Chazy Central Rural School

Chazy, Clinton County, New York: Chazy Central Rural School. Printed by Schilling-Binner Company, Chicago, 1920. First Edition. Full Semi-Hard (or limp) Leatherette. Near Fine. Quite unique celebratory publication for a new high school. We have never seen another such elaborate souvenir for a new school that covers a wide range of aspects of that school, from its educational and extra-curricular offerings to its architecture, with many illustrations of both. Generally the illustrations are b/w, or sepia toned, with also blue print drawings of the building, floor plans and the like, and virtually every page also framed with intricate green printed borders, these much varied in their ornamental vocabulary, and as part of the decoration, often vignette illustrations. The ornamental bands are different from one page to the next, the variety far greater than one would ever expect from such a publication. What we think impelled this particular book project that this wasn't just about a new school but that this school represented a far greater investment in a school serving a rural county than had existed before, at least in upstate New York. Our copy has also a card from the President of the Board of Education of the school, making ours a sort of Presentation copy, although perhaps many of the other copies were distributed similarly. 4to. 31 by 24 cm. 105, [3] pp. Light rubbing to the edges, and some elsewhere on the cover, not amounting to much overall. Otherwise, our copy is clean and immaculately well-preserved.