Paris: 1884-1931. Printed album, with botanic specimen samples pasted in throughout, hand-labelled with “Famille”, “genre,” “espèce,” as well as dates and places collected. Large 4to. i, 2-12, 32 specimen pages, interleaved with card pages to protect specimens.

This album was published and printed blank by Michel Engel, and includes an introduction (in French) explaining how to use this volume. This copy was likely filled out in a woman’s hand, although their identity is unknown. Some specimens use repurposed commercial labels including “Creme de Beaute”. The samples and labelling range from the tidy student’s hand of earlier samples to pencil written looser hand of the later samples, providing something almost like a narrative in botany.

Bound in brown cloth lettered black at front.

Cloth cover stained slightly and split showing internal binding on left edge and smaller split on bottom edge. Spine stained. Back cover stained at bottom. Slight lean to spine. Contents tattered due to being actively used as an album for many years.