Collage Album of Found Photographs
n.p. n.p., n.d.
Original work. (44) pp., 10 x 13.5 inches. Collaged pages side-stapled into printed card covers, with taped spine. Item #4579
A curious composed album of mysterious intent: roughly fifty found photographs inserted into the previously collaged pages of a commercial scrapbook. All of the pages have been covered with brightly colored magazine clippings, photographs of flowers and gardens (and a few birds); on these pages are arranged thirty snapshots of widely varying age, size, style, subject, and technique, along with sixteen cabinet cards and two cartes-de-visite.
The cabinet cards are from studios in Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington; there is no other information regarding the locations and dates of the images, other than intrinsic clues from the age of the paper, styles of dress, and the like. Taken together, the album seems to form a faux document of an imaginary family — or was it just an elaborate way for someone to display their modest collection of found images?
Condition of most images very good to fine, with a few bearing marks or creases. A small vertical tear to the cover along the spine tape shows an early repair (probably made at the time the album was created); a few pages have small closed tears to edges.
Price: $250.00