The Star--Shining for the Guidance of New Yorkers in Chicago and the Empire State Society of Chicago
Empire State Society of Chicago, 1916. The Star--Shining for the Guidance of New Yorkers in Chicago and the Empire State Society of Chicago, 1916. 9 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches, 72pp.
Printed paper over boards with quarter cloth binding. Boards are moderately soiled, corners bumped. Evidence of moisture damage to fore edge of boards and throughout the book. Slight cupping to book. No sticking pages, just lightly wrinkled from moisture. Good condition.
Ostensibly a Guidebook to New York State published for ex-pat New Yorkers living in Chicago in 1916. Published by the Empire State Society of Chicago. Printed boards, front and back look akin to a newspaper with membership news. In addition, the final six pages are devoted to doings of the Empire State Society of Chicago.
Otherwise, this book is a cleaver and hilarious spoof on the typical early 20th century booster-rich guidebook, in this case, for the state of New York. Book is arranged by county with short blurbs and photographs highlighting the charms of each locale. For example: "Clinton--This county is--(Pardon me, Dr. Boodle, but is that a hair on your coat? No, Miss Gassy, it is an extra length of fishing tackle. Would you like to borrow it?)". All this below a fine black and white photograph of men canoeing Au Sable Chasm.
Chemung County states: "Chemung County is plentifully supplied with the Elmira Reformatory. Some people prefer their counties without prisons but there is no accounting for tastes...."
Lewis County? "Where will we find such sturdy manhood anywhere upon this vast globe as in Lewis County?"
Other counties offer bad poetry to justify their county or like Schuyler County who offered a clean limerick:
A blase young lady named Tyler
Feared nothing was left to beguile 'er,
But she changed her mind when
She beheld Watkins Glen
In the beautiful county of Schuyler.
We can discover no copies of this little treasure in commerce and only one copy in OCLC at the Chicago History Museum as of January 2026. Item #2438
Price: $275.00