author
Charles A. (Charles Albert) Murdock
1841–1928
A San Francisco printer, civic leader, and memoirist, he left behind a warm firsthand account of California life in the 19th century. His writing is especially valued for the way it blends personal memory with the history of a growing city.
1 Audiobook
A Backward Glance at Eighty: Recollections & Comment
by Charles A. (Charles Albert) Murdock
About the author
Born in Boston in 1841, he moved to California as a teenager in 1855 and built a long career in San Francisco public life. He worked as a printer, became known for fine printing, and also served in civic roles including the California State Assembly, the San Francisco Board of Education, the Civil Service Commission, and the Board of Supervisors.
He was closely connected with Unitarian circles and edited the Pacific Unitarian for many years. Libraries and historical records remember him not only as a public servant, but as one of California's distinguished printers and a thoughtful observer of his time.
Today he is best known as the author of A Backward Glance at Eighty (1921), a memoir that looks back on his journey from New England to California and on the people and institutions that shaped his life. The book remains appealing for its clear, personal view of early California and San Francisco.