Hotel Vendome, Leadville, CO, Guest Register from 1893

Description: An oversized register book that once stood at the front desk of the famous Vendome Hotel. In use from Aug 13, 1893 – Oct 29, 1893. The book measures 12" x 18". There are 100 signature pages in total with a dozen having only a few names and 20 back signature pages with moisture damage. Guests signed their names, stated where they lived, indicated Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner with initials and designated room numbers if staying at the hotel. Pages of ads are side by side with sign-in pages. There is a Hotel Directory in the back with rates. Initially named The Tabor Grand Hotel, it was constructed in 1883-85 and located on the corner of 7th and Harrison. The Leadville Hotel Company set out to build a first-class hotel in Leadville in 1880 but were short on money so Horace Tabor stepped in and the hotel bore his name. It had 117 rooms, steam heat, and a hotel lobby floor inlaid with silver dollars. It was bought by the Kitchen Bros. in 1887 and renamed the Kitchen Hotel. They sold it in 1891 and it was renamed the Vendome. It operated into the 1930s. This Vendome Dining Register is a unique piece of Leadville History from the Gold Rush era of American History. In 1893, Leadville, Colorado, was at the height of its popularity as the second largest city in Colorado with a population of 40,000 or more. Many famous people made brief stops in Leadville, while others such as the Tabors and Unsinkable Molly Brown called it home. Notable visitors included writer Oscar Wilde, boxer Jack Dempsey, foreign dignitaries, and Captains of Industry such as David May, founder of May’s Department Stores (whose signature is in the book). However, the great tourist attraction for Leadville came from its association with legendary people such as Jesse James, Doc Holiday, and Wyatt Earp. One can imagine Doc Holliday sitting at a poker table in the Vendome bar room holding a fan of cards. Overall condition is Fair with moisture damage to the lower back board which bleeds through a quarter of the book. Photo 8 shows damage to the inside back board; photo 9 shows general damage. Much of the book has a waviness along the fore edges and lower half. Ad pages have offset from signatures, along with smudges and squiggles of ink throughout. There are several margin tears, and some tiny holes (not worm). The top board is Good while the back board is Poor with a large portion of cloth torn away exposing raw board covered in black ink. It also has a dent along the bottom edge. Binding is solid and tight. The leather spine has a 1” piece missing from the head and wear around the heel. The lettering on the spine, Register and Hotel Vendome, are in bright gilt. Each signature page has Hotel Vendome and C H Morse printed along the top so each page is special on its own. Similarly, each ad page states a Leadville population of 11, 212 in 1890. Some script signatures are elegant and a variety of ink marks across the pages gives them character. The ad pages are equally interesting with a variety of ink blots, offset from signatures and streaks. It would be hard to resist reading any one of them framed on a wall. Notwithstanding moisture damage, this is rare item steeped in Leadville Colorado history. Leadville was an unavoidable attraction in 1893; and, registering one’s name at the Vendome for dinner a story-telling experience.

Price: 1500 USD

Location: Denver, Colorado

End Time: 2024-08-11T23:27:24.000Z

Shipping Cost: 50 USD