Genesee Valley Historical Reprints

The titles in the Genesee Valley Historical Reprints series are titles from Milne Library’s Genesee Valley Historical Collection, which are scarce and have not yet been digitized. This series preserves these titles of local significance and provides free online access to the full text.

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Little Citizens and their Flags

Elizabeth P. Bernis, Bess Bruce Cleaveland, Genevieve Stump, and Maude M. Grant

This delightful coloring book published in 1922 by the F. A. Owen Publishing Company of Dansville, NY features Bess Bruce Cleaveland’s charming illustrations of children from around the world dressed in traditional clothing; colored flags by Genevieve Stump Foster; and short rhyming poems by Maude M. Grant. There are detailed directions for coloring a boy and girl from each of the many countries included (United States, Mexico, Liberia, Argentina, Holland, England, France, Russia, Alaska (Eskimos), the forest (Indians), Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Italy, China, and Japan) so that “they will look prettiest” in the colors selected, plus a blank flag of these countries to color in the “really truly colors shown in the flags.” The book includes a letter from editor Elizabeth P. Bemis “to all little boys and girls who want something to do,” containing instructions for using the illustrations to make patterns for fun craft projects such as a paper doll parade, peace flags, book ends, twine holders, flower holders, garden sticks, and embroidery.
Jointed Toy Patterns II: For Coloring, Cut Out and Construction Work: Book 2

Bess Bruce Cleveland

Long before magnetic “paper” dolls and interactive walking, talking baby dolls, there was Bess Bruce Cleaveland’s Jointed Toys. Filled with patterns to be copied, enlarged, assembled, and decorated (whether in paper or wood), Cleaveland’s two-volume set offered potentially hours upon hours of make-believe fun for children in the early 20th century. The books provide explicit directions in general for copying and assembling the patterns as well as specific instructions per pattern for coloring and/or making extra copies of a toy part. The jointed toys include duos (e.g., clown and donkey), seesaw duos (e.g., Mary and her Lamb, two jolly pigs), familiar animals (e.g., dog, goat, rooster, tiger, zebra), famous figures like Santa Claus, and characters from legendary Mother Goose nursery rhymes—Wee Willie Winkie, Humpty Dumpty, and Boy Blue are among the most common; Daffy-Down Dilly and Polly, Put the Kettle On may be less familiar.

(summary written by Kim Hoffman)
Boethean cook book: Tested receipts

The Boethean Club of the Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, N. Y

This book contains 22 chapters with over 600 recipes (“receipts”) that are, for the most part, brief and to the point. Contributors’ names accompany most of the recipes, and in some cases different cooks have submitted recipes for the same dish, often with extreme variations. The “Miscellaneous” chapter offers important advice such as how to chop suet, how to make hard soap and hand lotion, and tips for removing old tea and coffee stains. Included in the “Weights and Measures” chapter are many familiar and a few unfamiliar terms. (Did you know, for instance, that “one-half kitchen cupful equals 1 gill”?) The very helpful chapter describing “What to serve with various dishes” guides cooks through what to serve with specific soups, fish, meats, desserts, and salad and also offers tips on quantities when serving larger groups of 25, 30, and 100 guests. The last chapter, “Cuts of Beef,” was contributed by F. W. Austin and provides an in-depth description of every cut and the best way to use each.

(summary written by Donna Hanna)
Poster Patterns and Mother Goose Pictures Books 2

Bess Bruce Cleaveland

Described as “a means of infinite entertainment and instruction for the children,” the two-volume Patterns for Posters and Mother Goose Pictures will delight budding artists, young and old. It offers familiar images from the tales we love that can be traced/copied, cut, colored and mounted onto various paper types and sizes, as recommended by the author. (The original set was printed on fold-out pages measuring 31 x 23 cm.) The directions suggest that the pictures should be painted (by mixing different colors together to create certain hues), but 21st-century children will enjoy crayon and colored-pencil artwork just as well. With each Mother Goose image comes the corresponding tale (e.g., Jack and Jill; Dickery, Dickery, Dock; Pease Porridge Hot), and the layout of images for larger poster mounts (from traditional American holiday to exotic Asian scenes) are illustrated with a smaller rendition of the final product. All pictures included in Patterns for Posters and Mother Goose Pictures were first published in Normal Instructor—Primary Plans.
Jointed Toy Patterns I: For Coloring, Cut Out and Construction Work: Book One

