Author: Eric Friedman, The Ledger and the Mirror

Saturday, 9/19/2026
1:00 - 2:00

Suitable for:

Adults

The Ledger and the Mirror uncovers the real William A. Leidesdorff through global archival research, revealing both a remarkable life and the ways history is continually reshaped, distorted and remembered. As a pioneering Black entrepreneur, Leidesdorff rose from his Caribbean origins to become a key diplomat, civic leader and one of early California’s wealthiest figures. His extraordinary achievements and the mystery surrounding his fiercely contested estate have fueled nearly two centuries of competing legends about who he truly was.

Author Readings & Lectures

Engage with your favorite writers and discover your next read.

History

Learn about historical events.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.