Gynberg Ballads.
[San Francisco]: [Schmidt Lithograph], [1887]. First printing. Pamphlet. A rare pamphlet of humorous verse parodying the reign of Kalakaua. Forbes 3867 states "The subjects include the opium license scandal, the "Historical Procession" that had been a feature of Kalakaua's Jubilee celebration of 1886, and the voyage of the Kaimiloa to Somoa."
The author was editor of the Hawaiian Gazette, and the pamphlet was possibly coauthored by Edward William Purvis, a former member of the king's military staff. "In December 1886, Junius Ka'ae, who served as Registrar of Conveyances under King Kalakaua, convinced Aki to present multiple bribes totaling $75,000 to the king in order to secure the grant of an license to import and sell opium in the islands. Ultimately, this scandal became one of the corruption charges which led to the July 1887 coup of the king by his opponents and the forced signing of the 1887 Bayonet Constitution which restricted his executive power. Ka'ae was forced to resign. The new constitution also disenfranchised the naturalized Chinese residents of the kingdom and ushered in a race-based suffrage system which completely excluded Asians from voting or citizenship."(Wikipedia)
A copy in the original decorative pale yellow paper wrappers, title & illustration (a anthropomorphic gin bottle) with a very Nouveau decoration in dark green. 8vo, 24pp, 13 chromolithographed vignette illustrations heading each chapter, which is written in verse.
OCLC: 16338017; Forbes 3867. A rare item complete with the publisher's wrappers. Very good condition. Item #26408
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