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April 20, 1999
Media Contact: Yvonne French (202) 707-9191
Public Contact: Center for the Book (202) 707-5221

Gold Rush Historian J.S. Holliday to Discuss His New Book on June 10 at the Library

J.S. Holliday, a popular lecturer and the author of Rush for Riches: Gold Fever and the Making of California (Oakland Museum of California and the University of California Press, 1999), will discuss his new book at the Library at 6 p.m. June 10 in the Mumford Room, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. The talk is part of the Center for the Book's "Books & Beyond" author series. It is free and open to the public.

Mr. Holliday's book sets forth the epic story of the world's first gold rush from 1849 to the climactic year of 1884, when the U.S. District Court in San Francisco shut down hydraulic mining operations in the tributaries of the Yuba River. Rush for Riches includes nearly 250 illustrations, 100 in full color, that illuminate the author's narrative. They include daguerreotypes, photographs, paintings, lithographs, sketches, and maps drawn especially for the volume.

Mr. Holliday is director emeritus of the California Historical Society and former director of the Oakland Museum of California. He has appeared in several television documentaries, including the PBS series "The West." He is also author of The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience (1981).

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries. Its program, which is supported mostly by private funds, reaches into every region of the country through a network of 36 affiliated state centers and more than 50 national educational and civic organizations. For more information, visit its Web site at www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook.

Interpreting services (American Sign Language, Contact Signing, Oral and/or Tactile) will be provided if requested five business days in advance of the event. Call (202) 707-6362 TTY and voice to make a specific request. For other ADA accommodations, contact the Disability Employment Office at (202) 707-9948 TTY and (202) 707-7544 voice.

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PR 99-055
4/20/99
ISSN 0731-3527