Finding Meaning in the Shadows

James D. McCabe. New York by Sunlight and Gaslight. Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers, [1881?].

Author James Dabney McCabe Jr. wrote prolifically on subjects including the Civil War, the history of the United States, and city life (including Paris by Sunlight and Gaslight). This title was perhaps his best-known work. McCabe praised New York City’s many wonderful features, such as the specialty shops on Fifth Avenue and the city at Christmastime. But he also brought to light some of the less savory aspects of urban life, such as the “wretched” who loitered along the wharves, and the unfortunates who found themselves prisoners in The Tombs.