We've been reporting on the group in San Francisco working to promote the memory of Emperor Norton, the lovable local eccentric known
in numismatic circles for his issues of "bonds". The group has declared September 17th "Empire Day", the anniversary
of his famous declaration of Emperorhood. Here's their press release. -Editor
Join Us for Empire Day on 17 September
On the morning of 17 September 1859, Joshua Norton walked into the office of George Fitch, the editor of the San Francisco Evening
Bulletin newspaper, and handed Fitch a proclamation in which he, Norton, declared himself "Emperor of these United States."
Fitch printed the proclamation in that evening's edition.
The Evening Bulletin was in the Montgomery Block, the legendary building of offices, parlors and saloons which — in the
Emperor's day — was home to numerous prominent financiers, politicians, judges, writers and journalists.
The building stood on Montgomery Street, between Merchant and Washington — on a portion of the site where the landmark Transamerica
Pyramid now stands.
Today, nestled immediately to the east of the Pyramid, a grove of redwoods anchors the lovely urban oasis of Redwood Park.
Directly across the street from the park is the former site of Fitch's editorial office — where Norton actually delivered his
Proclamation — at 517 Clay.
Please join The Emperor's Bridge Campaign as we celebrate the foundation of Norton's Empire on 17 September 1859 and the
continuation of that Empire into the present and the future — a borderless Empire of the heart open to all who have eyes to see and ears to
hear.
We're calling it Empire Day — and we hope that this will mark the beginning of a new tradition.
EMPIRE DAY Welcoming the 157th Year of the Nortonian Empire
Thursday 17 September 2015 at 6 p.m. sharp
Redwood Park (adjacent to the Transamerica Pyramid)*
San Francisco
* Enter on the Clay Street or Washington Street sides of the Park.
Redwood Park, which normally closes at 5:30 p.m., will be open by special arrangement.
It may be far from a coincidence that Joshua Norton chose 17 September to declare himself and his Empire — as this also was the date, in
1787, when delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the U.S. Constitution.
Today, 17 September is an official U.S. holiday known as Citizenship Day.
So please join us and declare yourself a citizen of the Empire!
Following a brief ceremony, we will adjourn to Comstock Saloon for a toast under the sculpture of Emperor Norton that presides over the
saloon's 1907 bar.
To read the complete article, see:
Join Us in a New Tradition: Empire Day
(www.emperorsbridge.org/blog/2015/8/19/join-us-in-a-new-tradition-empire-day)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor
at this address: whomren@gmail.com
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