Description
Scrapbook containing the travel account by Ervine Denison York, General Manager and Assistant Vice-President of the American
Telephone Company, of his travels from Washington, D.C. to Caracas, Venezuela via Cuba, between April 24,1889 and Mar. 30,
1890, illustrated with 103 photographs (some cyanotypes), most of which were taken by York himself, printed maps and illustrations,
calling cards, bank notes, postage stamps, menus, business correspondence and other memorabilia of his travels.
Background
While serving as clerk to U.S. Supreme Court justice Samuel Freeman Miller, E.D. York is appointed Local Manager of the Caracas
office of The American Telephone Company on April 8, 1889, and sets sail from New York City for Caracas on April 12, 1889
aboard the steamer "Philadelphia" of the Red D Line (operated by the Atlantic and Caribbean Steam Navigation Company, successor
to Dallett, Boulton and Bliss & Co.) York includes many pages of text on Venezuela and Cuba from published travel accounts,
as well as maps tracing his travel route, shipboard menus, and original photographs of the steamship, and sites along the
way, such as the harbor at Curaçao, harbor and city scenes of Puerto Cabello and the lighthouse and customs house and wharf
at La Guaira.
Extent
1 v. (ca. [266] leaves ) : ill., maps, ports. ; 28 cm.
Text in blue carbon typescript; interleaved with leaves of white paper containing mounted photographs, excerpts of text and
illustration from published works, printed maps, business and diplomatic documents, including U.S. State Department request
for safe passage for York, dated June 16, 1887, business correspondence on American Telephone Company letterhead, printed
calling cards, samples of currency (Cuban bills of 5 and 10 centavos), postage stamps, hotel and steamship menus, timetables,
advertising circulars for commercial establishments in Caracas and Havana, and other memorabilia.
Modern dark brown leather binding by Berger of Rio de Janeiro; ornamental gold-stamped border on upper and lower covers; gold-stamped
spine title "Ervine Denison York. Venezuelan vistas. 1890;" gilt dentelles; marbled endpapers. Housed in modern beige cloth
clamshell box.
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.