Victorian Friendship Album of Young Lady Maria J.L. Bovie with Original Artwork

New York, New York: J.C. Riker, 1850. Very good. Upper hinge split with some separation to foot of gatherings. Wear to extremities.. Friendship album of a young lady named Maria J.L. Bovie, about one third to one half filled with loving manuscript entries from friends and family. Includes two (2) finely wrought paintings of flora in gouache and an acrostic. The entries range in date from 1853 to the 1860s, and paint a vivid portrait of this young woman's social ties and network in her home town of Pittstown, New York. Gift inscription in pencil from her mother reading, "Maria J.L. Bovie Pittstown [Rensselaer] Co. N.Y. By her Mother". Single vol. (7.5" by 6"), approx. seventy-five leaves that are about one third filled with manuscript, two examples of original gouache artwork, several religious mezzotint plates by the album publisher, in original leather publisher's binding stamped in blind with gold pictorial stamp depicting Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Gift inscription to upper front free endpaper and later bookplate of B. Franklin Again to upper pastedown.