Inspruck, Italian Lakes 1869

Charles George Lewis made this sketchbook, titled Inspruck, Italian Lakes, in 1869, most likely while traveling. The materials – paper, ink, and leather – speak to a world before mass production, but also to the rise of tourism and leisure time for the upper classes. Consider the paper itself: likely handmade, but also commercially available for artists on the move. The leather binding gives the sketchbook a sense of permanence and value. The inscription on the cover lists the places Lewis visited, turning the object into a kind of portable memory palace. In a world increasingly dominated by industry, this sketchbook represents a personal record of experience, carefully crafted by hand, but made possible by the technologies of travel and trade. It is a reminder that even the most personal objects are always embedded in broader economic and social structures.