Extraordinary photographic album with bronze appliques dated 1877.

This is a beautiful piece! It is a huge family album, in leather and bronze applique with floral decorations of exquisite workmanship. On the front cover are the initials C S and the date 1877, both in raised bronze letters. The album is tightly bound and is complete and in good condition with the exception of 2 leaves that are damaged. Both are photographed. The edges of the album are gilt and the gilt is in fine condition.On the back cover and in beautiful gothic lettering, there is a dedication: "Der liebevollster Mutter. Zum siebzigsten geburtstage. Die dankbaren Töchter." To our beloved mother. On her seventieth birthday. From her grateful daughters.The interior is filled with antique photographs, many with comments at the bottom about the names of these people. I have to imagine that they are all members of the same family. On some of the sheets you can guess that they belong to the same family by the similarity of features. All the photos are period originals and are mounted in cardboard. Many with the photographer's information. It was a time when photography was so expensive that a middle class person only had 3 or 4 photographs taken in a lifetime. Nothing to do with the squandering of digital photos that I do with my articles.The last 5 pages are empty. For some reason the owner of the album did not continue to complete it and they have remained as mute witnesses of a family that lived many years ago. Looking at their faces I can't help but think that none of these people who lived almost a century and a half ago are alive anymore. It has been a long time since each and every one of them died. Contemplating this album is like looking out of a window into the past.