Antique Pressed Seaweed Specimen #6, c. 1850s accordion box with natural bristles attached via

with natural bristles attached via fine hand-stitched wire (I think horse hair on the drafting brush

but is also lovely just for display

all archival

while Stella in profile looks out into the distance rather like a proud figurehead at the bow of a ship sailing to sea

Though I spend much of my life on line

Antique Pressed Seaweed Specimen #6, c. 1850s accordion box with natural bristles attached viaSince finding a bundle of antique seaweed pressings from the Isle of Wight a few months ago, I've been looking for more, and so was thrilled to recently find a portfolio of seven of them. They came nicely preserved inside a large piece of paper with folded edges, with "Specimens of Sea Weeds for Mrs. Bindle" hand written on the front. There is a watermark on one piece dated 1852 with the printer name A. Pirie & Sons, who were located in Aberdeen,