September 16, 2020 09:00 AM PDT Annex
33
Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express. 1882 Directory of Chinese Business Houses
Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express. 1882 Directory of Chinese Business Houses. San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, Portland, Stockton, Virginia City, Nev., San Jose, Marysville, Los Angeles, Victoria B.C., Denver, Col. [San Francisco] Britton Rey Lith. Collation: [1]bilingual caption title and text, 2-146 text. 10.25" x 7". Wells Fargo & Co. logotype stamped on first pages of each city. Binding: Red and black pictorial paper over boards; lithograph vignette of dragon and harbor scene. Wells Fargo & Co. logotype and Chinese characters on rear cover. Black cloth backstrip. Front and rear free endpapers with Wells Fargo & Co. bilingual stamped logo; endpapers browned.
Wells Fargo & Co. published this beautifully designed bilingual directory the same year as the U.S> federal government enacted the controversial 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act that prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. This compendium demonstrates how a wide variety of Chinese businesses provided vital services to the major cities of the West Coast and Denver, Colorado and were tied into the ever-expanding express company. Printed by the prestigious lithographic firm of Britton & Rey, Wells Fargo and CO. divided the slender volume by city. With few exception, each entry gave the owner's name or the name of the business and its address. Not surprisingly, San Francisco the goat emporium of the West, occupied nearly half of the volume. Laundries, shoe factories, restaurants, tailor shops, groceries, cigar factories and clothing stores and factories made up the majority of listings. On the other hand, Lee Yam on 738 Washington St. and Yut Loy 21 Spofford Alley of San Francisco sold opium. Several pages in this copy are stamped with a bilingual logotype: "Ship Money and Goods by Wells Fargo & Co's Express."
According to an index card inserted into the volume, Western historian and novelist Stuart Lake owned this copy.
According to OCLC, copies are held by the Beinecke Library at Yale University, Huntington Library, California Historical Society and Library of Congress. Processing and shipping within the continental U.S. $25.00 plus 1.5% replacement cost insurance. Witherell's strives to provide as much information and photographs as possible but encourages in-person inspection by bidders. Condition statements are only for general guidance and should not be relied upon as complete statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Witherell's. All lots are sold "AS IS" under terms and conditions. Please be advised we do not provide porters nor packing materials for pick ups.
Condition:
Some text leaves with damp stains. Front and rear binding, loose, scuffed and worn.
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Estimate:
$1,000 -
$2,500
Price Realized Including Buyer's Premium
$5,143
09/16/2020
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Consign With UsWitherell strives to provide as much information and photographs as possible but encourages in-person inspection by bidders. Condition statements are only for general guidance and should not be relied upon as complete statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Witherell. All lots are sold "AS IS" under the Terms and Conditions. Methods of payment are cash, check, money orders, or wire transfer for foreign payments. Please note we do not accept credit cards. This auction has a buyer's premium of 15%.
