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8vo. Pp. xii, 13-646. Frontis. folding, hand-colored "Map of the City and County of New York, 1858." Lavishly published with maps, charts and tinted lithographic views. Bound in brown ribbed cloth stamped in blind and gilt on front and rear boards, and spine. Maps with a few short, closed tears along folds, front joint starting. Withal, a solid copy with cloth bright, gilt gleaming. David Valentine's Manual remains "one of the best and most used sources for information about New York City during three decades of the nineteenth century . published annually between 1841 and 1870 (except in 1867)" (Lawrence, Valentine's Manuals: A General Index, p. 1).In 1830, when Valentine became Deputy Clerk of the Common Council, he manifested his interest in city history by staunching the outbound flow of municipal documents being channeled "to second-hand book- and print-shops, and so passed on into the outstretched hands of covetous autograph- and relic-hunters" (Lawrence, p. ix).As Valentine's title suggests, his manuals served as guides to current New York City with contemporary maps, plans, facts and figures (elected officials, demographics, tax rolls, etc.), but also reproduced historical print matter under his care as ad hoc archivist. Thus, in addition to acting as preservationist, Valentine shared his enthusiasm for Gotham history by reproducing, in this volume for example, a 1740 "View of Fort Greene with the City of New York from the S.W." a colored 1621 map "Americae Septentrionalis Pars," or early newspaper extracts, among many other historical reproductions, all amid the facts and figures of contemporary New York City. Amon the latter, votes received by politicians, costs of operating jails, a roster of licensed pawnbrokers, names of every policeman and the wards in which they serve, and so forth.A particularly attractive copy, with text block clean, corners sharp, fold-outs bright. Seller Inventory # 7236
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