[Botanical Watercolor Illustrations].

[n.p., Pau, France?] 1877 In cloth-backed leatherette boards with gilt stamped cover. 1877. Together with separate sheet, 14 in. x 11 inches, mounted on cardboard, of four drawings of a similar size to those in the album, which apparently had become loose and are here displayed separately. The album was sold by stationer L. Ribaut in Pau, overlooking the Pyrenees in Southwest France. The contents of the album may or may not been assembled in that region, though that seems likely. The drawings are dated July 23 to August 18, 1877, and they show a sure improvement in drafting while retaining a certain naiveté. They seem to have been made on the spot where (truncated) the plants were observed. The drawings were executed with colored pencils. Some of the drawings display minor to moderate foxing, and there is some offsetting. A thin strip of Japanese paper between two leaves secures the textblock, though the individual leaves can be removed for display. The four drawings on the separate sheet are loosely mounted with archival corners. The whole package is in very good condition and is a charming collection of designs by a nineteenth-century artist, who was likely an amateur and likely female, though we have no clear idea of their identity. (Inventory #: 17848)