Junk Worth Saving!

Description

Amazing piece of history here, this is an all original leather photo album by The American Photograph Album company circa 1860s. We say "all original" because it appears that this book of faces (the original facebook!?) were collected by the same person or family, and they filled the book and didn't stop until it was complete. There are 25 pages in this 5x6 inch book, making a total of 50 faces. This item came out of Oregon, and appears to have been assembled by the Weeks family who emigrated west. Some of the photos are members of the Weeks family and relations with surnames Mason, Sullivan, Brown, Graham and others, but the collection is more varied as it appears that the collector was eager to add whatever face that they could get their hands on. In total there are 17 tintypes, 26 carte de visite (CDV), and 12 newspaper clipped portraits. There are some gems here...

Tintypes: we have some babies, women, couples, a Professor Brown, and 2 from a party which are amazing showing men and women together drinking and smoking.
CDVs: most notable is a very rare standing General Grant (wearing Abraham Lincoln mourning ribbon taken just after the assassination) and a Madame Sherwood (the fat lady). Might be some other interesting people in here some names are: JB Wadleigh, Benjamin Mason, Douglas Phelps, Josie Mansfield, Emma Robie, and Dustin Goodenough! 
Newspaper: the collector was also fond of newspaper portraits, and some of the pages, as well as the inside book cover pages, have these affixed (some with glue). There is one loose newspaper clipping about the marriage of Laura Graham and Louis Brown of Boston or Portland Maine, written in pen on this clipping is Jan 9 1867 (crossed out) and then rewritten Jan 9 1869. Other stories on the clipping relate to Portland Maine and Providence RI, some more good clues for research. 

The book itself is in good condition for its age, but not great. The metal clasps are missing (this album isn't terribly rare so replacements could be found), the gold gilt work on the front cover is mostly worn off, and the spine has wear mostly at the top which is common from being pulled off the shelf repeatedly. The binding is actually good, with some looseness but solid and the book can be viewed with ease. The photos themselves have not been taken out of pages or inspected further, most are in good shape having lived their lives in this album. Many pages have foxing and finger smudges near the edges, no water damage, and there is very little writing in the book, most is in pencil and are just names written underneath the photos. Only one very old dealer marking in pen on the first page as shown in photo. All in all, an amazing face book photo collection with honest wear, one that perfectly exemplifies how people once collected portraits.

Size:

5 x 6 x 2.5 in.

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Leather Photograph Album 17 Tintypes 26 CDVs Civil War 1860s Face Book

Estimated Value: $550.00
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