Bouquet almanack for 1879: >>MINIATURE ALMANACK WITH BOUQUET PROMO<<

32 printed pages. Printed by Townsend, Exeter. Small, attractive booklet listing in calendar form events both domestic and international (eg. terific gale in England on 24th November 1877, abolition of paper duty in 1860, Siege of Paris in Franco-Prussian war in 1860, and the Russo-Turkish War in 1877), and advertising various medicines and goods available at publisher William Gregory's chemist's shop. Adverts for herbal and homeopathic remedies, beauty and bathroom products, cookery and household items, local guide books and facilities such as bath-chair and boat hire. It also describes "The Weymoth Bouquet. An exquisite refreshing perfume, possessing all the fragrance of the fresh flowers. In each bright drop there is a spell,'tis from the soil we love so well" . There is presumably a barely still aromatic sachet of this Weymouth bouquet sandwiched into the back cover by the printers Townsend of Exeter in a remarkable and rare Victorian promotional commercial experiment. Slight discolouration and offsetiing on rear endpaper and final leaf. Original bouquet garni enclosed in rear endpaper, as issued. This novelty is not common and has not formerly been recorded, to my knowledge. It was very relevant to the publisher and to his advertisements, but does not appear to have been repeated in the two later editions that have survived. 60 x 90mm. Original glossy wrappers with three-colour chromolithographed design on upper cover of title and publisher surrounded by roses and other natural motifs within a red double fillet mitred panel decorated with leaves. On the back cover is a steel engraved view of the Esplanade, Weymouth. Back cover slightly creased from adjacent bouquet enclosure. Not in Bondy, nor Spielmann, nor Welsh. No OCLC number available. WorldCat locates 2 copies worldwide and both for later editions. An 1891 edition is at the Simon Fraser University Library. An edition from 1899 is in the Wellcome Museum. This rarity is in near fine condition.