Romances of Mobile. Issued by Louisville & Nashville R.R.
[Louisville, Ky.]: Louisville & Nashville Railroad for the Tourist Welcome Club of Mobile, 1921. 63,[1]pp., including a full-page map. Illustrated. Small octavo. Original pictorial wrappers printed in brown, black, and orange, stapled. Minimal wear. A bright copy in near fine condition. Item #12651
A rare compilation of romantic tales of Mobile, Alabama, described here as "The Heart of the Storied South" and "the gateway to the Gulf coast." According to the copyright notice, "the eight tales on pages 5 to 56 inclusive are from the pen of Vic Carver, compiled by the Tourist Welcome Club of Mobile." A sampling of the titles include "The Shining Towers of El Dorado," "The Heart of Tuscaloosa," "Madame La Vergne Smiles," and "The Last Slave." The chapter headings feature historical and romantic vignettes. The text is interspersed with numerous photographs and line drawings featuring street scenes in Mobile, notable buildings, park and port scenes, and more. The work ends with a railroad map for the Louisville & Nashville railroad. A short passage from the Foreword sums up the work: "Some small account of how Romance has figured in the life of the city in the dim past…woven of more fact than fancy, a blending of legend and cold truth." OCLC locates just three copies, at South Alabama, The University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Sul Ross.
Price: $350