I purchased this and a second leather covered notebook from the same old school antique shop in New Hampshire, where I've turned up some really interesting things now again. I haven't dug too deep into the history here---but I believe the Adam Schwarz who kept this notebook, and who I would guess is the subject of the ambrotype (or at least a relative of), is Johan Adam Schwarz (he's written the name Johan a few times in the notebook), born 1809 in Stockstadt am Main, Germany, who emigrated to the US in 1855, arriving in Rotterdam, NY on the Arnold Boninger ship, Jan 31---and so I presume he carried this notebook, 1849-1854--across the sea with him. It seems he and his family settled in Cincinnati, where are of the 1860 census his profession was as a butcher.
Lots more research to be done, which I will leave to someone else. I just fell in love with the gorgeous physicality of this leather wallet/notebook, both its exterior and its insides. Photos give a decent sense, but it feels even more special in hand, and those papers printed with blue diamonds are insanely beautiful! The diary itself seems to be in German, and appears to record dates and I would guess work done--but I have not worked at translating/decoding it. More to be done!
Wallet measures 6 1/2" x 4 1/6" closed. Ambro 2 7/8" x 2 /3" cased. Wear to the leather of the wallet--very much all the good, the patina on it is gorgeous, and leather is soft, not brittle. On the interior, one of the pages with the blue diamond printed paper is loose. Calendar/journal itself holding together well. Ambro case is separated in two, and ambro shows some deterioration as pictured.
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