About this Item
Octavo size, 756 pp., with the original map lithographed by Grafton Tyler Brown. A somewhat scarce directory, as of this writing we see no copies online (we searched for the years 1875 through 1890) and only two auction records (RBH) neither of those for this exact publication (1878-9). Per Rocq, this year was the first to include the city of Berkeley, having been incorporated on April 4, 1878. Additionally, this volume includes the "Map of Oakland and Alameda" which was lithographed by the highly-regarded African-American artist and lithographer, Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918). In the Preface to Robert Chandler's work, "San Francisco Lithographer, African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown", Chandler states that Brown "was unique, as the only black view maker, lithographer, and oil painter" (p. XIII). As with many city directories of this era, much of the charm is in the multitudinous business advertisements, encouraging potential customers to buy their windmills, wood and coal, ice, pianos and port wine (to name just a few) or take advantage of services offered such as "house, sign and fresco" painting, auctioneering, dressmaking, etc. The volume is comprised of fourteen pages of full- and half-page ads, the title page with the tipped-in map, followed by the Table of Contents and the Index to Advertisers, information on the city of Oakland, the "Official Directory of the County of Alameda", information on the fire department and schools - which includes about two pages on The University of California (which had just been founded in 1868) - and much more. By far the bulk of the volume consists of the actual directories, listing residents by name and including their working occupation and address (e.g., 'Abele M. Mrs., midwife, res 1518 Seventh"). The largest directory is for Oakland, followed by much shorter ones for Berkeley and Alameda, with a Business Directory at the end. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in paper-covered boards (with printed advertisements) with a brown cloth spine, this lettered and ruled in gilt (including two advertisements), the endpapers also consisting of printed advertisements, the contents as described above; binding octavo size (9" by 6 1/8"), pagination: [14] [folding map] [1-3] 4-728 [2]; not included in the pagination are the paste-down endpapers which are also advertisements, and five sheets of advertisements inserted throughout (two on yellow paper, some in red and black, the most decorated (in black, blue, and red with gilt borders) being for the Pacific Press ("The Leading Printing House.Job Printing, Book Printing, Music Printing, Book-Binding"). ___CONDITION: A solid very good copy overall, externally good plus and internally near fine; the cloth spine clean with some wear at the head, light rubbing at the tail, and one pinpoint hole at the back joint, the paper covering the boards toned, lightly soiled, rubbed at the board edges with some minor wear on the front, the text block edges somewhat foxed and a vintage stamp on the fore-edge for "J.L. Wetmore & Co., Estate House Brokers, Broadway, Oakland" (presumably the owners of this copy), the hinges solid and without any cracked gutters, the first ten leaves or so, and the final few leaves, foxed, the interior pages clean and bright other than the few pages surrounding the inserted advertisements which are also foxed, a few pages dog-eared, the map near fine, clean and with only the original folds, lightly foxed on the verso and a few spots of foxing on the recto, with one short closed tear (approx. three-quarters of an inch) where the map meets the text block and perhaps a pinhole-size tear at the intersection of two of the folds. Overall in better condition than usually found, particularly still with the inserted folding map. ___CITATIONS: Rocq, no. 21; Chandler, p. 199. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note the following: (i) additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs, please inquire for details; and (ii.
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