Bess Bruce Cleveland

Long before magnetic “paper” dolls and interactive walking, talking baby dolls, there was Bess Bruce Cleaveland’s Jointed Toys. Filled with patterns to be copied, enlarged, assembled, and decorated (whether in paper or wood), Cleaveland’s two-volume set offered potentially hours upon hours of make-believe fun for children in the early 20th century. The books provide explicit directions in general for copying and assembling the patterns as well as specific instructions per pattern for coloring and/or making extra copies of a toy part. The jointed toys include duos (e.g., clown and donkey), seesaw duos (e.g., Mary and her Lamb, two jolly pigs), familiar animals (e.g., dog, goat, rooster, tiger, zebra), famous figures like Santa Claus, and characters from legendary Mother Goose nursery rhymes—Wee Willie Winkie, Humpty Dumpty, and Boy Blue are among the most common; Daffy-Down Dilly and Polly, Put the Kettle On may be less familiar.

(summary written by Kim Hoffman)
Rochester, the City of Beginnings

Harriet E. Brown Dow

In her 1919 address to the Rochester Historical Association, H.E.B. Dow juxtaposes the city’s history of social tolerance and forward thinking with its religious conscience. This book is a must-read for those who wish to find out how anti-slavery, women’s suffrage, the temperance movement, the modern cult of spiritualists, anti-masonry, and even the raid on Harper’s Ferry had their beginnings in Rochester, NY.

Discover the names and influences of many prominent Rochesterians, most of whom now rest in the city’s famous Mount Hope Cemetery, who had a hand in shaping the nation’s nineteenth century politics and American industry—from the issuance of paper money by the federal government to the founding of Western Union, the Pacific Railroad, the mail order industry, the Republican Party, voting machines, and much more.

(summary written by Justina Elmore)
Snap Shots: Geneseo State Normal, 1918

Geneseo State University of New York

This pictorial of Geneseo Normal School scenes is an attractive, thorough “snap shot” of the school as it existed at nearly 50 years old. Included are photographs taken from within and without “Old Main,” then still the school’s sole building (albeit with all its added wings and annexes)—different scenes and activities within the library, kindergarten, and other training school classrooms; athletic teams and facilities; orchestra and dramatics; plus a few outdoor scenes. The inclusion of photos of the Court St. kindergarten, the Union School on Center St., and the infirmary on North St. (one of the first of its kind in the nation) illustrates the school’s early expansion and influence in the community. Well-framed and composed, the photographs manage to portray the people and places of GNS to maximum effect. One photo in particular, captioned “Winter Sports—Tobogganing,” offers a rare view of the Old Main “complex” looking up the hill from the west, a wooden fence in the mid-ground suggesting the limits of campus development at the time. This slim little album is peppered throughout, curiously but adorably, with photos of birds and other little critters—including two owls on a branch (“Get Wisdom”) and a squirrel’s head just visible in the knothole of a tree (“Good Morning”).

(summary written by Liz Argentieri)
Poster Patterns and Mother Goose Pictures Books 1

Bess Bruce Cleaveland

Described as “a means of infinite entertainment and instruction for the children,” the two-volume Patterns for Posters and Mother Goose Pictures will delight budding artists, young and old. It offers familiar images from the tales we love that can be traced/copied, cut, colored and mounted onto various paper types and sizes, as recommended by the author. (The original set was printed on fold-out pages measuring 31 x 23 cm.) The directions suggest that the pictures should be painted (by mixing different colors together to create certain hues), but 21st-century children will enjoy crayon and colored-pencil artwork just as well. With each Mother Goose image comes the corresponding tale (e.g., Jack and Jill; Dickery, Dickery, Dock; Pease Porridge Hot), and the layout of images for larger poster mounts (from traditional American holiday to exotic Asian scenes) are illustrated with a smaller rendition of the final product. All pictures included in Patterns for Posters and Mother Goose Pictures were first published in Normal Instructor—Primary Plans.
The Jackson Health Resort: Health For All

