Celebrities in friendship books

Some album owners never stopped. Their sole aim seems to have been to collect as many contributions as possible, from minimal inscriptions to original contributions by literary greats. Thanks to such an album, we suddenly find ourselves face to face with a literary great or political figure who has scribbled down a verse or message in his or her own hand.

Alba amicorum are an almost inexhaustible source for tracking down special images by famous (and unknown) artists. In many cases, the drawings or scribbles of painters who took the trouble to immortalize their connection with the album owner with an image are of great art historical value. Moreover, these ‘signatures’ of famous masters are worth looking at within the context of the album itself.