Directories (People) at the Boston Public Library: Social Directories
In general city directories are concerned with the entire population of an area. Blue Books and Social Registers concentrate on the middle and upper classes of their communities so are exclusive rather than inclusive. These kinds of directories mostly aid in finding people, and usually do not give much, if any, biographical information. At most, a few details like the clubs of which they are members may be given in some instances.
Boston Blue Books, 1876 - 1937
The Boston Blue Book: Private Address and Carriage Directory and Ladies’ Visiting and Shopping Guide, for Boston, was a selective residential directory including “only certain better class districts.” Permanent residents of hotels were also shown, and members of the “better” clubs were indicated.
Boston Social Register
The earliest Social Register for Boston in the BPL's Research Services Dept. dates from 1890. Some years have been digitized by the HathiTrust. HathiTrust has also digitized the Registers for other cities. Search by the phrase "social register" to find others. Starting in 1977, the various social registers were combined into one national directory called the Social Register.
Society Directories Online
- Blue Book of Newton, 1892 - 1927 Courtesy of the Newton Free Library via Digital Commonwealth
- Beverly, Manchester and Magnolia Blue Book - 1893 Lists of the residents, societies, etc. of Beverly, and summer residents of Manchester and Magnolia
- North Shore Blue Book. 1915 Lists of the Summer Residents of the Principle Resorts along the North Shore from Nahant to Rockport
- North Shore Blue Book and Social Register, 1922 Lists of summer residents of the pricipal resorts along the North Shore (Massachusetts) from Nahant to Ipswich. Via Internet Archive
- North Shore Blue Book and Social Register, 1926 Lists of summer residents of the pricipal resorts along the North Shore (Massachusetts) from Nahant to Ipswich. Via Internet Archive
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1908 of Massachusetts Bay
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1912 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1912
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1913 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1913
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1914 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1914
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1915 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1915
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1916 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1916
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1917 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1917
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1919 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1919
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1920 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1920
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1921 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1921
- Who's who along the North Shore, 1922 Being a register of the Noteworthy, Fashionable & Wealthy Residents on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay for the Summer of 1922
- 469 Ultra-Fashionables of America, 1912 A Social Guide Book and Register to date,
- Social Register Locater, 1916 "The locater lists in alphabetical order every name in all the Social registers and indicates the family's head under which it may be found and the city in which the name appears."
Miscellaneous social directories
- 1908 - 1910 Numerical list of automobiles registered in Massachusetts.Searchable name index only through Central Library only. Full access only available at NEHGS
- 1908 -Massachusetts Auto List, or Numerical list of automobiles registered in Massachusetts Digitization by Harvard Library
- 1908 - Blue Book of Brookline LIst of Automobile Owners appears on p. 191
- 1909 - Blue Book of Brookline Brookline Automobile Owners appear on p. 196
Society Directories in Paper
In many cases more years of the social registers listed above on line can be found in our paper holdings, which have not yet been digitized. There are additional areas such as the Cape, Malden, Providence, South Shore, Suburban Boston, Wellesley and Winchester available as well. Search our catalog with the subject Social Registers or with title Blue Book.
- Address Book, The : how to reach anyone who is anyone byPublication Date: 1984 - 1995
- V.I.P. address bookPublication Date: 1988 - 2016
- Who's wealthy in AmericaPublication Date: 1991 - 2000
Society Directory Images
Blue Book of Brookline 1885 Advertisement
Who's Who Along the North Shore 1914 Advertisement
Advertisement in 1941 Davis' Blue Book of Brookline, Wellesley and Weston Massachusetts
