Inspiration - Grandma's Vintage Date Book

This book is a small treasury of gorgeous floral chromolithographs, one for each of the months in a year and each having a devotional prayer or saying in German. In doing a little bit of research on the title, Christliches Vergissmeinnicht (or Christian Forget-Me-Not), I learned there are many versions of this little book still in existence today. One source says they were printed between 1897 and 1901. Each appears to have a slightly different cover style and I have not run across any that look like mine. The book's edges are gold gilt that shine brightly, like new. The endpapers that comprise the front and back panels are a delicate tiny flower print in gold ink. The book is protected in its own cardboard chip slip case.

Mine belonged to my grandmother. In it, she kept track of friends and family members' important dates, all in her careful penmanship. If I ever research my family tree, I will definitely consult this book, as she recorded many family members' names that I do not recognize, other than the last name.

I remember being awestruck by this book as a child. I had never seen anything so beautiful then, and it still is spectacular and beautiful to me today.

Below are some images of my copy. I have also included images of other versions I found on the Internet. It's lovely, isn't it? I just think it is very inspiring.









The plate for February with a relative's birthday recorded. Who might you have been Helmuth Boettcher, born in 1898?






Here are some other images.

From a listing at Ruby Lane:










And another cover version from another site:


And another version from a German bookseller: