California Romantic and Beautiful

Boston: The Page Company, 1914. First Edition, First Printing. Good/No Dust Jacket.

Art nouveau-style pictorial binding with decoration in gilt, yellow, and purple; 9.5 inches tall; 4to; 433 pages indexed & illus; illustrated endpapers; color captioned tissue-guarded frontispiece, 72 illustrations [8 in color]; Folded color map..

The bindings are tight and square. Text clean,  the text is evenly are-toned. Moderate shelf handling wear with rubbed edges; and heavy rubs along the spine edges with some openings that appear to have been glued back. Two gift inscriptions on the verso or the front free end page.. The initial statement of 'California, a land intertwined with Romance and Beauty,' sets the thematic tone for James' book. Rather than merely cataloging landmarks and itineraries, his travel guide aimed to encapsulate the essence of the entire state. James delved into diverse subjects such as history, geology, climate, flora and fauna, natural resources, education, and the arts. As elucidated by one scholar, 'By recounting California's rich history, chronicling the transformation of arid valleys, and extolling the contributions of California's literary and artistic figures, James endeavored to establish California's significance within the broader context of American cultural identity.'

Full Title: California, Romantic and Beautiful: The History of its Old Missions and of its Indians; A Survey of its Climate, Topography, Deserts, Mountains, Rivers, Valleys, Islands, and Coast Line; A Description of its Recreations and Festivals; A Review of its Industries; An Account of its Influence upon Prophets, Poets, Artists, and architects; and some reference to what it offers of delight to Automobilist, Travellers, Sportsman, Pleasure and Health Seeker.

Ref: Shaffer, Marguerite. See America First: Tourism and National Identity, 1880-1940