Photograph Album of roughly 1,400 Pictures Taken by a Young Woman with a Connection to the Cabot Family of Boston, Showing a Modern Eye for Composition, Circa 1930

Boston, 1930. Oblong quarto, 49 pp. With appx. 1,400 photos, most measuring less than an inch square, with roughly 175 in larger formats up to 3 ½ by 5 inches. Very Good. A wonderful labor of photographic love created by an unidentified young woman with ties to the Cabot family of Beacon Hill. The album, composed largely of tiny contact prints glued in neat grids. Off-kilter compositions - a portion of a steeple against the sky, the tail of a dog, etc. - are mixed in with more traditional landscapes, leading one to question whether the photographer had modernist aspirations (or just took a lot of pictures).

The photographer is unknown, but our best guess is that it was someone who was a friend of Ellen Cabot of Beacon Hill, perhaps while both were students or just after. Ellen Cabot, the most frequent subject of the album, is shown in a variety of settings, often accompanied by her dog Prowler. Aerial photography, the New England coastline, camping, life in Cambridge and equestrian competition are all on display. Other highlights include a dog named Benito Mussolini and artful shots of a monk's torso. A portion of the photos, perhaps five or ten percent, are not present, though the album is otherwise in excellent condition. Handwritten label on the front reads "Newport Races to Topsfield (autumn 1930)". Overall the album is a testament to the energy and spontaneity of youth, and the possibilities of the photographic form, as well as an intimate look into Boston's storied upper class.