Darkness And Daylight In New York - 1897 - Helen Campbell, T. Knox and T. Byrnes
$ 21.02
Description
Darkness And Daylight In New York - 1897 - Helen Campbell, T. Knox and T. Byrnes. • Authors: Mrs. Helen Campbell; Col. Thomas W. Knox; Supt. Thomas Byrnes (Chief of N.Y. Police and Detectives). Reference copies indicate a substantial length of about 760 pages in this edition (including text and illustrations). Item description Up for sale is an original 1897 edition of Darkness and Daylight; or, Lights and Shadows of New York Life: A Pictorial Record of Personal Experiences by Day and Night in the Great Metropolis, published by The Hartford Publishing Company, Hartford, Conn. This landmark work combines reporting and social commentary on late 19th‑century New York City by reformer Helen Campbell, journalist Thomas W. Knox, and New York City Police Superintendent Thomas Byrnes. The book offers vivid accounts of life in the tenements, missions, saloons, police courts, and underworld districts of the city, alongside scenes of respectable middle‑ and upper‑class life, giving a “lights and shadows” portrait of the Gilded Age metropolis. Campbell’s sections focus on the struggles of working women and the urban poor, while Byrnes contributes material based on his thirty years’ experience as head of the NYPD Detective Bureau, drawn from his private diary. The volume is heavily illustrated, with roughly 250 engravings made from contemporary photographs, many taken “from life” and “mostly by flashlight,” capturing street scenes, interiors, and notable characters. Reference copies indicate a substantial length of about 760 pages in this edition (including text and illustrations). Bibliographic details • Title: Darkness and Daylight; or, Lights and Shadows of New York Life: A Pictorial Record of Personal Experiences by Day and Night in the Great Metropolis • Authors: Mrs. Helen Campbell; Col. Thomas W. Knox; Supt. Thomas Byrnes (Chief of N.Y. Police and Detectives) • Introduction by: Rev. Lyman Abbott, D.D., Pastor of Plymouth Church • Publisher: The Hartford Publishing Company, Hartford, Conn. • Year: 1897 (copyright and title page date) • Approximate page count: about 760 pages including illustrations (based on standard 1897 edition records) • Illustration details: roughly 250 engraved illustrations from photographs, many taken by flashlight specifically for this work Historical interest • Considered a significant example of late 19th‑century investigative and reform journalism focused on New York City’s social problems.[etsy +1] • Helen Campbell (1839–1918) was a pioneering social reformer and author concerned with the conditions of working women and the urban poor. • Thomas Byrnes was one of the most famous police detectives of his era, and his contributions document policing and crime in Gilded Age New York from an insider’s perspective. Condition (fair, antique) • Condition is fair for age. • Believed to be complete: title page present, and contents appear intact; no guarantee of absolute completeness—please review photos closely. • Binding is somewhat loose, with separation noted: text block shows play, and there is partial separation at the hinges/inner gutters; the book should be handled with care. • Expected age‑related wear such as rubbing to covers, corner and edge wear, toning and foxing to pages, and small tears, smudges, or chips may be present. • No attempt has been made to clean, press, or repair; offered as found, for collector, researcher, or display. Notes for collectors This is a substantial, heavily illustrated 19th‑century volume on New York City life, ideal for those interested in Gilded Age urban history, true crime, police history, women reformers, or social‑gospel era religious and mission work. Because of its size, illustrations, and fragile binding, it will be packed securely and shipped with tracking.
