Beschreibung:

An album of 136 albumen print photographs, c. 1870s, pasted onto rectos and versos of a total of 32 leaves, with approximately 20 blank leaves at rear, the majority of photographs 11 x 15.5cm with arched tops and mounted three to a page, the remaining photographs mostly carte-de-visite sizes and smaller but including five slightly larger, bold pencil block capital captions to mounts throughout, an additional five photographs of artworks at rear, oblong folio, ink provenance inscription to front pastedown, hinges weak, contemporary half roan, rubbed and some edge wear, lacks spine, oblong folio (32.5 x 43.5cm) The album was compiled by a member of Florence Nightingale's family while living at Embley Park during the seven years following the death in 1874 of Florence Nightingale's father, when the house passed to his wife's brother, Samuel Smith The album contains numerous views of the house, its grounds, members of the family, the servants at Embley Park, Embley Farm, the local church, St Margaret of Antioch, and its churchyard where Florence Nightingale was later buried. Of particular interest are three good views showing the interior of the house as Florence Nightingale would have known it. Members of the family represented in the album include: Mary ('Mai') Smith, Beatrice Lushington, Blanche Clough, Mary Urith Coltman and her brother Arthur Francis Coltman (the five members of the family at the house on the night of the 1881 census); Florence Nightingale's uncle Samuel Smith (Mai's husband who died in 1880); Florence Nightingale's cousin Bertha Coltman, her husband William Bacheler Coltman and their four children. The album also includes a previous unknown outdoor portrait of Parthenope Nightingale and her husband Sir Harry Verney with Parthenope and Florence's father, William Edward Nightingale. Two photographs show an outside lunch given for the children of the local school. According to the Hampshire Advertiser (27 September 1879): ' SCHOOL TREAT - On Monday, the 15th inst., Mr and Mrs Samuel Smith of Embley Park, gave their usual treat to the children of Wellow School, 140 of whom attended. Some visitors and several of the mothers of the children were kindly invited to join, making the party 170. A beautiful day added to the enjoyment of all. Some very good photographic views were taken of the happy group by Mr Galton, of West Wellow. After enjoying various games and again partaking of refreshment, the majority of the children were started In a conveyance provided for the purpose, and left the grounds with cheers and merry singing.' This 'Mr Galton' is in fact John Thomas Gaulton of West Wellow. He appears as a 'Photographer' living in West Wellow on both the 1871 and 1881 censuses. Towards the back of the album, there are several photographic reproductions of paintings of the family, including the 1828 watercolour of Frances Nightingale with her two daughters. There is also an albumen print portrait of Florence Nightingale by Henry Hering a larger version of a photograph usually only seen in carte-de-visite format. Inscriptions on the inside front cover indicate that the album was compiled by Mary Urith Coltman, the young daughter of Florence Nightingale's first cousin, Bertha Coltman. On the death of Mary Coltman's grandmother Mary ('Mai') Smith in 1881, the house passed to William Shore Smith and Mary Coltman went to live elsewhere, but before her departure she gave the album she had compiled to her friend Caroline Long, daughter of local woodsman George Long of Thorpwood Cottage in East Willow. According to the 1881 census, Caroline was a 'charwoman,' so it seems likely that the girls' friendship came about through Caroline's employment at Embley Park. On 12 February 1893 Caroline married Albert George Harris, a 'Labourer,' at All Saints Church in Upper Norwood. The 1911 census shows Caroline and husband Albert Harris now a 'Bricklayer,' living in Upper Norwood with their seven children. The first few pages of t