[PICRO A.]. Military album. [1890-1895]. - Lot 70

[PICRO A.]. Military album. [1890-1895]. In-4 (306 x 237 mm), front. and 262 color plates n. ch., navy blue percaline, double fillet framed in bold and lean cold on the boards, smooth spine gilt threaded on the nerves, gilt title, author at foot, restorations (period binding). Album featuring a frontispiece and 262 very fine original watercolors of military costumes. The watercolors are finely executed and captioned in French. The frontispiece depicts an artillery piece, two military outfits and ten standards. It is dated September 20, 1890. The watercolors depict European soldiers with their weapons, sometimes mounted and occasionally in action. They depict 9 soldiers from Denmark, 13 from Spain, 12 from Sweden, 8 from Norway, 37 from the Kingdom of England including the English Indies, 44 from Italy including 17 from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 7 from Switzerland, 30 from Austria, 1 from Monaco, 53 from Germany, 11 from Holland, 14 from Belgium, 6 from Turkey, 5 from Greece, 4 from Romania, 4 from Serbia, 3 from Bulgaria and 1 from Montenegro. The author remains unknown, except that the spine of the binding bears "A. Picro" and some of the watercolors are signed, confirming the name. A note on another album of military costumes sold by Jeschke van Vliet in Berlin in 2021 lists Picro as a brigadier in the 5e régiment de cuirassiers in Évreux, who enlisted voluntarily on March 24, 1855. From the collection of painter, psychologist and color theorist Hilaire Hiler, author of Bibliography of costume, New-York, 1939. With illustrated bookplate depicting Adam and Eve. Small oval bookplate from the Queens Borough Public Library, founded in 1896, with incorporation date of 1907. A unique, high-quality collection.