Artwork by Children of the State Schools in WA 1909 - time-lapse flip though

Viewers are advised that this video contains reproductions of historical illustrations made by children including the depiction of an Aboriginal family.
The State Library takes the preservation of our collection seriously. In this video, you can’t see the pillow on which the books were resting to preserve the spines. Each page was slowly and carefully turned. The footage was edited, warped and dramatically sped up so you can enjoy this precious book in a fraction of the time.
The red cover bound volume, 'Artwork by Children of the State Schools', is one of the State Library's treasures. Imprinted on the leather-bound cover in gold foiled typescript is the Western Australian state government crest and the words "Presented to his Excellency the Governor Admiral Sir Frederick.
Enclosed within its pages are paintings produced by WA school children, some as young as eight years old. The majority of pages are pencil and watercolour illustrations depicting wildflowers.
The book was presented as a gift to Governor Sir Frederick and Lady Ethel Bedford by the state school's ammeter athletic association to acknowledge Bedford's support of the athletic association during his time as governor (1903 - 1909). The album's presentation took place at Government House Ballroom on 5 April 1909 with about 400 school students present. The book's last few pages include photographs of the ammeter athletic association at Fremantle Oval in 1909.
The book was donated to State Library in 1961 by Arthur Charles Staples (a W.A. historian), but we do not know how it came to be in his possession.
Artwork by Children of the State Schools in Western Australia 1909
State Library of Western Australia, (1991B).