[FEDERATION] Commonwealth Celebrations. Souvenir invitation cards. Victoria. May 1901.

[Cover title]. [Melbourne : s.n., 1901]. Oblong folio (295 x 395 mm), original red pebbled cloth over boards (scattered light staining) with ornamental gilt borders, upper board lettered in gilt; original silk endpapers, first blank with a gift inscription in ink ‘To Willis from Father, as a present for his 21st Birthday. Canterbury, August 1901’; with [5] original chromolithographed invitations (all unused) bound in; the invitations are all in excellent condition with rich colour, the preliminary blanks with some light foxing, otherwise the contents of the album are clean and the binding firm.

The invitations contained in this album (four mounted on stubs, one on board) are as follows:

[1]. Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth by his Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall and York. The Government of Victoria requests the honour of the presence of [ ] at the Celebrations in Melbourne in connection with the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. [Melbourne : s.n., 1900]. Chromolithograph printed, 290 x 360 mm. Fine. Note: This stunning invitation was a collaborative design by Norman Lindsay and John Longstaff.

[2]. Australian Commonwealth Celebrations. The Government of Victoria requests the honor of the presence of [ ] at a Conversazione in the Exhibition Building on the Evening of Tuesday 7th May 1901, at 8 p.m. [Melbourne] : Sands & McDougall, [1900]. Chromolithograph printed, 215 x 290 mm. Fine. This invitation was designed by G. B. H. Austin.

[3]. His Majesty’s Ministers of State for the Commonwealth of Australia request the honour of the presence of [ ] in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on Thursday 9th May, 1901, to witness the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth. Edmund Barton, Prime Minister. [Melbourne] : Sands & McDougall, [1900]. Chromolithograph printed, 290 x 360 mm. Fine.

[4]. In Celebration of the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to meet Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall & York. His Majesty’s Ministers of State for Australia have the honor to invite [ ] to an Evening Reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on the 9th May 1901, at 8 o’clock. [Melbourne : s.n., 1900]. Embossed chromolithograph, 230 x 290 mm. Fine. This invitation was designed by Julian and Howard Ashton.

[5]. Australian Commonwealth Celebrations. The Government of Victoria requests the honour of the presence of [ ] at the Royal Review at Flemington on Friday the 10th of May 1901. Melbourne : Sands & McDougall, [1900]. Chromolithograph printed, 290 x 350 mm. Fine.

A rare album, probably prepared by the Victorian government binder, containing several of the stunningly-designed invitations for various events celebrating the opening of the first Federal parliament in Melbourne. 

The NLA notes: ‘Possibly produced on demand. The same reproductions would be available in each volume but the additional material supplied by the buyer tipped in’.

Provenance:

Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne

Terence Lane, Melbourne

Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne