[California]

Souvenir of San Francisco Compliments of E.H. Kittredge & Co. [cover title]

[San Francisco: Ward & Starin, ca. 1890]. [50] leaves. Oblong octavo. Original blue blind-stamped cloth, gilt titles on front cover. Some soiling, edge wear, and scuffing to covers, spine skillfully rebacked, new endpapers. Occasional minor wear to outer margins of text, scattered thumb-soiling and foxing, gutter of first leaf reinforced. Good. Item #2035

A rare, late-19th century San Francisco business directory comprised entirely of full-page printed advertisements for notable local businesses, many with full-page photographic illustrations of the premises of said businesses on facing pages. For example, a full-page advertisement for Will & Finck, "Manufacturers of the Celebrated California Carvers" and other "Table, Pocket and Kitchen Cutlery" faces a full-page photograph of the "Interior of Will & Finck's Store." Another example pictures an illustration of the Goodyear Rubber Company building facing a full-page print ad for the store on Market Street. Often, print advertisements are not accompanied by a photograph of the business, and in these cases, the facing photograph depicts an important local building, street scene, or park setting. In a few cases, advertisers have used full-page photographs to illustrate a brief print ad or simply with their company name printed in the margins, such as a full-page photograph of the Cliff House with the top margin advertising, "Ghirardelli's Vanilla Chocolate." Other stand-out advertisements feature the Southern Pacific Company illustrated with "A Continuous Panorama of Enchanting Mountain, Valley and Coasy Scenery," the city of Monterey illustrated with a bird's-eye view of the city, and the Arctic Oil Works, illustrated with a photo-reproduction of a bird's-eye view of the company factory in San Francisco. The photographs are photo-typos by Britton & Rey from negatives made by Runnels & Stateler. The present example of this rare promotional directory was sponsored by the famous Bay Area hardware store E.B. Kittredge, with their name stamped in gilt on the front cover. Other copies were sponsored by different retailers. OCLC records just seven copies.

Rocq 12316. OCLC 20743363.

Price: $400.00