This wonderful illustration of a laid-back pirate and his parrot sitting on a desert island made from cake (with a hungry fish hoping to snare a bite) is a great example of the humor of vintage menu art.

It was created in 1983 for Herb Traub’s Nationally Famous Pirates’ House, in the beautiful and thriving seaport town of Savannah, Georgia.

Located near the Savannah River, the site was an inn and tavern for visiting sailors (and pirates) in the 18^th century. The building, which remained intact for centuries, was dilapidated and about to be demolished in 1945 when it was rescued by Mrs Mary Hillyer, wife of the president of Savannah Gas Company, which owned the building.

Following her restoration, Herb and his partner Jim Casey opened the Pirates’ House in 1953 as a tearoom. It grew to an astonishing 23 dining rooms that seated 500 patrons. Generations of Savannah youngsters got their first jobs there as servers and the place became, as the menu proudly declared – nationally famous.

Herb, who owned another three landmark local restaurants, was a beloved local character and the visionary behind many civic campaigns, including the plan to light up many of Savannah’s historic monuments. He died in 2008.

Seven blocks from where General James Ogelthorpe, founder of the then-colony of Georgia, landed in 1733, the Pirates’ House is still owned by the Savannah Gas Company and continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in this quintessential Southern city.

Courtesy Private Collection.