Australian Album 1857
Stydney: J. R. Clarke, Music Publisher, n.d. [1857]. Hardcover. 10 lithographic prints (including frontis and the illustrative title-page). Preface by Frank Fowler dated December 20th, 1856, followed by Contents leaf and 8 pieces of sheet music. Original (or at least contemporary) blue cloth with the front cover titled ("Australian Album") and decorated in gilt. 35 cm. All edges gilt. Some offsetting. General cover soiling and some stains. Joints and extremities rubbed and frayed with some splitting and loss of cloth. Some of the sheet music closely trimmed (with loss of top edge of some letters on a couple of the illustrated covers) but presumably as published to make the size of the printed leaves of sheet music uniform throughout. A desirable and early Australian musical rarity. The illustrations in this volume are by Edmond Thomas, 1827-1867, who was born in Great Britain and spent the last 15 years of his short life in Australia, trying to make a living mostly as a painter and lithographer. Good. Item #92131
Price: $900.00