Bibliography of the District of Columbia; Being a List of Books, Maps, and Newspapers, Including Articles in Magazines and Other Publications to 1898, Prepared for the Columbia Historical Society
Washington, D.C. Government Printing Office, 1900. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. [vi], 211, [1] pages. Last page of document has a repaired tear. Rebound with partial leather binding and decorative paper on the outside of the boards. Decorative endpapers. Title page taped back in. Blue pagemark ribbon present. Marks, underlining and comments to text. Senate Document No. 61. 56th Congress, 1st Session. These pages embody the first attempt to bring together the titles of printed matter relating to the District of Columbia. In addition to the usual difficulties of bibliographic work, this has the disadvantage of being the pioneer effort concerning a locality in which the output of a very prolific press for more than a hundred years has been treated with the neglect yet too common in all sections of the United States. It is the hope of the compiler, as well as of the Columbia Historical Society under whose auspices the work has been done, that it will serve a useful purpose in making available material relating to the District of Columbia. The DC History Center was established in 1894 as the Columbia Historical Society by 36 men and women. According to its constitution, the organization was dedicated to the “collection, preservation, and diffusion of knowledge respecting the history and topography of the District of Columbia and national history and biography.” The private, White-only group of journalists, government scientists and scholars, local business leaders, and old DC families, aimed to collect “the scattered and rapidly disappearing records of events and individuals prominent in the history of the city and District” in the context of national events. As in other American cities, the original Historical Society served primarily as a forum for members to present historical research papers, often on their own families or the development of the city. These papers were then published in the Records of the Columbia Historical Society. The members also amassed manuscripts and other documents. Housing those growing collections soon became what would be a chronic challenge. For more than 50 years, the Historical Society made do with rented and donated rooms for offices, a library, and storage. Talented volunteers served as librarians and curators. Condition: Fair.
Keywords: District of Columbia, Bibliography, Reference Works, Washington City, National Capital, Columbia Historical Society
[Book #81628]
Price: $125.00