Lausanne: La Guilde du Livre / Editions Clairefontaine, 1955. First French edition, first printing. Paperback (stiff grey card stock) with jacket (as issued). Scarce in wrapper. The wrapper has some creasing and rubbing, with edgewear. Previous repair has reinforced the wrapper spine (inside). The book block is disbound, with the majority of the pages detached from each other. Previous owner's bookplate to the inside board. 14 black and white photos (12 inside, 2 on the cover). 280 x 220 mm (11 x 8¾ inches).
Martin Parr; The Photobook vol 1, page 187/201. Andrew Roth; Book of 101 Books, page 132; 802 photo books from the M. + M. Auer collection, page 336. Première édition française, premier tirage. Broché (carton gris rigide) avec jaquette (telle que publiée). Rare sous emballage. La cape présente des plis et des frottements, avec des usures des bords. Une réparation précédente a renforcé le dos de la cape (intérieur). Le bloc de livre est détaché, avec la majorité des pages détachées les unes des autres. Ex-libris du propriétaire précédent sur le tableau intérieur. 14 photos en noir et blanc (12 à l'intérieur, 2 sur la couverture).
Martin Parr ; Le livre photo vol 1, page 187/201. Andrew Roth ; Livre des 101 livres, page 132 ; 802 livres photo de la collection M. + M. Auer, page 336. 280 x 220 mm

Paris: unknown. A French tourist souvenir. Undated but circa 1890, comprising a burgundy decorated folder (some chips and tears to creases now repaired and strengthened). Inside are 12 anonymous photographs of Paris. Nice clean silver gelatin original photographs. Each 210 x 270 mm (8¼ x 10¾ inches). No information about photographer or photo studio. Reverse is blank. Some of these views have been named and numbered in the plate, so it would seem that the purchaser could choose their 12 favourites from a selection. Photographs comprise: a view of the city (Eiffel Tower in the background); The Eiffel Tower close up; a river cruise on the Seine; Avenue de L'Opera; Versailles; Luxembourg Senat; l'Opera; la Madeleine; Place de la Concorde; Notre Dame; Arc de Triomphe; Champs Elysees. The photographs are in good clean condition with no tears, a few have light creasing to them due to the thin photographic paper. Un souvenir touristique français. Non daté mais Circa 1890, comprenant un dossier décoré bordeaux (quelques éclats et déchirures aux plis aujourd'hui réparés et renforcés). A l'intérieur se trouvent 12 photographies anonymes de Paris. Belles photographies originales à la gélatine argentique propre. Grandes photographies - 210 par 270 mm. Aucune information sur le photographe ou le studio photo. Le verso est vierge. Certaines de ces vues ont été nommées et numérotées dans la planche, il semblerait donc que l'acquéreur puisse choisir ses 12 coups de coeur parmi une sélection. Les photographies comprennent : une vue de la ville (tour Eiffel en arrière-plan) ; La tour Eiffel en gros plan ; une croisière fluviale sur la Seine ; Avenue de L'Opéra; Versailles; Sénat luxembourgeois; l'Opéra; la Madeleine; Place de la Concorde ; Notre Dame; Arc de Triomphe; Champs Élysées. Les photographies sont en bon état de propreté, sans déchirures, quelques-unes présentent de légers plis en raison du papier photographique fin.

Leningrad: inshenerow-komandirow protiwoposharnoi oborony, 1940. Fabric-covered original cover with gilt titles, The gilt is a little faded, and some parts have been inked in so as to still be legible. A little marking and staining to the cover. Contains 1 exterior view of the institute building and 33 individual photographic portraits of lecturers and graduates, all named in the negative. These are tipped onto the card. The university, founded in 1933, is a forerunner of the "Akademija gos. Protiwoposharnoi slushby MTschS Rossii", which is located in Moscow today. A fascinating "photo-book" at a seminal period of Russian history. Image size 12: 8 cm. Album size 230 by 300mm (9 by 11¾ inches). Couverture originale recouverte de tissu avec titres dorés, La dorure est un peu passée, et certaines parties ont été encrées pour être encore lisibles. Un peu de marquage et de taches sur la couverture. Contient 1 vue extérieure du bâtiment de l'institut et 33 portraits photographiques individuels de professeurs et de diplômés, tous nommés dans le négatif. Ceux-ci sont renversés sur la carte. L'université, fondée en 1933, est un précurseur de l'« Akademija gos. Protiwoposharnoi slushby MTschS Rossii », qui se trouve aujourd'hui à Moscou. Un « livre photo » fascinant à une période charnière de l'histoire de la Russie. Taille de l'image 12 : 8 cm. Taille de l'album 230 par 300 mm.

NA. The photo-diary of a German family, who embarked on a world tour in 1928. 227 original photographs and 94 photo-postcards / commercial photographs are collected and captioned on 79 pages. The album was purchased on their journey at Niagara Falls, and is a limp leather, with an original painting of a native American to the front cover. The photographs vary in size, but are mainly about 14 cm x 9 cm each. Most in excellent condition. Often one man (presumably album owner) is marked with a small cross to the image.
Places visited include: The journey on S.S. Lutzow (commissioned 1907 as Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship); New York; Buffalo N.Y.; Niagara Falls; Toronto; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Native Americans (posing for tourists in ceremonial dress); Chicago; San Francisco; S.S. Taiyo Maru (Originally the German "Cap Finisterre" handed to the Japanese in 1920 as war reparations); Hawaii & Honolulu, with locals posing for tourists; Tokyo, Japan; Fujiyama; Geisha's and tourist photographs; Kobe; Shanghai; Hong Kong; Manila & Philippines; Singapore; Sumatra; Ceylon; Cairo; Genova; Davos; Switzerland & Germany. The card pages of the album have nicks and closed tears, but not affecting photographs. A fascinating record of a (presumably) wealthy families tour around the world by steam ship and train. 290 x 350 mm (11½ x 13¾ inches).

