Scope and ContentOriginal artwork, fourteen, by Sigismond Schuster including four Hoboken scenes; pencil on paper, various places, circa 1850s, not later than 1857. Cream wove paper with rough tooth, no watermark, circa 6-8 point caliper; simple pamphlet binding. Fourteen pages, 6-1/2" high x 8" wide, most with graphite drawings. The only place ink is evident is a minor mark on drawing 32 at the top left. Remains of binding thread and tissue guard are with item. This original artwork was apparently part of a larger group of pages (there are stubs where there once were leaves), but the item has a certain integrity as found. Sigismond Schuster (1807? - ) was a German born artist (drawing and painting) who is known to have published two instructional works for students. He was known to have been a drawing instructor in the New York City school system from about 1860 to circa 1865, possibly later. Little else is known about him. Some of the drawings here are known to have been first published in: Systematic Drawing Cards for Schools, with Instructions: In Two Parts. By Sigismond Schuster, Professor, 494 Broadway. New York: Ivison, Phinney & Co., 178 Fulton St., 1857. See reference image and notes for a citation of a Huntington Library holding. (There were later printings or editions and another listed address for Schuster at 782 Broadway.) He signed only drawings 18 and 28. The four images related to Hoboken are followed by another group of what are stated or apparent European scenes plus flora. Images are listed as collated although the numbers on the drawings place place out of numerical order: (18). Cricket Grounds Near Hoboken. Captioned by artist and was signed at the lower right but is now smudged and mostly illegible [Schuster's name is legible on drawing 28.] Depicts a building at the St. Georges Cricket Grounds with a clothesline with clothes, a barrel and a lawn roller at the left. (note that the image of this leaf records the original pamplet style binding thread along with the irregularly trimmed edge.) Drawing 21 is the verso of this leaf. (21). Sybils [Sybil's] cave on the Hudson. Captioned by the artist, but not signed. Shows the exterior Gothic architectural portal, another fence and dooway; table with a glass and a bench surrounding a tree or pole with a glass and a pitcher. (19). Restaurant near Sybils [Sybil's] Cave. Captioned by the artist, but unsigned. Depicts the exterior of a building that would have been on River Walk. This drawing includes a drawn frame for the image. Verso of this leaf is blank. (This image is published in the work cited above and it was number 19 there, but it did not have the border frame.) (20). Indian Huts near Hoboken. Captioned by the artist, but not signed. Depicts two tents along with a section of fencing, some other planked wood constructions plus a clothesline. (note in the scanned image of this leaf the remains of a tissue guard that was originally bound in.) Verso of this leaf is blank. No. 2 package No. (28). A Town "Among the Alps." Captioned by the artist and signed at lower right: S. Schuster. Verso of this leaf is blank. (The reference, "No. 2 package," is apparently to Part 2 of the published work which was issued in two parts.) 31. City of Troy. Captioned by the artist in cursive hand, but unsigned. Verso of this leaf is drawing 30. 30. [untitled small flora]. Unsigned. (This work was in the published work and was also no. 30 there.) (29). [untitled small flora]. Unsigned. Note that this drawing is the start of the only folio in this item which includes drawings numbered 29, 33, 32, 34 numbered in that sequence. 33 (which does appear in the published work under the same number) and 32 are untitled and are similar to City of Troy drawing. 34 is numbered but blank except for the name James Kennedy written in pencil in a hand that is probably not the artist's. Also note in the image of the folio spread of 33 and 32 there is seen the remains of tipped-in tissue guard in the gutter.