Turn of the Century Manuscript Album, Friendship Book

England, 1890s. Ephemera. Very Good+. Text block only, comprised of different color leaves, edged in gilt; approx. pp. 150, with handwritten poems and prose, plus original artwork, from numerous contributors, scattered throughout. Includes 20 pieces of poetry or prose (Edmund Burke, Matthew Arnold, George Eliot, et al), and 18 pieces of original art, primarily ink and gouache, with some pencil sketches thrown in for good measure. The artwork is nicely accomplished, and ranges from a comic gouache of robed intellectuals, to a sweet ink sketch of bonneted girls sharing a secret, to some lovely landscapes. A few contributors locate themselves in Bedford and Halifax. A nice breaker -- many of the pieces collected here are suitable for display. Also includes laid-in scraps of poetry and prose, and a sketch.