RECENT RESEARCH — A newly unearthed photograph showing the north side of the 600 block of Commercial Street, San Francisco, in the aftermath of the earthquake and fires of 1906 reveals, for the first time, visual evidence of the fate of the building that housed the Eureka Lodgings, where Emperor Norton lived from 1864–65 until his death in 1880. Our analysis of the photo sharpens the focus on the identities and locations of the buildings along this stretch — and exactly what each building suffered in 1906. Includes our highly researched new infographic that can be used as a tool for understanding the history of this location.

The Emperor Norton Trust

TO HONOR THE LIFE + ADVANCE THE LEGACY OF JOSHUA ABRAHAM NORTON

RESEARCH • EDUCATION • ADVOCACY

Geek Out on Emperor Norton!

October 03, 2013  /  John Lumea

William Drury's 1986 biography Norton I: Emperor of the United States remains the authoritative book-length historical treatment of the Emperor.

Alas, the book is long out of print, and nicely preserved copies are not in abundance and — thus — come at a premium. But, when one is trying to rally a movement to name the Bay Bridge for Emperor Norton, is there really any choice other than to bite the bullet and buy the thing?

Delighted that the copy that arrived in my mailbox this week is every bit as lovely as the bookseller's Web site promised. I haven't finished the book yet — but I've read enough to know that there is an absolute wealth of historical detail and that the writer is an exceptionally gifted and elegant storyteller.

If you're going to have one Emperor Norton book in your collection, this is the one to get.

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