1893 sketchbook of an Americans spring tour of key monuments in Europe
Hardcover
1893
by [manuscript; travel sketchbook]
1893. Hardcover. Fine. Dated 1893, sketchbook album in oblong 12mo (120 x 170mm), manuscript in pencil with drawings and notes; 40 cream sheets, lightly aged at edges (2 sheets are blank). The sketches are generally of building façades captured from a distance but also with some extreme close-ups of sculptural details or decoration on the monuments, from gothic towers to ornate door hinges. Some sketches are accompanied with notes by the artist and most are captioned with the site or dated with the month and year being, 93. The formatting of the date and spelling throughout suggest this album belonged to an American traveler who visited several sites in Western Europe during the spring of 1893. The drawings are accomplished works of art done by a skillful hand, perhaps a novice architect, others are barely sketched, perhaps unfinished, but displaying an interesting narrative which weaves moments of voyage through Martigny, St. Maurice, and Lausanne in Switzerland; Heidelberg Castle, Mainz Cathedral (Mayence), and Cologne, Germany; Utrecht and Holland; and cathedrals at Soissons and Reims in France. Original canvas covers with elastic strap, somewhat loose, back cover splitting otherwise sound and in very good condition. Inside there is a label of the Carlo Cogiola store in Milan. A great little item full of classic yet original views of historical churches and building parts. (Inventory #: D10861)