintained a large kitchen and dining room, a gristmill, forges, carpentry shops, gardens, and a pond for bathing and ice harvesting. Its hominy, produce, and breakfast cereals were shipped by steamboat to markets in New York City. These high-quality products were marked “NAP,” one of the first brands in the country. The socialist commune abandoned the practice of sharing food in common in 1855, the year before it closed. Menus were printed each day and put out before the meal. Although the dishes were not priced, the meal service was à la carte. Metal chits were placed on the table with each dish and later collected by the server, who calculated the cost and recorded the amount in each member’s account. The prices were low, in keeping with the meager wages. A serving of meat or a slice of pie cost two cents. Coffee was half a cent per cup.