Walking-Stick Papers

"Walking-Stick Papers" by Robert Cortes Holliday is a compilation of essays from the early 1900s that uses humor and sharp observation to look at cultural, societal, and lifestyle themes. Published in 1918, it touches on everything from the significance of walking sticks to attending art shows, pointing out the strange but interesting details of city life. The book starts with a prologue about the modern symbolic meaning and history of canes, looking at their role as status symbols and their past from simple tools to accessories among different social levels. The first essay, "The Fish Reporter," sets an amusing tone for the rest of the book, using colorful language to describe the fish market and adding the author's own thoughts, capturing the vibrant mood of the industry. The book sets the stage for enjoying beauty in common, ordinary topics.