Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
69
A decorative album of seaweed specimens
[SEAWEED ALBUM]
A charming album of botanical specimens, consisting of seaweed etc. [California, likely Santa Barbara: third quarter 19th century]. Quarter-leather album over pebbled cloth, gilt-stamped "Album" on front cover, floral motif to endpapers. 11 x 9 1/2 inches (28 x 24 cm); approximately 60 specimens pressed and mounted to cardstock, with hand-written species identifications in ink on each leaf, some of the specimens with sentiments written in informal calligraphy. The album worn overall, with flaking and losses to the spine, the linen scrim exposed. Scattered spotting and offsetting internally, hand-written identifications quite faded; the specimens are overall well-preserved and pleasing.
The marine algae in all their diverse forms were an eminently Victorian fascination, with a wide range of published works on the subject emerging over the 19th century. The compilation of decorative specimen albums (a very period pastime, this, with all kinds of materials artfully arranged on the page) was a widespread popular obsession. The present album and its specimens have a California locus, and the seaweeds are unusually beautifully arrayed.
Sold for $1,024
Estimated at $300 - $500
Includes Buyer's Premium
[SEAWEED ALBUM]
A charming album of botanical specimens, consisting of seaweed etc. [California, likely Santa Barbara: third quarter 19th century]. Quarter-leather album over pebbled cloth, gilt-stamped "Album" on front cover, floral motif to endpapers. 11 x 9 1/2 inches (28 x 24 cm); approximately 60 specimens pressed and mounted to cardstock, with hand-written species identifications in ink on each leaf, some of the specimens with sentiments written in informal calligraphy. The album worn overall, with flaking and losses to the spine, the linen scrim exposed. Scattered spotting and offsetting internally, hand-written identifications quite faded; the specimens are overall well-preserved and pleasing.
The marine algae in all their diverse forms were an eminently Victorian fascination, with a wide range of published works on the subject emerging over the 19th century. The compilation of decorative specimen albums (a very period pastime, this, with all kinds of materials artfully arranged on the page) was a widespread popular obsession. The present album and its specimens have a California locus, and the seaweeds are unusually beautifully arrayed.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
