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“Australian Album” [Music]

1857. Hardcover songbook of engraved sheet music with ten tinted lithographic illustrations by Edmund Thomas, most illustrations signed and some dated in image, 35.4 x 26.5cm. Offsetting, foxing, slight soiling, minor crinkles and tears with some repairs to some pages, stains and wear to cover, repairs to spine and hinges.

Title page includes “Sydney, J.R. Clarke, Music Publisher, George St. Alan & Wigley Lith. Printers.” Text in some illustrations includes title and composer of each piece of music.

This is the first Sydney songbook, published in NSW. It contains eight Australian musical scores for a popular audience. Although individual songs and sheet music scores had been printed previously, this is the first complete published musical album. The frontispiece portrait of Miska Hauser (1822-1887) who was a prominent violinist of his time, does not have his facsimile signature located below the image, as illustrated in the copy held at the National Gallery of Australia. Ref: NGA, NLA.

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Item #CL174-19

Price (AUD): $5,500.00  other currencies