The Jackson Health Resort

A fascinating glimpse into the past, The Jackson Health Resort: Health For All is a pictorial marketing brochure originally published in 1916 to entice potential clients. A menu from the July 4, 1916 dinner is included as an addendum to this

edition. Formerly called the Jackson Sanatorium and also called Castle on the HIll by local residents, the former health resort is located in the Genesee Valley region, on a hill 800 feet above Dansville, NY. Founded by Dr. James Caleb Jackson, “…a man of unusual type and talents…”, the Health Resort was a pioneer in alternative medical treatments such as the water cure, baths, and various electrical treatments in vogue during the nineteenth century. While the pamphlet does not cover the history of the Jackson Health Resort, it is a descriptive guide to the services, facilities, and treatments which the resort had to offer in 1916. The black-and-white photographs depict the landscape, architecture, and layout of the facilities, including dining rooms, cottages, greenhouses, chapel, and treatment rooms, as well as many others.
Choice and Tested Recipes

The October Committee of Christ Church Guild, Cuba, NY

Ladies of Cuba, NY, have joined forces to contribute some of their best-loved recipes in this 86-page cookbook from the World War I era. A journey back in time representing food staples (e.g., brown bread, tomato soup, suet pudding, boiled salad dressing) as well as local businesses (advertisements appear throughout the recipe book), Choice and Tested Recipes is dedicated “to those ‘Plucky Housewives’ who master their work instead of allowing it to master them.”

Beyond recipes that highlight some of the area’s finest ingredients (Jell-o from LeRoy and Royal baking powder from Brooklyn, NY), Choice and Tested Recipes offers a course-specific quote at the beginning of each section (e.g., John Heywood’s “Would you both eat your cake and have your cake?” for the section on cakes), advice for remedying household challenges (e.g., removing old tea/coffee stains, healing bruises, adding nutrients to and removing slugs from rose bushes, cleaning up while one works), and additional concoctions for healing those in the “sick room.”

Choice and Tested Recipes is organized by course, with a general table of contents on the last page, including breads, soups, meats, pies and puddings, conserves and jellies, and beverages. The recipes are simple, written in short paragraph format, and reveal a bit of each contributing housewife’s personality. For instance Miss Wright’s Clubhouse Sandwiches are “fit for a prince,” Mrs. C.A. Wheeler deems her Smothered Ham “a delicious dish,” and Mrs. G.E.P.’s tomato bisque recipe warns fellow housewives to “stir tomatoes slowly into the milk; if the reverse is done it will curdle.” Bon appetit!

(summary written by Kim Hoffman)
Y.M.C.A Cook Book: by the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Y.M.C.A. Medina, N.Y.

The Ladies' Auxillary of the Y.M.C.A. Medina, N.Y.

The title page of the Y.M.C.A. Cook Book states that “every receipt has been tested,” presumably by committee members Mrs. George Benson, Mrs. Avery Andrews, and Mrs. G. H. Simonds. The book contains almost 500 recipes divided into nineteen chapters, each described (in most cases) in under four sentences, covering everything from basic baking powder biscuits and cocoanut pudding to marguerites (cookies). The recipes are easy to follow and have good instructions. Some personal judgment must come into play, though when recipes call for a hot, very hot, moderate, slow, or quick oven for baking or a “half sifter” as a measurement. Along the way, readers may also learn a new (well, old) term or two, such as “pieplant” for rhubarb.

(summary written by Donna Hanna)
Contributed Recipes

The Ogden Baptist Y.P.S.C.E

Contributed Recipes, like so many older, locally produced cookbooks, offers readers much more than just recipes. There’s all that rich cultural (and commercial) history, too, such as the admonishment to “Use F. W. Potter & Co.’s Gilt Edge Flour for Pastry” that runs across the footer of each page, and the back-cover description of Shredded Wheat’s wholesomeness and vast array of uses. This little book includes just over 200 recipes, not all of them edible (savor the Parker House rolls and sugar cookies, but resist tasting the liniment).

The last of the ten categories, or chapters, has been reserved for “Miscellaneous,” a curious stew that includes various ointments as well as recipes “To Remove Mildew,” “To Make Tough Beef Tender,” and for scalloped potatoes, ice cream, fudge, and other candies. The recipes, each of which credits its contributor, are straight to the point and use a minimum of words, but most leave baking directions (oven temperature, time) to the discretion of the reader—surely a glaring omission to modern cooks. A brief index at the back is followed by several pages of ads for the cookbook’s local sponsors.

