Sketch and Note Book of "Daniel Davies" (?)
England: c.1854. A pocket sketch book of an unidentified gentleman ("Daniel Davies"?) containing an eclectic and curious amalgamation of content: pencil sketches (a bull frog, a dog, local characters, a seaside castle, a farm); notes on recent trade, including gold being shipped from Melbourne to England; important dates of local happenings ("Mrs. Palmers Died Febr. 24th 1854"); the price and location of products, like a sewing machine, and books on how to draw; recipes for home remedies, such as a "Gentle Purgative" made from Epsom salts or boot varnish; historical facts, such as facts about the Erebus and Terror, or an entry on the length weight and cost of the new submarine telegraph cable; and the gentleman's own musings, such as this gem: "A Man Writing an anonymous Note is like a Puppy inside an Enclosure. Barking at you with his nose under a gate, add to the Picture a Coward and a scamp". The book paints a charming picture of an engaging English gentleman. 12mo (6" by 4"), approx. 80 unnumbered blank leaves, all filled with pencil and ink notes and sketches. Bound in original pebbled red paper covered boards backed in black cloth. Fair to good. Binding worn and cracked with some damage. Toned with dust soiling, spine cracked, one or two small gatherings loose. Significant offsetting from soft pencil, making some entries difficult to discern.
Price: $325.00
Item #21001572