This post is part of an ongoing series featuring items from the newly acquired Santo Domingo collection.
With the advent of smartphones and wifi everywhere, travel guidebooks seem like a thing of the past. Back in the late 19th century though, they might have been the only way to find your way around. The guidebook Côtes de Normandie Guide Pratique, though miniature in size (about the dimensions of an iPhone), is packed full of information and surprisingly large fold out maps. With tiny illustrations to accompany its advice, this guidebook would have been a handy companion for a traveler on the coast of Normandie.
The first section of the book is organized into a step by step guide of what to do for a 20 day vacation in Normandie, with different suggestions for every day. Also included are sections on hotels, prices, places to eat and advice for how to interact with the people and customs of the area. After the more general information at the beginning of the book, it is split into sections for each town in the area, with general demographic information, climate, and more suggestions specific to each location. There are activities for all types of people, from casinos to outdoor excursions, so that any traveler would find something to do.
One other interesting addition to this guidebook is the advertising section in the back. Included are typical guidebook ads such as hotels, transportation and restaurants. However, there are also more unusual ads for that type of book like grey-poupon mustard and furniture stores. This small guidebook encompasses everything and acts as a great window into late 19th century tourism.
Côtes de Normandie : Guide pratique correspondant aux voyages circulaires organisés par la compagnie de l’ouest / Paris : Office des Guides Conty, [1895?] is available in Widener Library’s collection.
Thanks to Emma Clement, Santo Domingo Library Assistant, for contributing this post.