(summary written by Donna Hanna)
Recipes of Quality: A Cook Book De Luxe

American Brewing Company

Compiled and published by the American Brewing Company of Rochester, N.Y., Recipes of Quality covers courses, foods and preparations representative of early 20th century American tastes. (No surprise, then, that all the recipes are deemed best “when you augment these preparations with the zest contained in every bottle of Liberty Beer or Seneca Ale”!) The book begins with sections on cooking tips, cooking terms and “Household Rules,” which covers cooking times, wines & cordials pairing, and measurement. A lot of space is given to this last, because (according to the book) “The fountain of good cookery is accuracy.” Fun measurement fact: “A speck of anything is what will lie within a space ¼ inch square.”

The recipes range from the elegant (Mushrooms Under Glass Cover, Waldorf Salad, Wine Syllabub), to the “exotic” (Frizzled Beef Tetrazzini, Fish Pudding, Liver Balls (or, for the more daring, Surprise Balls), Prussian Cutlets, Salad of Calves Brains, Bummer’s Custard), to the more familiar and timeless (Cream of Tomato Soup, Irish Stew, Chocolate Pudding).

Recipes of Quality is both a useful cookbook and a glimpse back in America’s history, culinary and otherwise. It is rather heavy on the German dishes (Murberkuchen, Spanferkel, Sauerbraten, something called Konigsberger Klops) and other European favorites. The recipes are well written, with precise measurements and surprisingly simple directions. The cooking temperatures and times, however, are somewhat vaguer than modern cooks are accustomed to, but this merely lends to the book’s charm—as does the section on suggested menus for luncheon, dinner and supper. The book recalls an era of multi-course Sunday afternoon dinners, pre-WWI table d’hôte, and what the folks in any given Edith Wharton novel are likely to be eating.
Mother Santa Claus Stories

Henry E. Altemus

Part of Altemus' Mother Stories Series, Mother Santa Claus Stories evokes a time when life seemed simpler and childhood seemed more innocent.

"Have you ever heard of the Santa Claus of the Telephone? It may sound strange at first, but stop and think a moment and you will agree that Santa Claus has a right to make use of late inventions" (from "Hello! Give Me Santa Claus!"). Now, how adorable is that? This collection of twenty-eight Christmas stories in prose and verse is adorned with charming black and white illustrations on nearly every page. Among the stories included are "Christmas in Kandahoo," "How the Turkey Felt About Christmas," "When Dorothy Saw Santa Claus" (illustrated with a slightly disturbing drawing of a goose asleep in a bed while a smiling knife and fork sit on its chest, pointing as if to say, "We're coming for you!") and, of course, Clemente C. Moore's classic "The Night Before Christmas."

While adults will enjoy these stories for their quaintness of language and illustration, children will enjoy them simply because they are delightful. Intended for reading aloud, they are a perfect way for folks of all ages to get in the old-fashioned Christmas spirit. Mother Santa Claus Stories also offers a great glimpse into the popular culture of early 20th century United States, and provides many opportunities to teach kids about the past.

(summary written by Liz Argentieri)
Golden Links Cook Book

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Perry, N.Y.

Collected for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Perry, N.Y. by a group of eight women under the direction of a Mrs. W.H. McClelland, this cookbook is chock-full of brief (but good) recipes for a variety of dishes. Each section is prefaced with a culinary aphorism, such as Eggs (“In thy concoction there was common sense.”) and Candies (“Sweets to the sweet!”), and interspersed throughout are advertisements for domestic products from both local and national businesses.

(summary written by Joe Easterly)
Proceedings of the Centennial Celebration of the organization of the First Presbyterian Church

William Excell

Little church histories are so often more than that—they are snapshots of specific places in specific times, of course, but the “granular” view they offer of local communities provides insight into the larger historical milieu. They are microcosmic, and interesting to locals, genealogists, and historians alike.

This centennial history of Livonia, NY’s First Presbyterian Church is an excellent example. The introduction covers much ground, including a recap (and detailed program) of the events of the three-day celebration, “shout outs” to the folks responsible for making it happen, and regret over the lack of space to include all the addresses given and letters sent (although a list of senders is included). What does make it into the record, though, is gold, beginning with a succinct “Historical Paper” on the church—from its founding on Dec. 29, 1806 by 17 faithful souls as the Second Congregational Church of Pittstown (Livonia’s original name), through its noteworthy members, organization, governance, and buildings over the years. The current church, built in 1832, is noted for being “the very first building in town that, up to that date, ever was raised without having liquor.” Other sections deal more specifically with “The Woman’s Missionary Society,” “The King’s Daughters,” and Sunday School (started in 1818 as the Catechetical Society of Livonia). The slightly more general “Reminiscences of the Village and Presbyterian Church of Livonia, NY” is a skillful attempt by Rev. S.W. Pratt (a native of Livonia, then at Campbell, NY) to “re-inhabit the village and the church for the benefit of the present generation and those to come, to tell some things about the fathers which may help us to live worthy of such ancestry.” Of Livonia itself he writes, “It is an honor to have been born here; it was a good town to live in; it would be a good town from which to go to heaven.”

