1878 Victorian Floral Friendship Album Chromolithograph Flowers Somerville MA For Sale

Beautiful antique Victorian floral or friendship album dating to 1878, retaining a wonderful assortment of colorful period botanical illustrations.

The album measures approximately 7.5 inches long x 5 inches high and has an embossed and gilt-decorated burgundy cover titled “Floral Album.”

The opening portion contains a handwritten dedication headed “Dedication for Mary’s Album”, dated January 24th, 1878, and signed Minnie A. O’Donnell, Somerville, Mass.

The remainder of the album appears largely unused and blank, with a different colorful botanical illustration appearing approximately every four or five pages. Flowers pictured and identified include Morning Glory, Cineraria, Trumpet Flower, Nasturtium, Columbine, and others. There is also a particularly elaborate introductory “Floral Album” chromolithograph featuring roses, bleeding hearts, lilies and other flowers.

These colorful printed floral plates are especially attractive examples of late-19th-century Victorian chromolithography and were intended to decorate an album that friends and family could fill with poems, sentiments, signatures and other keepsakes.

Condition: Estate-fresh antique condition. The binding is substantially deteriorated/separated and the cover is detached. There is considerable wear and loss along the spine, along with edge and surface wear to the covers. Interior pages show expected age toning and occasional spotting or wear, but the colorful floral illustrations remain remarkably bright and attractive. Aside from the dated dedication near the beginning, the album appears largely unused with the remaining pages blank. Please examine all photographs carefully for condition.

A charming 148-year-old Victorian survivor, particularly appealing for collectors of antique friendship albums, chromolithography, Victorian ephemera, botanical illustration, genealogy and Somerville, Massachusetts history.