Jamestown Notes [cover-title].

Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Jamestown, Virginia, and other locales: October 9–18, 1907. 4to (11” x 9”), full tan leather, pyrographic designs and title on front cover. 53 pp. of typescript, 24 mounted photos (3” x 4” to 4” x 3”) with other cut-out and oval-shaped photos; [with] Brochure, 5.75” x 3.5”.

A photo-illustrated travelogue documenting a Maine family’s trip to the historic Jamestown Exposition of 1907 in Norfolk, Virginia; en route, they visit New York City, the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, and numerous theater houses, museums, and other public institutions.

Ervin W. Moore (1864–1945) of Bingham, Maine was a pharmacist, optometrist, librarian, and graduate of the University of Chicago’s Divinity School. In 1890, he established his own business E.W. Moore & Son Pharmacy, which still stands today in Bingham, Maine. Moore was also a close associate of fellow Maine resident James L. Williams (1852–1932), a prosthodontist, photographer, and pioneering dental histologist who discovered plaque and invented modern dentures. Both men evidently shared a strong interest in anthropology. The “Jamestown Excursion” undertaken by Moore and his family was conducted by one E.C. Bowler and departed from Bethel, Maine on 9 October 1907. The Jamestown Exposition was held in Norfolk, Virginia and commemorated the settlement’s 300th anniversary.

On 9 Oct., Bowler’s five-person party boards the Somerset R.R.; they pass through Portland, Maine, where they are joined by two of their family members and attend a production of a light opera. From Portland, they travel to Boston where they board the Fall River liner Priscilla and make for New York. Upon arriving, Moore muses over New York City, and presciently notes that skyscrapers may be a “possible solution of the future over-population.” Upon reaching Washington, D.C., by way of New Jersey, he records his impressions of the city, which begin thus: “No other city in the country is like it. There is freedom expressed in its broad streets and magnificent distances.” He notes that “the new Congressional Library building has been completed since we were [last] here.” Moore’s impressions of the Library of Congress begin thus: “to an imaginative mind [the library] might easily suggest the wonders of Aladdin’s palace.” Moore observes that “the great wealth and prosperity of our country is now manifesting itself most lavishly in the national capital.” In Washington, they stay in a “swell hotel” which used to be the residence of Henry Clay (1777–1852) during his long service at Capitol Hill. The following day, they visit the Capitol, the Botanical Gardens, and the National Museum. Next, they take a trip to Mount Vernon. In an entry, Moore waxes poetic on Washington’s tomb and Washington, and he quotes Byron’s lines on Washington. The day after, they visit Alexandria and then Arlington. Before leaving D.C., they see several theater productions and also visit the Smithsonian Institute and the Corcoran Art Gallery.

On 13 Oct. 1907, the company departs from D.C. aboard the Newport News in Chesapeake Bay. Upon arriving in Jamestown via the Potomac river, Moore and his family stay at the Inside Inn. Moore is quickly disappointed by the fair, and he comments in passing that the government has made a great mistake in not holding the exposition in Florida. At this moment, the fair is noticeably unattended. He writes: “Upon the whole of the grounds have rather a barren and unattractive appearance. But we miss most of all the crowds of people which are necessary to make a fair attractive. The fair is on the whole a failure due to the dearth of attendees, being so far removed from a populous area.” Despite these issues, he deems the War Path—a collection of Coney Island shows and the fair’s main attraction—to be the Exposition’s strength. A few days into their stay in Jamestown, Moore and company visit the Philippine Reservation, “where they had families of native tribes and exhibitions of their industries, modes of living, etc.” On their way home, Moore and company attend more fairs and theater productions. They finally make it home to Maine in one piece after a short but eventful journey.

The photos interspersed throughout the journal capture Moore’s family members during the trip (on land and at sea), most of whom are introduced as cut-out photo headshots on the first page. They are pictured on the steamers; at Mount Vernon and in Washington D.C.; and in front of fountains, statues, inns, etc. A number of shots taken at the Jamestown fair capture the Moro people (who were brought from the southern Philippines islands for the purposes of exoticism at the exhibition), and Moore mentions taking these photos in his entries. These include cut-out photos of individual Moros; groups of Moro men, including three holding shields and spears (a massive sign reading “Philippines” can be seen behind them); a Moro man with four young Moro girls; two Moro mothers standing in front of log cabins, each holding infants and accompanied by two Moro children. Other shots taken at the fair show the family walking around and standing idly at the quiet, sparsely-attended Expo; Moore’s son riding a camel (with an camel attendant holding the reigns), and the Moore family at the beach. An erudite man with strong aesthetic and historical sensibilities, Moore’s entries frequently allude to or quote literary figures, both ancient and modern, and he often pauses before locales of historical importance to consider their significance.

CONDITION: Very good.

REFERENCES: Sterling-Gondek, Marilyn. Dr. J. Leon Williams and Concord Haven at canadaroadchronicles.wordpress.com; Ervin W. Moore (1864–1945) on the Moore Family History and Life in the Bingham area in the 19th C. at sites.rootsweb.com