This tidy little volume finishes up with a list of the names of those 17 charter members and chronological lists of the church’s ministers, deacons, and elders throughout its history.

(summary written by Liz Argentieri)
The Genesee Valley Cook Book

Angelina Jenkins Mumford

This charming cookbook full of “receipts” was privately printed by Miss Mumford in 1905. Unlike many recipe books from the time period, there is a lot of detail about ingredients and amounts. The author states in a note that she felt the recipes were worth passing down through the generations. There are some gems here, but the fun of reading it is in descriptions such as “boil a chicken to pieces” and names like “Meat Jelly for Invalids” and “ChowChow.” The Genesee Valley Cook Book provides valuable insight into turn-of-the-century upstate New York households and lives.

(summary written by Sue Ann Brainard)
Genesee County Cook Book: in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the Presbyterian Church, Corfu, New York

The Women's Missionary Society

If you’ve ever wished you could create a meal like your grandmother used to make, then the Genesee County Cook Book is the resource for you. Compiled and published in 1918 by the Woman’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church of Corfu, New York, the cook book includes recipes for soups, fish, meats, relishes, entrees, salads, deserts, preserves, pickles and confectionary. Dessert recipes include several sections including puddings and sauces, pies, ice creams and ices, cakes, cookies, fried cakes, muffins and breads.

Recipes tucked within the pages range from timeless classics like chicken noodle soup, ginger bread cookies and elderberry pie to the more exotic like Yorkshire pudding, broiled pidgeons, or shredded wheat oyster patties.

(summary written by Justina Elmore)
Henry Clay: The Great Compromiser

Howard W. Caldwell

One of the many publications issued by the Instructor Publishing Company (later called F.A. Owens Publishing Company), based in Dansville, New York, this small biography of Henry Clay was written as a text for history teachers, intended as a guide in their instruction of Henry Clay. Originally printed in 1899, what sets this biography apart from others isn’t the content as much as the organization of the text, which includes the Clay biography and several small specialized sections at the end of the work. One of these, “Anecdotes and Characteristics of Henry Clay,” reveals some amusing (as well as some perplexing) anecdotes on the topics of “Clay and Burr,” “Clay’s First Bank Speech,” “Clay’s Duels,” “Clay and the People,” and many intriguing others. This section is followed by another called “The Story of Henry Clay” and gives numbered paragraphs which an instructor may distribute to students for oration. These are followed by “Questions for Review,” recommendations from the author for subjects of special study, a chronology of Henry Clay’s life, and a bibliography. While not a revelatory study of Henry Clay, the book itself provides an intriguing look at textbooks of the late nineteenth century.

(summary written by Kate Pitcher)
Daniel Webster: A Character Sketch

Elizabeth A. Reed

One of twelve volumes in the True Stories of Great Americans series published by Instructor Publishing Co. in Dansville, N.Y., Daniel Webster: A Character Sketch appeared in 1899, less than fifty years after its subject’s death. The book chronicles the life of Daniel Webster from his humble beginnings in a pioneer family through the arc of his remarkable career: from young public school teacher, to lawyer who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, to U.S Congressman, and finally to Secretary of State for three U.S. presidents. Also included are daguerreotype images of Webster and other public figures of his time, facsimiles of speeches in his own handwriting, and a brief chronology of the major events of his life.

(summary written by Justina Elmore)
Glacial Geology of Western New York

Herman Le Roy Fairchild

With an abundance of physiographic features related to the glaciers that once covered the area, Western New York is an ideal location for those who study glacial geology. Herman La Roy Fairchild came to the University of Rochester in 1888 as the first professor with a primary interest in geology. Like many scientists of his day, Fairchild taught classes in many disciplines including geology, botany, zoology, physiology, and physical geography. In one of his first publications about the glacial geology of Western New York, Fairchild uses direct, concise prose to describe the glacial features of the area. Fairchild describes the underlying bedrock geology, discusses the direction of ice flow and the thickness of the ice sheet that once covered the region, and details the extent and location of glacial deposits such as moraine, drumlins, kames, and eskers. A large section about glacial lakes foreshadows Fairchild’s increasing expertise on the topic. Those interested in an updated description of the glacial features of Western New York should read Y.W. Isachsen’s Geology of New York: A Simplified Account.

