THE BIRTHDAY SCRIPTURE TEXT BOOK – Owned by Italian, Amina Puccini and full of the names of friends and European acquaintances made in Adelaide, South Australia.

A charming little book intended to serve 3 purposes – provide a daily text, be a book of autographs and a record of birthdays of friends. Owned by an Italian named Amina Puccini, resident of Adelaide, Southern Australia circa 1870 and used liberally to record the names and birthdays of family and friends, the majority from within the Italian community but also others reflecting the diaspora of nationalities resident in Adelaide at this time.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Small pocket-sized hardback book measuring 11 cm x 7 cm in good condition. Red paper boards incorporating embossed decoration and titled in gilt. A little bumped to corners. Spine titled in gilt, showing some surface abrasion, a little tender between boards and spine. Text block edges gilt. Front endpapers clean and strengthened along the gutter with the addition of a line of strong tape. Rear gutter a little tender but overall holding well. To verso of front free endpaper is inscribed ‘Amina Puccini Adelaide S.A.’ To the verso of each leaf within are 3 scripture verses, one for each day of the year and opposite, a blank area for names and birthdays. Many birthdays, names and dates of birth are written inside including other Puccinis. Adolpho Fratoschi born 1855 is entered next to January 18^th, Amita Logli from Siena and Aurelia Di Aname, born 1858 are included. The Hanoverian surnames Kasehagan and Leopold feature as do Fox and Edgecomb most probably British. Occasional notes written in Italian accompany several entries. The final pages carry a price list of the various bindings in which this little memento book would have been available.