Italy & The Netherlands: 1877-1929. Folio (400 x 237 mm). 101 leaves with dried plants mounted. Some specimens directly to leaves, some specimens mounted on bright yellow and black paper with individual labels. Contemporary burgundy half morocco with black trim over grained scarlet faux morocco-embossed cloth. Owner's name in gilt on front board. Floral patterned endpapers with loose specimen tucked in. Pages numbered in red crayon on top right corner. Two closed tears to bottom frontispiece edge and light wear and toning at extremities. Slightly foxed leaves throughout, particularly at edges. In near fine condition nevertheless. A few plants detached, or with an almost inevitable slight loss, otherwise in a beautiful condition. 

A large and full album containing a variety of artistically arranged plant specimens, large and small, and their labels collected from travel in Rome, Vatican City, Jerusalem, and Netherlands.

The album begins with specimens collected by Léontine’s father, Leo Paulus Johannes Stracké, a Dutch sculptor born in Rotterdam in 1851. Leo Stracké travelled in Germany and Italy before settling in Rotterdam and establishing his sculpting practice in 1879. He married Anna Maria Geertruida van Lent, and their daughter Leontine Ursula Epiphane was born in Rotterdam in June 1885. [Notice descriptive des tableaux et sculptures du Musee de Rotterdam, 1892 pp 344-5]

Leontine Ursula Epiphane Stracké appears on the Special Registers of the city of Amsterdam in the early 20th century, listed as a “leifdezuster” (a nun) at St Barbara’s School, a Catholic Montessori School in Amsterdam’s Eikenplein district. She had previously lived in Schoten, Belgium. 

The first page of the album includes specimens from Rome and Vatican City dated to April 1877 and bearing Leo’s name, which were probably gathered during his time in Italy. There are three additional specimens labelled in a different hand with purple ink. Two are dated 1904, the third one (from Jerusalem) has an illegible date. These may have been gathered and added by Léontine later. There are clear associations with Rotterdam, where the Stracké family resided, but specimens from a number of other Dutch localities are also present.

At the start of the album the common name for the flower in Dutch is written in an extremely precise cursive on label tape in larger hand in red ink. Smaller labels in black ink and a very smaller hand are also used, repeating the same name and often adding additional details on the date or site of collection. Throughout the album there are also handwritten dated rectangular labels that have more scientific names on some pages, some scientific labels with handwritten augmentations dating to the 1880s are present. 

This album was used over several decades, but is not in chronological order, and likely encompasses the work of different contributors then compiled by Léontine. There is one unattributed illustration in colour of a yellow flower pasted in as well as a few fine line drawings of plants credited to “N. d. N.” There is one photocard pasted in of yellow-eyed grass in bloom. 

There is a sprinkling of Catholicism throughout the album. The opening page of Italian specimens references Pope Pius IX, possibly collected by Leo at the time of a visitation with the Pope in April 1877. Pius IX’s death on 7 February 1878 is commemorated on the label. A wreath of an unlabelled plant surrounds an illustrated card of “Mater Divinae Gratiae” (Mother of Divine Grace). There is also a face of a biblical-looking man, we’re guessing Judas himself, drawn in black ink on a single dried leaf of the Judaspenning plant [common name Coins of Judas]. 

A gorgeous and dramatically arranged herbarium which manages to capture an interest in science with spiritual flavor. A story of family via the medium of plants. 

Archives de la ville Rotterdam https://www.openarchieven.nl/saa:3454fa5b-681f-4ffc-b1fd-5c5202177b70/fr 

Amsterdam City Registers https://www.openarchieven.nl/saa:d4dc2e57-c8af-40f0-9468-cf40e32ddac3/en 

P. Haverkorn Rijsewijk, Notice descriptive des tableaux et sculptures du Musee de Rotterdam, 1892 pp 344-5