(summary written by Bonnie Swoger)
Report of the Committee on Craig Colony

Enoch V. Stoddard M.D., William P. Letchworth, and Peter Walrath

The Craig Colony for Epileptics opened in Sonyea, NY, in January 1896 as “a new form of charity, recently adopted by this State, and is based upon the idea of being, as fully as possible, self-supporting.” Indeed, it was only the second such institution in the United States. This brief report, written in November 1896 by Committee members Dr. Enoch V. Stoddard, William P. Letchworth, and Peter Walrath, is an assessment of the Colony’s first year in operation. Their conclusion that “this experiment on the part of the State has proved, during its first and most difficult year of trial, to be not only justifiable, but such as to meet the further expectations of those who have been most interested in it origin and development” was quite prescient, as the Colony (which was eventually renamed Craig Developmental Center) continued to operate until 1988.

In their report, the Committee describes the progress made on renovating the existing buildings of the former Shaker site where the Colony is located and makes a case for construction of a new administration building new dormitories for patients (alternately referred to as inmates), a house and office for the Superintendent, and living quarters for employees, most of whom have had to find lodging in Mount Morris, a village some four miles distant. Much praise is given to the doctors at Craig, who have established meticulous record-keeping based on careful and scientific observation and have made advances in classifying, and thus treating, epileptic patients. Treatment includes occupation (patients engage in real agricultural work, earning $14,230.20 for the Colony in its first year, and other household and technical work), diet (very little meat, lots of fruit and vegetables), and “a common school education” (a school was opened in September 1896 to provide “moral and mental treatment” for the patients.)

As medical science progressed and treatments for epilepsy evolved, Craig Colony’s useful life came to an end in the late 20th century, but it became the foundation for the Finger Lakes Developmental Disabilities Services Office based in Rochester, NY.

(summary written by Liz Argentieri)
Recollections of 3 Rebel Prisons

G. G. Prey

Col. Prey shares his observations as a Union officer captured with his regiment near Petersburg, VA, in August 1864 in this richly detailed account of the conditions and daily life in three Confederate prisons near the end of the Civil War. From the fateful battle where Prey was forced to surrender, through his several prison-bound journeys through the countryside where he witnessed for himself that the South is about played out, to the factories and warehouses that served as the prisons, readers will invariably share the misery of the soldiers cold and damp clothing, meager rations, frustrated escape plots, menacing muggers, and the overall filth and suffering that constituted their lives for six months, until their release in a prisoner exchange in February 1865.
McFadden’s System of Physical Training: An illustrated system of exercise for the development of health, strength and beauty

Bernarr A. McFadden

Bernarr Macfadden (born Bernard McFadden) was nothing if not an interesting man. Considered to be a pioneer of physical culture as we know it, he was hailed by some and mocked by others. Detractors targeted him because of his tremendous ego, but no one could deny the man’s love for the human body. That love shines through his prose in Physical Training—one of the first of his numerous published books. The work is quaint by today’s standards of fitness and health: Macfadden’s exercise equipment is antiquated (and often quite curious), his dietary advice is outdated (not surprising, given the decades of science that have elapsed), and his views on beauty are old-world. If you are looking for practical or current knowledge related to fitness, there are better places to look, but for sheer pleasure and historical appreciation, Macfadden’s passion and eccentricity make Physical Training a fascinating read.
Rochester through a Kodak

Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Featuring numerous photographs and copper engravings, Rochester Through a Kodak is both a literal and figurative snapshot of the Flower City during its heyday in the late 1800s. Many of Rochester’s signature locations are pictured within its pages—from High Falls and the Genesee River Gorge, to Kodak Park and the University of Rochester campus. There’s a lot more to this book than pictures, however. In addition to the wonderful images, it’s filled with information about the city’s industry, transportation, and municipal works. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the historical perspective it offers. After just a few short pages of reading, it becomes readily apparent why nineteenth-century Rochester was such an appealing destination for people and businesses alike.

(summary written by Daniel Ross)