Robert O. Fielding

Robert O. Fielding is known for Spices, Their Histories: Valuable Information for Grocers, published in Seattle in 1910 by The Trade Register, Inc. Library of Congress records list him as the author, and Project Gutenberg preserves the book as a short, practical reference work on spice history and commerce.

The book itself explains that the material was originally written by Fielding as a member of the staff of the Trade Register, where the sections first appeared in the journal before being collected in book form. That gives his writing a clear, useful tone: he was not writing as a distant academic, but as someone addressing grocers and salespeople who wanted reliable background on the goods they sold.

Very little biographical information about Fielding appears to be easily confirmed online beyond this publication and his connection to The Trade Register. What does come through clearly is his subject matter: the origins, preparation, uses, and market qualities of spices such as ginger, mustard, nutmeg, and cumin, presented in a way that made global food history accessible to working readers.