Warren H. Manning's Souvenirs from Paris, 1899
This is a lot of four Parisian souvenirs which belonged to (and bear the authentic bookplate of) influential American landscape designer Warren H. Manning (1860-1938). Mr. Manning is best remembered as the pioneering voice behind the "wild garden" movement, which emphasized cultivating pre-existing plants and natural landscaping, rather than the formal, symmetrical gardens of imported plants which were popular at the time. In addition to the many parks he designed in his lifetime, Mr. Manning's contributions ranged from founding the American Civic Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects to spearheading national conservation efforts which eventually led to the American National and State Forest and Park systems.
We are presenting four souvenirs from an 1899 visit to Paris - 3 small illustrated books of architecture and a set of 19 photographic cards. The 3 books bear Mr. Manning's bookplate, and the cards each have handwritten notes in French on the backs identifying the subjects. Two of the books also bear the signature of Daniel Ford Pratt, who was Mr. Manning's father-in-law. As all the items are related to Mr. Manning's architectural field (with the cards specifically focusing on landscapes and gardens), it is not a stretch to speculate that Mr. Manning may have gleaned some inspiration for his future achievements from this visit.
Versaille et Trianon; Paris. 4"x6 1/4". Red decorative cloth with gilt lettering on cover and blind stamped decorations. Decorative endpapers. 30 illustrated plates with captions in accordion binding. 30 pp. Minor scuffs to covers. Paste between front cover and first page beginning to come loose, but still very tight. Manning's bookplate inside rear cover, and Pratt's signature on margin of first page. Additional signature on verso of last page, with the date 1899.
Vues de Paris et Versailles; Paris. 6 1/4"x4 3/4". Red decorative cloth with gilt lettering and decoration on cover. Decorative endpapers. 33 illustrated plates with captions in accordion binding. 18 pp. Very similar binding and formatting to previous entry, likely same printer. Minor scuff to top edge. Paper tearing at hinge. Very tight and clean. Manning's bookplate on verso of last page, and Pratt's signature on margin of first page.
Album de Magasins de Bon Marche; Paris. 5"x6 3/4". Green cloth with gilt lettering on front cover and gilt device on rear cover. Gilt edges. Illustrated plates with descriptions in French and English. 46 pp. Minor scuffing to covers. Very minor toning throughout. Manning's bookplate inside front cover. Tight and clean.
Nineteen photographic cards. Unbound cardstock. 3 1/2"x5 3/4". Black and white photographic images on recto, pencil notes in French on verso. Cards all depict outdoor spaces, gardens, and landscapes. Cards are numbered on back, beginning with # 154 and going up, with several numbers not present. This is likely part of a larger collection of cards. Unclear whether the handwriting is by Mr. Manning, Mr Pratt, or someone else. Very good. Item #1556
Price: $750.00