![[Item #62830] Men of Minnesota. A collection of the portraits of men prominent in business and professional life in Minnesota. MINNESOTA, SUBSCRIPTION SCHEMES.](https://lornebair.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/62830.jpg?auto=webp&v=1691021759)
Men of Minnesota. A collection of the portraits of men prominent in business and professional life in Minnesota
St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Company, 1902. First Edition. First printing. Thick octavo; publisher's deluxe binding of full gilt-tooled morocco; aeg; 340pp; chiefly illus. A fine copy in the publisher's binding. More than 2000 photographic portraits (halftones), printed four-to-a-page.
A classic pay-to-play publishing venture, featuring likenesses of more than 2000 prominent Minnesotans of the period (all men), each of whom would have been offered, in exchange for submitting their portrait to the publisher, the opportunity to purchase their own copy (or copies) of the book at a special discounted rate. In a feat of hubristic editorial dereliction, the portraits are not even arranged in alphabetical order – meaning that subscribers, to confirm the wisdom of their investment, would have needed to thumb the pages hard and long before chancing upon their own portrait. A book well-suited to the vanity of its subjects – but this copy unusual for its immaculate state of preservation.
Price: $200.00