Heading: (California - San Francisco Chinatown)
Author: Bode, William Walter
Title: Lights and Shadows of Chinatown
Place Published: San Francisco
Publisher:Press of H.S. Crocker Co.
Date Published: 1896
Description:

Unpaginated. Illustrated by Bode with 32 mounted full-page plates printed on India paper, several text illustrations as well as a front cover color illustration and a rear cover drawing. 28.5x22 cm (11¼x8½"), side-tied string ties. Second Edition.

Beyond pictorial and photographic albums, this was the first book written about San Francisco Chinatown, published posthumously by the widow of the author, a young portrait artist from New York, who died prematurely in the year of publication. Bode was fascinated by Chinatown and its residents, whom he found to be a "clean, sober, sagacious and industrious people." His skillful sketches of people and scenes convey a vivid picture of Chinatown at the end of the 19th century.

Wrappers and first plate mounted on card and bound in at front, severe page toning and offsetting, wear and tear to edges; overall good.