I sommi pontefici romani (album)

A collection of chromolithographic postcards honoring the Popes, originally arranged three per page in a photo album. Contains one card for each of the Popes, beginning with Peter and ending with Pius X. Each card features a portrait of a Pope and the papal coat of arms, surrounded by an ornamental border that features some appropriate Christian scene or symbol. Each card also bears a brief text giving the Pope's place of birth, date of election, etc. At the beginning of the sequence, the language of these texts is Italian; at card no. 228 (Julius I) the language of the texts shifts to French. Postcards are numbered in reverse order: the final card, for Pius X, is unnumbered; the preceding card for Leo XIII bears the number 1, and the card for Peter is numbered 263. Date: [1903?] taken from the dedication on the verso of each postcard