Late Victorian album recording a walk undertaken by two friends from Land’s End to Weymouth. J H Evans and H Marchant set off on Monday July 1
st 1889 and arrived at their destination on Saturday July 13
th 1889, having departed Paddington at 1145 am on Saturday June 29
th arriving in Penzance and overnighting before heading to Land’s End. The album contains daily written updates which record the weather, distances walked, food and accommodation along the way. Fairfax Hotel, Dartmouth is rated very good; Vaughan Temperance Hotel, Torquay, very expensive. The final leaf records in a handwritten table a summary of each day’s mileage tallying 229 miles over 12 days.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Robust album in good condition with half black roan to spine and corners over pebbled green cloth. Spine panel worn away revealing cloth and binding below but holding very well. Corners bumped to front and rear, edges beginning to fray, abrasions to rear cloth and a little water damage. Handsome brass clasp to fore edge in working order. ‘VIEWS’ embossed in gilt to front, the ‘I’ having been scratched away. Green card end papers front and rear clean and unmarked. Contains 19 thick card leaves in good condition, some toning to edges, a little foxing throughout. p.1 reveals a hand drawn map showing the walking route including sections requiring ferry and train connections. A fabulous b/w photograph of the walkers in their tweed jackets, flat caps, gators and walking sticks is laid down onto the title laeaf. Each following leaf displays a b/w albumen scenic photograph presumably purchased en route to the recto and a written summary to the verso. Photographs include images of Land’s End, Penzance, St Michael’s Mount, Falmouth, Truro and its cathedral, Saltash, Totnes, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Axminster, Weymouth and Bridport.