Bruxelles: N/A, 1910. From a Brussels collection, a photograph album featuring small (6.5 x 8.5cm) tourist photographs. These comprise: Port Said & Cairo (25 photographs) Mont St Michel (5) Dublin & Surroundings (15) and Glendalough (10) A total of 55 photographs. No date, but circa 1910 from the Dublin street scenes (not a car in any, trams and horses / coaches only). The photographs are in good clean condition. They are the well printed and focused images of commercial photographs of the day. The album, of mock snake skin covered card boards, is secured with cord. Each sheet is covered with a tissue guard. The album is a little bumped and with edgewear. Some of the images have become detached from their mounts, but still an attractive collection. Album size 130 by 190mm (5 by 7½ inches).

Na. A lovely large format photograph album of a tour of England and Wales in 1893. There was also a tour of Bavaria, Salzburg and Innsbruck in 1895.

The album starts in 1893 and has 38 photographs (mostly Albumen) of England and Wales. These are mostly large (24cm x 32cm) images. There are some smaller (18.5 cm x 23.5cm). They appear to be commercially purchased photographs. There are also a further 9 smaller (17cm x 22cm and 12cm x 18cm) images of cottages with descriptions on the back. These seem to be personally taken photographs?

The trip began with the Needles on the Isle of Wight, (24cm x 32cm) and continued with similar photographs of the Isle of Wight, Tennyson's house, Southsea & Portsmouth, Tintern Abbey. The tour then moved on to Wales, and there are photographs of North and South Wales, with quite a few of Betws-y-coed, and some bridges in the area. The trip moved on to Chester, with a number of photographs of Eaton House in Chester, and Hatfield House.

A second part of the album covers a trip in 1895, comprising 23 photographs of Bavaria, Salzburg and Innsbruck.

The photographs are all of good condition, still bright, with a touch of fading only. A few have light creasing, or the odd tear where they have come away from the album at some point, but overall a very presentable and attractive album of English and European topography from the 1890's. The album itself is black buckram with leather spine and corners. There is some rubbing to the boards, and some scuffing. A tape repair (with black tape) to the spine. The album measures 37cm x 45 cm. The photographs have hand written annotations below describing the view. There is some staining to the inside boards of the album and a few of the cardboard backing sheets are wavy, but this doesn't really affect the photographs.

1890. An attractive photograph album containing 81 albumen and silver gelatin photographs dating from circa 1890. These include a number of Alpine and Mont Blanc photographs (including several of climbers). Multiple landscape photographs of France and Switzerland, including bridges, aqueducts etc. A number of photographs of Lourdes, showing the Basilica; (this has helped in the dating, as it does not include the two towers, which were finished in 1907). Red buckram boards. 260 x 190 mm (10¼ x 7½ inches). Un bel album de photographies contenant 81 photographies à l'albumine et à la gélatine argentique datant d'environ 1890. Celles-ci comprennent un certain nombre de photographies des Alpes et du Mont Blanc (dont plusieurs d'alpinistes). Plusieurs photographies de paysages de France et de Suisse, notamment des ponts, des aqueducs, etc. Plusieurs photographies de Lourdes, montrant la basilique (ceci a aidé à la datation) 260 x 190 mm

London: Elliott & Fry. Albumen image. Profile of Ruskin. Although undated, the image would seem to be Circa 1870. Printed on mount, recto: "John Ruskin M.A., L.L.D. // Elliott & Fry Copyright 55 Baker St London W." Printed to Verso: "Elliott & Fry // Photographers // 55 Baker St, London // W." To the bottom of the verso is printed "Marion, imp Paris" and embossed "Marion & Co. London."It is also printed "No." but no number is written. The photograph was taken in 1867 when Ruskin was 48. The image is a little faded, but clearly still a portrait of Ruskin! The verso is clean. Overall in excellent condition. 165 x 110 mm (6½ x 4¼ inches).

The same image is lodged with the National Portrait Gallery. Here it does not have Ruskin's name (but does have the photographer's details). This is catalogued as a carte-de-visite, and dated 1867. Presumably the photographer issued the photograph of Ruskin shortly afterwards. This is referenced NPG Ax39887. The Albumen Process was developed in 1847, and was the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative. It was the dominant form of photographic positive until the turn of the century.

Spain: n/a, 1850. A nice example of a Spanish ambrotype photograph. The image is a 2.5 x 2 inches (quarter plate) glass plate held in a gold coloured soft metal frame (3 inches by 2.5 inches) This in turn is held in a leather backing (with some rubbing). some slight surface scratching to the protective glass. A very nice clean image, with a touch of hand colouring to the woman's cheeks. This from a Spanish collection.
Total size: 80 x 72 mm (3¼ x 2¾ inches).

Ambrotype also known as a collodion positive in the UK, is a positive photograph on glass. Each is a unique original that could only be duplicated by using a camera to copy it. Developed circa 1850, by the mid 1860's Tintype and Albumen photographs had superseded the process.