For Free Friday: An Exquisite Bird Illustration (my favorite) from an 1876 Almanac

Another favorite of mine is birds...this is a particularly stunning engraving from an 1876 Almanac. I have included the cover. Though it is quite damaged, it is a nice example of the typography of the time. It is hard for me to believe that I actually own something made of such delicate paper, that is 134 years old. I found this, and most of my antique paper collection in a dumpster several years ago. I was stunned to see that a family, cleaning out a home after an estate sale, threw volumes of old family photographs, paper antiquities such as this, and other antique items away. To them, these things had no value. To me, they are priceless.

Keep your eyes out for the next giveaway. It will be fun! (I am almost finished with the cabinet card and ephemera packages and I'll be mailing those out tomorrow. August 1st.)