Selma, Alabama. A Charming Southern Winter Resort.
Selma, AL: Selma Printing Company, 1893. 32pp. Illustrated with photographs. Oblong small octavo. Original printed wrappers, sewn. Minor wear and soiling to wrappers. Internally clean. Very good. Item #13167
A practically unrecorded promotional touting the "charming" city of Selma, Alabama as a winter resort and for other advantages. The first line of text reads: "No city in the South presents greater attractions for the tourist or to the capitalist desiring profitable investments than Selma, popularly known as the 'Central City,' or more appropriately the 'Park City' of Alabama." The text also includes passages describing the city itself, its streets ("the handsomest of any city in the South"), the mineral wells, social attractions in the city, and more. Almost every two-page spread includes one page of text and one full-page photograph, the latter picturing prominent spots in Selma. These include five featuring the Hotel Albert, various street scenes, the building of the YMCA, an interior of the City National Bank, a scene on the Alabama River, and various local businesses (Alabama Oil Company Mills, Mathews Cotton Mills, etc.). OCLC only reports one 1999 reprint of this work. As such, the reprint either came from the present copy or another copy held privately or not reported to OCLC. In any case, a decidedly rare work.
Price: $650