Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

8vo. Numerous photographs in the text; large folding map ("Plan of Shanghai in 1904") in rear pocket. Original pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt and light purple (spine slightly sunned, a few areas of minor rubbing).

FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST CITY GUIDE ON SHANGHAI PUBLISHED IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. In the early 20th century, Shanghai was experiencing an influx of British tourists, drawn by the city's growing reputation as a cosmopolitan hub. The Bund, Shanghai's iconic waterfront promenade, was prominently featured as the first attraction in Western guidebooks of the time. The 1900 census records 2,091 British residents in Shanghai, a number that would continue to grow until the beginning of World War II when the Japanese occupied the British-controlled parts of the city.