206 pages filled with a selection of poetry, observations, on a variety of subjects ie love, women, husband, wives, “The Best of Wives”, “Recipe for Cure of Scolding” all neatly written in the same legible hand in a blue ink with a decorative title in bold capitals. On thick yellow, pink and blue paper with 22 blank leaves at the rear. There is a single watercolour of a butterfly, and a pencil sketch of a tomb with a poem opposite by H , titled Abelard &Heloise The author is given or where copied from, mostly from periodicals of the day, with the publication and date. Some are initialled with a decorative H which also appears on the first page of poetry under the title “ALBUM” I assume the album was owned and completed by ”H” Bound in a full ornate embossed in blind decorative brown morroco binding, with all edges gilt, manufactured by Thomas De La Rue Cornish &Rock signed with their stamp to the base of the spine. De La Rue, Cornish & Rock Printing company founded in Guernsey in 1813 by Thomas de la Rue; in 1821, set up as printer, stationer, playing-card makers, and fancy goods manufacturer in Queen Street, Finsbury Square London.” The firm produced a number of fine albums, annuals etc., stamped on the back and sides with very finely executed blind imprints, which form a section of bookbinding technique which is deserving of close and specialised study” ref Ramsden London Book Binders. The binding with a central cherub holding flowers within an oval decorative border with an Urn above with an angel to each side, at the base a vase with a phoenix with outstretched wings to the sides. Surrounded with decorative foliate designs and an angel to centre edges repeated on the rear cover. To the spine a standing angel with raised wings in flowing robes with decorative blind tooling above and below, the spine with even light fading.