Between the Covers

Hardcover. Oblong folio. Measuring 13" x 10.5". Red cloth album stamped in black with "Photographs" on front board in gilt. Album contains 38 large albumen prints with 36 of them by Charles-Georges Spitz and the other two by Frank Homes. The boards are lightly worn and have some modest stains, one on the rear board, the cardboard leaves have foxing on the margins, overall sound and very good. The images are especially bold, bright and are fine.

Nice large (approximately 8.5" x 6.5") and very sharp images, each contained in a slotted frame in the thick card leaves of the album. Neatly hand-captioned in French in red ink. Most of the images depict indigenous Tahitians, mostly in native costumes; with a very few in Westernized clothing. Some depict dancing, harbor scenes, the Queen of Bora-Bora, working, and other scenes of daily life.

Among the captioned pictures are: "Panorama de Papeete, Palais des Pomaré, Palais de justice, Pirogue de fête, Hôpital militaire, Concours de pirogues le 14 juillet 1898, Banian du Cercle Militaire, Concours de danse, Tahitiens, Himens, Groupes de danseurs, Costumes anciens, le Marché, Danse des Indiens de Pondichéry, Chef de l'île Atiu, 1er prix de costume anciens, Indigène des îles Marquises, Avenue de Fataua, la Upa-Upa, Une source à Tahiti, Pont Phaéton, La reine de Bora-Bora," etc.

Exceptionally bold and bright images, a truly remarkable album.

Bibliography: Charles Georges Spitz *Photographies de Tahiti 1880-1890* (Ministère de la culture de Polynésie Française, Tahiti, 2002); Jean-Yves Tréhin *Tahiti, L'Eden à l'épreuve de la photographie* (Ed. Gallimard - Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, 2003, p 88, 93, 95, 101, 104.); Jean-Yves Tréhin *Gauguin, Tahiti et la photographie* (Ed. Gallimard / Musée des Iles, 2003, p. 27, 87, 114, 131).

Item #410020