Album Photographique des Châteaux du Beaujolais, circa 1860 - Lot 624

Album Photographique des Châteaux du Beaujolais, circa 1860 Rare and precious anonymous album, comprising nineteen (19) albumin prints with rounded corners, glued to white cardboard sheets and captioned in ink: Pougelon, Nety, Sermezy, L'Ecluse, La Chaize, Milly, Montmelas, Laye, Vallières, Les Labourons, Pierreux, Claveisolles, Pramenoux, Le Thil, Corcelles, Le Souzy, Varennes, Brouilly (chapel), Salles. Bound in brown percaline, titled in gilt lettering on the front cover, label of Papeterie Sève-Lioger, rue de la Barre, Lyon, inside. Album: H. 29.5 cm - W. 39 cm Proof: H. 15.5 cm - W. 20.5 cm approx. DV This album of châteaux, all of which are also wine estates - some of which, like Néty, have only just been built - can only be understood in the context of the Beaujolais vineyards' desire to rival those of Bordeaux, whose official wine classification dates back to 1855. Alongside the châteaux is the newly-built Notre-Dame-des-Raisins chapel in Brouilly and a view of the Romanesque cloister at the Prieuré de Salles-Arbuissonnas, a jewel of Beaujolais heritage. Binding partly detached, spine missing, a few pages with small brown spots.