Accession No

6517

Brief Description

“Bible Album”, religious scrapbook containing mounted natural history specimens, by Eliza Brightwen, English, 1870s

Origin

England; Middlesex; Stanmore

Maker

Brightwen, Eliza

Class

natural history

Earliest Date

1867

Latest Date

1880

Inscription Date

1867

Material

paper (paper; card); paint (gilt); organic (dried plant specimens)

Dimensions

310mm tall x 270mm wide x 55mm deep

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD. Lot number 1 in Travel, Science and Natural History sale, 6/04/2011.

Inscription

[Book plate inside cover:] “Mrs. Brightwen”; “GEORGE BRIGHTWEN”; “THE GROVE, Gt. STANMORE”
[Title page, left:] “I HAVE GIVEN THEM THY WORD”
[Title page, right:] “BIBLE ALBUM”

Description Notes

“Bible Album”, religious scrapbook containing mounted natural history specimens, by Eliza Brightwen, English, 1870s.

Quarto album, red half morocco. 68 leaves mounted on guards, containing 8 mounted natural history specimens (7 dried plants and leaves, 1 pair of feathered wings), 12 watercolours of plants, 12 collages and numerous printed illustrations and photographs (approx. 131), 11 pieces of printed ephemera, all but one tipped in. Also numerous manuscript annotations and bible passages.

Illustrations are mostly either of biblical scenes, religious or social scenes relating to bible passages, or of natural history. Manuscript notes that are not copied biblical passage mostly consist of observations on nature, as well as some on women / motherhood.

Inside front cover features the armorial bookplate of George Brightwen, with his wife Eliza Brightwen’s inscription of “Mrs. Brightwen” in ink manuscript at top. Eliza was a naturalist and writer.

References

Events