18. Nottingham, March 5th 1923, in-folio album, 35 x 28 cm, 42 leaves of stiff grey board, first two leaves contain a manuscript vellum leaf (framed in the board) describing the gift procedure, finely calligraphed, coloured and illustrated in the mediaeval style, the following 39 leaves contain the mounted photographs of the lace pieces, each with a manuscript caption written unto the board, some leaves contain two (smaller) photographs, many photographs contain more than one item, last leaf left blank. Bound in full red morocco, both covers decorated with fine gilt fillets and some floral ornaments, front cover center with the large initials J.T.S., smooth flat spine, all edges gilt, binding signed O. & J. Abbott Nottingham. The album is in near mint condition. Unique and finely made album presented by the city of Nottingham (Mayor Manning) on the fifth of March 1923 to John Tricks Spalding on the occasion of the official acceptance by the City and County of Nottingham of a collection of 156 pieces of lace, donated by the same JTS to the city. The collection had been on display for some time at the Textile Gallery in the Castle Museum. The two manuscript leaves are very finely written, illustrated and coloured in the mediaeval style, containing e.g. an initial with a bird, the coat of arms of the city of Nottingham, a view of the castle, the common red seal of the city, signed by the mayor and the town clerk. The photographs, bright lace on a dark background, depict e.g. ca. 50 pieces of Italian lace (Venice , Milan), ca. 19 pieces of Point d'Alençon , 11 pieces of Mechelen Lace (Flanders) .... J.T.S. was born in Exeter in 1844 and died at Nottingham in 1924. From Exeter his family moved to London, where he married in St. Martin in the Fields in 1868. The Spaldings were glove, lace and hosiery merchants. JTS moved to Nottingham where he became mayor in 1907-1908.