Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2104:
Description
This exceptional Victorian-era photo album is a quintessential piece of late 19th-century Americana, featuring a striking lithographed cover of a “frontier cowgirl” complete with a lasso and holstered sidearm. This imagery reflects the “Wild West” craze popularized by dime novels and traveling shows of the 1890s. The interior contains 14 thick cardstock pages with gilt edges and ornate Art Nouveau floral illustrations in gold ink, housing a collection of 26 original antique photographs of varied sizes. These include Cabinet Cards and CDVs, notably a gentleman by photographer Gachig of Trenton, N.J., and a rare Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) on the final page depicting an African American gentleman in a formal suit. The album is constructed with a celluloid-style litho front, a maroon leatherette back, and a decorative metal spring clasp. Condition is fair to good for its age; the front cover has a significant missing chip at the lower right corner and heavy edge wear, while the back cover shows scuffing. The spring clasp remains functional but works only “somewhat,” and several interior page slots exhibit tears and handling wear. H 10.5″, W 9″, D 2.75″. Please see photos for conditon.
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