New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-04
IRVING'S NEW YORK
A Sumptuous Edition Of One OF
Our Humorous Classics.

A HISTORY OF NEW YORK FROM THE BE ~.
GINNIN0 or THE WORLD 10 THE End OF
THE DUTCH DYNASTY By piedriSss k p,.,,ss,
from the Hand o. Msrnsld Parrish. Esare. Large
s,o pp nj. 7ss. Dotd Mead Co
This handsome edition Of the Kniek-
erbocker History of New York was
first published fifteen years ago
and long since went out OF print. Its
reissue to-day Is welcome, for II IS as
fire a piece Of bookmsking as has been
produced in this country. Its font OF
tyne is gracefully simple and restful
TO the eye, the large type-page Is
noticeably well-bslsnced; in short IN
every typographical detail the book Is
thoroughly artistic.
So much has been written about inc
Knickerbocker History that little re-
din, 10 be said at this late date
planned originally as brief satire on q
highfslutin guide-book of New YORK OF
the period, it grew in the author ;
hands to its Anal proportions iha'
TIA humor was misunderstood, that II
was taken seriously for many years
after its appearance, that America AZ
large accepted IL as true picture Oh
the Dutch in this country long atter
Irving had written his apology IN lo9o
all this is sufficiently we'll known, as
{. alan tho fact that the authors tardy
analogy was called forth by tho per-
sistent protests Of New Workers Oh
Dutch descent, who yet accepted II
they did not themselves assume. from
its title-page, and collective name Oh
Knickerbockers. Indeed, to the very
sting of the satire may be traced tha'
nride of Dutch traditions in New iorh
which has firmly fixed them in Amerl-
can history.
az will say his in further apology
for my work." wrote Irving IN loso
chat IL il has taken an unwarrantaoie
liberty with our early provincial MS
tory il has at least turned attention
to that history and provoked research
II is only since this work appeared thst
the forgotten archives Of the province
have been rummsged and the facts ana
nersonaees Of the olden time rescued
from the dust Of oblivion. Before the
appearance of my work the popular ira
ditions Of our city were unrecorded,
the peculiar Gnd racy customs ana
usages derived from our Dutch progen-
itors were unnc ticed, or regarded with
indifference, or reverted TO with sneer
Now they form q conyivisl currency
and are brought forward on III coca
sions; they link our whole community
q and good fell
lowship; they are the rsllying points OF
home feeling, tho seasoning OF our civic
festivities, and are so harped upon Dy
our writer's Of popular fiction that
find myself almost crowded on the reg
erdary ground which was the hrst 70
explore"
The reference TO the popular novel
lists Of nearly seventy years ago recalls
the now forgotten knickerbocker
School, which deserves attention only
as the first society fiction" produced
in this country. II is preserved IN the
Duvckinck collection at the New York
Public Library.
Concluding his apology In the vein
of the work that called IL forth, Irving
declared: when find it's very name
become a household word, and used 70
give the nome stamp " O'ei
recommended for popular acceptation,
such as Knickerbocker societies. knick-
erbocker insurance companies, knlck-
erbocker steamboats,, Knickerbocker
omnibuses, Knickerbocker bread and
Knickerbocker ice; and when ! ind
New Workers of Dutch descent priding
themselves on being genuine knicker'
bockers'-I please myself with the per
sussion that | have struck the right
chord"