Large folio, 65 prints in fine condition, smaller prints mounted two to the page to meet a uniform size of 585 x 435 mm, a little light foxing and occasional remargining of the large sepia aquatints after Galliari, those after Fontanesco in very fine crisp state. Bound together in an early 19th-century album of red marbled boards, calf spine lettered ‘Invenzioni Teatrali’, blue edges.

The collection comprises a full-page hand coloured rustic stage design probably after Galliari, the hand coloured aquatint title to Galliari’s Numero XXIV invenzioni teatrali, Milan 1803, and 10 sepia aquatint plates from this very rare series. Fontanesco and Pozzetti are represented by 17 fine aquatint plates in superb condition published by Bettali of Milan, and two other plates by Carlo Zucchi after Fontanesi, all with dedicatory inscriptions. Three unsigned smaller sepia proof aquatint designs are almost certainly after Galliari. There are 7 plates by Luigi Rados after Pietro Gonzaga (two of them unsigned and, apart from the first, proofs before the addition of aquatint). Four smaller colour printed aquatints by Carl Zucchi after Galliari are followed by a number of designs after Sanquirico, including an outline courtyard design printed in red, with pencil additions, a similar design in black, an aquatint Egyptian interior and a sepia aquatint, with 12, mostly Egyptian, plates also after Sanquirico although unsigned. These are probably from the Raccolta di varie decorazioni sceniche inventate ed eseguite per il R. Teatro della Scala, 1818 or 1822. At the end are 4 very early lithographs, proofs on grey paper, by Migliara after Galliari, circa 1808-10.