Manhattan Manners

Ms. Boyer documents the urban fabric of Manhattan from 1850 to 1900. She focuses mainly on urban planning and the architecture of the era, at times blending social history into her narrative to convey what life was like for the well-to-do of the era. Topics include early retailers, theaters, hotels, apartment buildings, and even brothels, but the overarching theme is how Manhattan developed as the city spread to fill out the street grid. Photos and drawings average more than one per page, with only several floor plans, although most page space is used for the text.