Circa 1893 "King's Handbook of New York City With Over 1,000 Illustrations” Hardback Book by Moses King, Second Edition

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Moses King was an American editor and publisher of photographic guidebooks in the 1890s. When the first edition of King's … Read more Moses King was an American editor and publisher of photographic guidebooks in the 1890s. When the first edition of King's Handbook of New York City was published in 1892, its author boasted that it was “the handsomest, the most thorough, the largest, the most costly and the most profusely illustrated book of its type ever issued for any city on earth”. It offered over 800 photographs and illustrations (many full-page) and a full-page map in the text and pictorial endpapers. Ten months later, a second edition was published, boasting 1,008 pages, 1,029 photographs and illustrations, thirty chapters and an index of twenty-four pages with 72 columns, containing over 5,000 items and about 20,000 references. The text furnished an elaborate but condensed history and description of the city itself and also of every notable public institution. It was indeed a picture of New York City in 1893.

This particular second edition hardback book was given to a client of The Germania Life Insurance Company (name of this individual is on the upper right-hand corner of the first page). It is in very good condition with a few “bumps and bruises of life", not unusual for a book that is over 133 years old. The first “bump” is that the spine, that at one time was a tight square spine, has over the years detached itself from the front side portion of the hardback cover (see photo 7) while the backside of the hardback cover remains attached (see photo 8). The opening page and pages 1 and 2 have detached from the main book but remain intact (see photo 8). The pages have turned beige over the years but in spite of this, the text is crisp and legible, as are the photos and illustrations. It measures 8” x 6” x 3” H/W/D.

An iconic book that captures the Gilded Age at its zenith! It’s the perfect book for a collector of early 20th century New York City ephemera or a terrific gift for someone who is.

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About the Author and Publisher.
Moses King was an editor and publisher who produced guidebooks to travel destinations in the United States, including Massachusetts and New York. Born in 1853, he published his first guidebook while still in college, titled Harvard and its Surroundings. After college he held a series of jobs in the publishing industry, working for Science magazine, Bradstreet's magazine, and Rand-Avery Co. He steadily published travel guidebooks from 1878 onwards. By 1888 he formally established the Moses King Corporation. King's illustrated publications about Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and other destinations in the U.S. were generally well received and elicited positive reviews. In 1894 King moved from New York to Boston and published a few handbooks in the area that were written by Moses Forster Sweetser, an author and a manuscript writer of many works such as the King's Handbook of the Boston Harbor. King remained in Boston until his death in 1909. See less