Oblong Folio album ca. 28x37 cm (11 x 14 ¾ in). 13 card stock leaves. With 30 mounted original photos (mostly albumen, about six - gelatin silver), including one panorama ca. 12x39 cm (4 ½ x 15 ¼ in); the panorama is split in two parts and mounted on the facing leaves. There are also ten larger photos ca. 19x23 cm (7 ½ x 9 ¼ in) or slightly smaller. The rest of the photos are from ca. 14x21 cm (5 ½ x 8 ¼ in) to ca. 10,5x16 cm (4 x 6 ¼ in). All but two or three photos with period black ink manuscript captions in French on the mounts (some photos are also dated). Three views of San Francisco at the rear are also captioned in negative. Period brown half morocco album with cloth boards; moire endpapers. Binding expertly repaired on extremities, mounts slightly waved, age-toned or with mild foxing, a few photos mildly faded, but overall a very good album of rare interesting strong photos.

Interesting collection of large, well-preserved early photos, taken during a voyage from Callao to San Francisco in February – May 1893. The album contains seventeen excellent views of Peru, starting with the views of the harbour of Callao and streets and sites of Lima (general panorama, Puente de Piedra, Calle Mantas, Plaza Mayor with the Municipal Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Church of San Agustin, Torre Tagle House, city cemetery), portraits of a local milk seller and a group of native Peruvians. The Library of Congress has an album containing two photos, very similar to our views of the Church of San Agustin and Torre Tagle House – not identical, but possibly taken during the same session (photo1  and photo2). The Library of Congress identifies the photographer as “Courret Hermanos.” French brothers Eugenio (1839-1920) and Aquiles Courret ran a photo studio in Lima from 1863-1887. Later, Eugenio Courret went into partnership with Adolphe Dubreuil and returned to France in the 1890s. The Courret Studio closed down in 1935 (Wikipedia).

The album also contains five large rare albumen photos of the mountainous part of the Ferrocarril Central Andino, captioned as “Railway from Lima to La Oroya, 24-25 February 1893” (in translation). This was most likely one of the first trips along the route, as the railway reached La Oroya in 1893. The photos show a tunnel, a trestle bridge, railway tracks on the mountain slopes, as well as Casapalca and San Mateo stations. The last photo of Peru shows Pisco harbour taken from the sea.

Seven views of Mexico show Acapulco (the harbour and waterfront), Mazatlan (a double-page panorama, waterfront with the Creston Island in the far right, a street with Hotel Central on the left, &c.) a portrait of a Mexican horseman, &c. The album concludes with six views of San Francisco (Golden Gate Strait, Ferry Landing, California Street, Old Chronicle Building, City Hall and a street in Chinatown). Overall, an interesting collection of original photos of Peru (including early images of the Ferrocarril Central Andino), Mexico and San Francisco.

A list of captions: Callao (28 Décembre 1892 – 8 Mars 1893); Lima (Côte Nord), Cerro San Cristobal, Le vieux pont du Rimac; Lima - Le vieux pont du Rimac; Une Rue de Lima (Calle de las Mantas); Lima – La grande place; Lima – La Cathédrale; Lima – Portail de l’Eglise de San Agostino; Une maison de Lima; Lima - Le cimetière; Une laitière à Lima; Lima – Groupe d’Indiens; Chemin de fer de Lima à La Oroya (24-25 Février 1893); Casapalca – Station du chemin de fer = 4147 m. (24-25 Février 1893); San Matéo (3200 m.); Pisco (18-19 Février 1893); Acapulco (Le port); Acapulco (25-28 Mars 1893); Une maison à Acapulco; Mazatlan (1er – 4 Avril 1893); Cavalier mexicain; Mazatlan (Ile [… ?], Rade, Sémaphore, Ile Creston, Phare); Une rue à Mazatlan; San Francisco (15 Avril – 2 Mai 1893); Coin de Kearny St. et de Market St., Bureaux du journal “The Chronicle;” San Francisco – City Hall; S.F. – Une rue chinoise.