Album

1848. Quarter Calf. . Very Good. A remarkable student notebook, with manuscript maps, calligraphy and other artwork. Oblong folio, 31 by 48 cm. 33 pages with content, much of it visual. Much of the artwork is mounted onto the leaves, while textual material, written with a calligraphic hand and decorated with filigree vignettes, is generally done directly onto the book's leaves. The four maps include one of Africa, the Americas (the Western hemisphere), Australia, including Oceania and Eastern Asia, and the world as shown in two hemispheres. The maps are very striking -- they are enhanced by small illustrations and/or decoration. Topics discussed textually include orthology, grammar, English, and a table on the French monarchy. While French pedagogy placed an emphasis on aesthetic presentation far beyond schools elsewhere, this notebook or album far surpasses the norm in its beauty and the care obviously applied by Ms. L'Huintre.