Gaz

1914 · 76234 — San Francisco: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 1914. First and only edition. Quarto 9 x 11 1/2 inches. 4 double leaves 12 double leaves of colorized photographic illustrations. Publisher's quarter brown boars over green boards green endpaper to match. Head of spine a but bumped else a bright and fresh copy.The color illustrations are all of P.G. & E works and include; Electra Power House; Cordelia Substation;De-Sabla Power House; Paterson Ranch Pumping Plant; Centerville Power House; Carquinez Straits Crossing; Spillway-Spaulding Damn; Potrero Gas Works; San Rafael Substation; Colgate Power-House; Brown's Valley Ditch; Champion Mine-Nevada County.Ostensibly issued as a keepsake for Christmas of 1914 the real reason was likely to brag about the completion in 1913 of the huge Big Creek plant the gem of the P.G & E system. It is estimated that there were over 100 hydroelectric plants operational in California by 1914. These ranged from small local plants to large-scale projects supplying power to major cities. This was a very deluxe item so it is probable that PGE presented it only major stockholders This is borne out by the fact that OCLC only records 9 copies Printing colorized photographs in books in 1914 was a very complex and costly process. Special paper had to be used thus the french-fold binding here and the technology was still in its nascent form. But the illustrations fairly burst with color. This was at P.G. & E.'s most muscular; in the 21st century the company filed twice for bankruptcy. (Pacific Gas and Electric Co.) hardcover