Brown Button Estate Sales
Timed Auction

Fine Furnishings, Vintage Treasures, and Rare Reads Online Estate Sale

Fri, May 30, 2025 06:00PM EDT - Sun, Jun 1, 2025 04:00PM EDT
Lot 80

Victorian-Era Illustrated Gift Book Pair: The Scriptural Album & The Ghosts of My Friends

Sold for

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $1
$5 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$10,000 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
$75,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000

pair of antique and early 20th-century gift books, both rich in visual appeal and uniquely reflective of their time:

  1. The Scriptural Album with Floral Illustrations – A beautifully bound Victorian-era devotional book featuring richly colored floral chromolithographs paired with scriptural verses and scenes. This sentimental volume was likely produced in the mid-to-late 19th century, designed for gift-giving and personal reflection. Gilt-stamped cover with decorative flourishes. Some foxing and age toning present, but the interior color plates remain vibrant and striking.

  2. The Ghosts of My Friends by Cecil Henland (Frederick A. Stokes Company, c. 1907) – A whimsical and unusual Edwardian autograph album, where friends would sign their names with a wet ink pen and fold the page to produce a symmetrical “ghost" or inkblot image. This copy includes original ghost impressions, adding to its curiosity and collectible appeal. Gilt-lettered cloth cover with mounted illustration; interior pages include printed verse and directions for use.

Condition

Good for age and use; covers show edge wear and some toning. Interiors show typical foxing and handling marks, but are complete and intact. See pictures.

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Item pickup is Wednesday, June 4th from 1-7pm in Kansas City, MO. Winning bidders will need to sign up for a pickup appointment time. Winning bidders will receive the full address on their invoice. Brown Button contracts with a third party mover to provide a delivery option for our bidders. Delivery is available within 25 miles of the sale location. Bidders will need to submit a delivery request form using the delivery link emailed with their invoice.