In the early modern era the term almanac initially denoted small, yearly calendrical pamphlets containing a range of practical tabular information: tides, astronomical indications, weather and seasonal forecasts etc. Before their eclipse in the mid-19c., every American town with a printer produced an almanac. In Newport, it was Benjamin Franklin’s brother James who printed the local almanac, and the Redwood’s collection is rich in many of these, some of them very rare.
The Greenough Collection, focused largely on French and European illustrated books, also contains almanacs, but of a kind that diverges from humble utility. In 18c France almanacs could also be the must-have item of the informed royal courtier, filled with names of significant figures, key dates of the Royal calendar, and a sprinkling of maxims and bons mots.
The full flower of this transformation comes in the 1820s in Paris—as exemplified in the trio of newly-purchased examples above (1820-22)—when tiny, richly bound almanacs, abetted by the emergence of the marketing of modern publishing, became a luxury fashion accessory aimed specifically at well-heeled women. One of the lead examples of the type, the Almanach des Dames formed a hybrid lesson in refinement, comprising a selection of poems; excerpts from noted novels, and mini art historical lessons, complete with tiny engraved illustrations. These are in pristine condition, bound in red Morocco decorated with gold floral elements and rosettes at every corner.
