Der Freundschaft

DARMSTADT, 1831. Book. Illus. by C.W. Eberhara. Very Good. Unbound. 24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall. COPPER-PLATE, ENGRAVED, LOOSE, PLATES (48 + frontispiece, and index to illustrations) Plates have an accompanying page of text (in German) foxing throughout. In a slipcase that is open top and bottom (like a deck of cards in a box without top and bottom). revealing all gilt-edged pages. The slipcase is rubbed on all edges and has light soiling (not unusual for an almost 200 year-old case. The first letter of the slipcase paste-on label is worn and reads - "()rammbuel Nro. 2 - Darmstadt bei - C.W. Leske." All gilt edges, still bright, with rubbed corners. The date of this work has been determined by ink notes on the back of several pages dated 5 Feb. 1831 - 4 Mar. 1832. Plate 43 has writing on back and in the margins on the front of the plate. Plate 40 has the signature of G.W. Grovermann (w/o date) on the back in a neat, legible, hand. Plate 37 (renumbered 39) has a note adressed to Lieber Schlender and signed by Fred-k Saurneing - Baltimore (no date). The verso of plate 39 (renumbered 38) is signed by Sophie Grovermann. The verso of plate 38 is signed by Elise Grovermann (no date). Plate 31 has a note signed by F. Mehring 4 Sep. 1831, Stadthagen. Plate 30 has a note on the back signed by A. Meyer. Plate 29 has a note on the back (in French) signed by G.A. Capaun, 15 Feb. 1831, Liburg. Plate 28 is signed on the back by Georg Hesse. Plate 19 is signed on the back by F.W. Klussomann. Plate 16 contains a note on the back and is signed by H. Begemann, Stadthagen 12 Sept. 1831. Plate 9 is signed by Marie Schmidt on the verso. Plate 6 has a note in fine script on the back which I am unable to read but refers to Petersburg and Konigle and is dated 15 Sept. 1831. Plate five has a note on the back dated 4 Jan. 1831, Stadhagen with an illegible signature. The backs of 13 of the text pages also contain additional notes and signatures - 1831 to 1839. It appears that it was used as a travel scrapbook where acquaintances wrote a passage about the image on the backs of the pages as the owner traveled in France and Germany. As I do not read German I am at a loss as to the real relevance of the notations. (Missing 6 image plates and 9 text plates). Missing plates - 4 (image), 8 (text), 12 (image), 15 (image and text), 17 (text), 26 (image), 34 (image and text), 38, 43, 44, 45, 46 (text), 45 (image)..