Das Kaiser Album. Edited by the Mechitharisten Congregation. Vienna: Mechitharisten Buchdruckerei, 1858.
2o (440 x 310 mm). Engraved frontispiece, engraved title and 19 large woodcut plates. Contemporary Viennese binding by A. Habenicht, of elaborately embossed and painted calf over wooden boards, painted and gilt central recessed panel on each side, surrounded by a wide border of 12 carved and painted coats-of-arms, large metal corner pieces, spine in six compartments with carved floral design, raised bands reinforced in metal, two clasps, gilt, gauffered and painted edges, green morocco turn-ins, endpapers with an allover lozenge pattern of the imperial arms in gold and colors; contemporary blindstamped pigskin case, with large recessed circular central panel with the imperial arms, modeled in papier mache and painted in gold and colors, four locks on sides (the locks broken, some wear to edges).
Presumably one of the presentation copies, bound in an elaborate binding, for the members of the Imperial House of Austria. This publication by the Viennese Mechitharists, or Armenian Monks was printed on their own press. The proceeds of the sale of this publication were to be used for the building of the Votivkirche in Vienna. It was meant as "a linguistic and typographic mirror of present-day Austria" (see A. Mayer, Wiens Buchdruckergeschichte II, p. 187). Illustrated with scenes from the life of the different provinces of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, it contains poems in 15 languages and 16 dialects, including German, Armenian, Hebrew, Italian and Slavonic.