Total joy than finding a plastic sleeve this week in Vermont stuffed with all of these: several loose drawings of sailing ships, several hand-stitched little booklets of drawings, and an 1873 letter from George R. Peare of Lynn, MA to his wife, with some doodles on the back of that, too. I've found a record for Peare (born 1847 in Nova Scotia; died 1912, Lynn MA) which makes me believe the majority of these drawings were done by his children, rather than himself as a child, as they seem 1880s or so to me. With some contributions signed George (the son I think), and also a booklet signed Sadie, but George took over some pages in that one, too! The largest of the three booklets acquired a rich black ink stain at some point long ago, which shows on most every page--looking like a black half moon hovering over various scenes, most poignantly a wonderful drawing of the White House. Photos give a good sense--lots of sailing ships and little houses and animals, with some great moments among them.
Loose ship drawings: 6 7/8" x 4 1/2". Booklet with ink stain: 5 5/8" x 3 5/8". 12 pages. Two other little booklets: 4 3/8" x 3", one six pages plus cover, the other 10 pages. Photos show many but not all drawings. All pictured included. Stains, toning, losses as documented, but all booklets holding together and nothing especially brittle or fragile.
You might also like
