Cincinnati past and present

Fitting the genre of the so-called “mug books” popular in the United States in the 19^th century, this volume is a compilation of biographical sketches of prominent Cincinnati citizens. While the subjects essentially paid a subscription to be included in the book, resulting in only positive chronicles of their lives, the biographies are an important resource for understanding the people of Cincinnati and the city’s development. Most noteworthy are the remarkable photographs of James Landy (1838-1897), who exhibited his images in the United States and Europe, winning several medals in art competitions.

Condition and treatment: This is a late 19^th century half red leather binding with cloth covered boards. There are photographic portraits by “Landy Photo. Cincinnati O” pasted at the front of each industrial figure’s biography. The textblock is heavily coated in loose soot throughout and the leather is worn and broken along the cover joints. Conservation staff will treat the worn leather and repair the joints as well as surface clean the textblock throughout. The binding will be housed in a cloth covered clamshell.