Café Nicholson Archive
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Abstract
Café Nicholson was opened in 1949 by Johnny Nicholson and closed over 50 years later in 2000. The restaurant was famous for its exploration of food innovation prior to this trend becoming popular. The luxurious interior decor of the restaurant in combination with its unique menu made Café Nicholson a hotspot for celebrities and other individuals in the upper echechelons of New York City society. This collection of photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, publications, and Café Nicholson memorabilia all give a distinct sense of the character and culture of the restaurant and its significance to New York City social, cultural and culinary history. Materials in this collection date from 1948 to 2005.
Historical Note
Café Nicholson was opened in 1949 by Johnny Nicholson. Born to Albanian immigrants, Nicholson moved from St Louis to New York after he was declared exempt from military service. Nicholson originally had dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but after an unsuccessful stint in the design industry, Nicholson opened a modest cafe on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Nicholson's good friend and extraordinary southern cook, Edna Lewis co-owned the restaurant until the mid 1970s and made Café Nicholson famous for its fabulous cuisine--especially its chocolate souffle. Café Nicholson was a pioneering establishment in the restaurant industry because it was invested in food innovation long before food innovation was popular. Over the years Café Nicholson moved around to several addresses on Manhattan's Upper East Side, although it is most remembered for its location near the Queensborough Bridge. After nearly fifty successful and memorable years, Café Nicholson closed its doors in 2000.
Known for its lavish greco-roman interior, inspired by Café Greco in Rome, Café Nicholson made the ideal background for fashion magazine photo shoots, and various advertisements. Filmmaker Woody Allen used the restaurant for a scene in his 1994 movie, Bullets Over Broadway. Soon after its opening in 1949, the combination of its decor, consistently good food, and lively personal staff, established Café Nicholson as one of New York's fashionable hotspots. In addition to members of high society, Café Nicholson attracted artistic and literary figures such as Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Jean Renoir and many more. Photographer Karl Bissinger documented this scene and many of his original photographs are included in the collection. Café Nicholson's client list included a range of celebrities, movie stars, politicians, old New York aristocrats and young "up and comings". In the center of this glamorous, theater-like setting was Johnny Nicholson energically running the show with his parrot Lolita perched on his shoulder. Tiffany and Co.'s design director John Loring commented, "High society loves to meet high bohemia, and at Johnny's that made for a certain cafe society." Café Nicholson holds a unique place in New York City social memory.
Arrangement
The records are arranged into four series with an additional series for oversize materials listed at the end. Series I contains five subseries which are arranged chronologically. Series II, III, and IV are arranged alphabetically. The series and subseries arrangement of the records is as follows:
Series I: Scrapbooks
Subseries A: Scrapbook I
Subseries B: Scrapbook II
Subseries C: Scrapbook III
Subseries D: Scrapbook IV
Subseries E: Scrapbook V
Series II: Correspondence
Series III: Printed Materials
Subseries A: Articles, Reviews, Mentions
Subseries B: Books
Series IV: Objects and Memorabilia
Oversize Series I: Scrapbooks
Scope and Contents
The collection, consisting of photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, publications, and Café Nicholson memorabilia, gives a distinct sense of the character and culture of the restaurant and its significance to post WWII New York City social, cultural, and culinary history. Materials in this collection date from 1948 to 2005.
The collection is organized into four series with an additional series for oversize material.
Series I is composed of materials from 5 scrapbooks compiled by Johnny Nicholson. Arranged in rough chronological order, the scrapbooks document the restaurant from the early 1950s through to the restaurant closing in 2000. Series I contains clippings from newspapers and magazines as well as visual materials including small paintings and Karl Bissinger photographs of restaurant patrons including Paul Bowles, Hoagy Carmichael, Jenny Tourel, Jean Renoir and others.
Series II consists of correspondence to Johnny Nicholson from various restaurant patrons.
Series III contains printed materials and is organized into two subseries, one for articles, mentions, and reviews of the restaurant; the second for books with mentions of the restaurant.
Series IV consists of Café Nicholson objects and memorabilia.
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People
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Café Nicholson Archive; MSS 165; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by John Nicholson, 1984. The accession number associated with this gift is 2005.165
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processing decisions made prior to September 2018 have not been recorded.
