SOLD Scarce and Excellent Shepherd's New Slate Desk with Complete Set of Double-sided Inserts for Copying, c. 1870s cut paper sihouette Ranavalo (former Queen of Madagascar)

Ranavalo (former Queen of Madagascar)

but it would also have allowed the user to make a traced heart their signature

with beautiful heavyweight rag paper pages

The paper cover here is a bit rough around the edges

I love the simplicity of this old straw brush

SOLD Scarce and Excellent Shepherd's New Slate Desk with Complete Set of Double-sided Inserts for Copying, c. 1870s cut paper sihouette Ranavalo (former Queen of Madagascar)I've had one or two of these over the years but they're pretty scarce and always get me excited and this one with its complete original set of inserts, and the ribbon, which sits under them on the right side and functions to release them when pulled, still in very good tact. There were a few different iterations of these, designed by Charles C. Shepherd of Passaic, New Jersey and New York for use in school drawing and penmanship lessons. With a wedge