Cape Town [?], "G. B. & Co.", ca. 1900. Oblong, large folio (22.0 x 57.0 cm). 71 photos in heliogravure, including 11 wide panoramas, and 15 groups of four smaller photos. Original pebbled cloth in grey and red, with gilt title on the front board. Marbled endpapers.

A very peculiar, very rare album of printed photos of the Cape region, including extremely long and detailed heliogravure panoramic views of Cape Town, its environment (e.g., The 12 Apostles, Simonstown, Port Elizabeth, East London, and even the De Beers diamond mines at Kimberley. The size of the actual images is approximately 14 x 46 cm (5.5" x 18"). In total there are eleven such images. Alternatively, pages with four postcard-sized images, mainly of landmark buildings, streets, harbours and other views are included. Informative text is present on plate versos and printed leaves. Photos show ships, trains, trams, horse drawn carriages, but as far as we can see no motorcars, placing the work at the turn of the century. The work must be extremely rare; there are no copies on the internet; it is not listed in OCLC, and we could trace only one auction record. Inscribed and dated (22 August 1910) on the front free endpaper verso. A few small, marginal spots, otherwise quite clean.