"The Most Complete Book On The History of Pasadena Ever Published" (Dawson)
Fine example of this extremely rare early history of Pasadena, illustrated with a plan of the city and large birdseye view.
The work includes detailed plan of Pasadena and an early facsimile copy of Wood & Church's Bird's-eye View Pocket Guide of Pasadena and Vicinity, which was originally published in 1893 with surrounding views. The original Wood & Church view is virtually unobtainable. This is the first time we have seen the 1895 issue of the view, either separately or bound with Reid's book - the book being rare in itself.
In 1943, Dawson's Books described the work as follows:
The most complete book on the history of Pasadena ever published. "Occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls, and other objects of natural, artificial, old historic, or modern interest; being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining: to this region; with a copious index for reference."
And more recently the editors of the Dawson 80 have declared:
It is remarkable that a town about twenty years old, from colony to city, should merit a chronicle of 675 pages of densely-packed information. But Pasadena is no ordinary town, and Reid developed an outline and discussed the idea with several people... Reid drew upon the expertise of others in the community for special chapters: Alfred James McClatchie contributed "Flora of Pasadena and Vicinity"; Joseph Ginnell, then a student, compiled a list of the birds of Pasadena; and much of the information on Pasadena's mammalian fauna was obtained from Charles Frederick Holder. The text details the various private collections, give bibliographies of the town's literary lights, and carefully lists the memberships of the many fraternal societies.
The introductory "threshold remarks" by the author include a charming description of how he opted to get a bicycle instead of a horse in order to meet with old settlers, procure documents and books, confirm localities with his own eyes, and the like. The frontispiece shows Mr. and Mrs. Reid on their respective "wheels" with a couple of "little orphaned grandchildren" (Verna and Helen Douglas) hanging on the handlebars. Reid even wrote a poem to "comend the bike." He concluded: "I found the bicycle wonderfully helpful in my work, and also of some benefit to my health for the exhilarating exercise it gave me."
Rarity
The book is extremely rare in the market.
RBH notes only 1 example at auction in the past 50 years. The book was offered for sale by MacManus in 1968 ($100.00), Dawson Book Shop in 1943 ($12.00) and appeared in an Anderson Galleries Auction in 1920.