Photographic Album, The

Philadelphia: Manufactured by Altemus & Co., 1864. A Fine Altemus Photographic Album

[PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM] The Photographic Album. Hinged-Back Patented July 21st 1863. Philadelphia: Manufactured by Altemus & Co., ca. 1864.

Small square quarto (5 3/4 x 5 inches; 146 x 127 mm.). Calligraphic title-page printed in gold and purple, Index to portraits, and twenty five thick card, double sided window frame leaves bordered in gold. The first eighteen with a single nineteenth century family photograph. We have been unable to identify the family name.

Publisher's full brown embossed morocco over boards. Covers and spine elaborately decorated in blind, both covers with four circular ivory stones set in gilt. Spine embossed and decoratively lettered in gilt "Album" "Patd. July 21st. 1863". Two brass clasps, decorated in relief and fitted with two circular ivory stones with gilt centers, gilt board edges and turn-ins, all edges gilt.

A fine example of an early Altemus album.

Altemus and Company first published photographic albums in 1862. During the next thirty years it published numerous elegant albums in many different styles. Although many albums from this time period can be easily identified as Altemus productions since they have the Altemus and Company imprint, a number of albums had no imprint. Some of the pre-1863 albums had a very similar look as the "post 1863 new patent hinged back design".
All the albums post-1863 did note the patent somewhere in or on the album. In 1863 Henry and Samuel Altemus became the assignees of a patent of John Mets. This patent gave Altemus the right to use the special hinged back design for their photographic albums. The albums using this special design have the Altemus & Company imprint on the title page along with a line that says patented July 21, 1863. By 1864 Altemus was touting its special photographic album design. "It having the advantage of laying open perfectly flat..." Altemus had the patent for the "hinged back" design. As described by Altemus-- "each leaf is attached to a small rod covered with morocco forming a separate hinge of its own, admitting the book to be opened to its full extent without danger of the slightest injury". (henryaltemus.com).