William's Antique Nature Guides

Last weekend when we had a routine Sunday night dinner at a friend's house, out of the blue he gave me this little set of antique nature guides. I love books and wildflowers and have a small but growing collection of antique wildflower books. So for me, this is a spectacular combination and an incredibly lovely set of books.  

Many of the flower names have changed but all my old favorites are in there and I love perusing the small picture plates.The copyrights range from 1909 to 1915 and inside each cover is a little handwritten inscription indicating that these were a graduation gift to William N. Gahr from his brother Edmond W. Gahr in 1929.  It made me wonder what William was graduating from and why he might have been given these particular books.   

I googled William N. Gahr and what's strange is that the friend who gave me the books said that he received them from his brother who lives in D.C.  The only William N. Gahr that comes up in google was born in 1910, died in 1978 and was a WWII veteran.  And he's buried in Denver, which is where I am and where I received the books.  It's a mystery as to how William's books ended up in D.C. more than 30 years after he died.

It's strange too how I somehow have his books now and they have come full circle.  But I love them and plan to keep them forever.  I hope William would approve.