Women's Scrapbook/ Commonplace Book Collections (University of Virginia)

Content Description

An autograph album of Jemima Buell Griffing from Clinton, Connecticut.The album is filled with phrases, poems (some original), and short entries, including stories of Griffing with her family and friends.

Additionally there is a pencil drawing of what appears to be a grave with "Sacred to Memory" written on it surrounded by foliage drawn by J.R. Carns. It includes four engravings, some of which are hand-colored.

Content Description This collection contains the autograph album of Mary Ann Heston of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The manuscript title page reads "Mary Ann Heston's Album" and contains twenty-three pages of calligraphically rendered manuscript poetry dedicated to Mary from her friends and family, together with three laid-in leaves of manuscript poetry. There are not many locations identified with the entries. One gives a location of Pineville, [Pennsylvania], and another is dated at "Warner's Point Academy."...

Content Description This collection contains the memory book and autograph album of Verona A. Houghton of Weymouth, Massachusetts. A birthday gift from her mother, the book includes signatures and inscriptions with locks of hair and remembrances, predominately from 1854 to1857. There are fifty-four signatures, forty-one of which include a lock of hair. The signers of the book came from various locations in the United States including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa The inscription at...

Content Description

This collection contains the friendship album of Rebecca Jackman. The book is roughly one-quarter of the album filled with twelve lengthy verse entries signed by friends across New England. Most of the verses appear to be original and/or tailored to Rebecca. The album itself is titled "Souvenir album," and published by J.C. Riker, New York," with several engraved illustrations throughout and some pages of pink and blue paper.

Content Description

This collection contains a friendship album belonging to Pamelia Jenne of Charlton, Massachusetts. The album, a copybook, "Sold by Samuel Wood & Sons, New York," is here used as a friendship album. It contains thirty-eight pages of manuscript and one watercolor of flowers. Included are original and copied verse by a series of friends, many with several entries.

Content Description

This collection consists of one volume. An elaborate sketched title "Mary C. Jones Album," is the first page used; 79 pages used for hand-written inscriptions, verse, and literature, including some calligraphy. Signatures from Providence, "Washington Ball," and New York. The inscriptions are mostly addressed to "Caroline." Marbled paper over boards with red leather spine and red leather board edges; red leather label with gilt stamped name "Mary C. Jones" on the front cover.

Content Description Mary Kean high school scrapbook from Lomita, California, 1925-1934; 1956. Album with ephemera and photographs in a "Memories of my school days" binding compiled by Mary Kean, at Narbonne High School in Lomita in Los Angeles County. Includes programs, a few photographs, certificates, and much more. Of special interest are a series of programs and ephemera for Girl's Athletic Association field days in Southern California. There is a license for a "back seat driver" which seems to be making a...

Content Description This collection contains a large, stamped friendship album dedicated to Ellie F. Keen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from her father. The album contains a color title page, twelve romantic themed color plates throughout the album, over fifty poems and personal notes, and a full-page watercolor of lovers embracing in the moonlit night. Most inscriptions are signed with a first name only or initials; although, there are some exceptions with the writer’s full name. Predominately written between...

Content Description This collection contains the commonplace book belonging to a woman, possibly named Lydia from the United States, circa 1844. A commonplace manuscript book with verse neatly recorded verso and recto throughout. The book consists of twelve unpaginated leaves, ruled in pencil and partially uncut in original pink and black marbled paper wrappers. The contents are largely short verse excepts and meditative or religious in nature. However, there are several more substantial selections, "The...

Content Description

This collection contains a friendship album for Mollie Virginia Rinker of Leesburg, Louden County, Virginia. The album contains poems, drawings, sentiments and tokens of affection compiled mostly during the Civil War and just after. The final page in the album is damaged; an image or text was cut from the book leaving a large hole in the page.

Content Description This collection contains one notebook filled with poems and some loose newspaper clippings of printed verse. The inside front cover is signed, "Mrs. Clara D. Nelson's book." The book is full of poems copied down by Clara. Some of the poems included are "The golden side," by Mary Ann Kidder, "The old, old home," [Reverend Henry Brown], "Peace," by J.G. Whittier, and "Watching and waiting," by Marianne Farningham. Additionally, there are thirteen poems on newspaper, eight of which...

Content Description

This collection contains a commonplace book written in by Frances Eleanor "Fannie" Poole and her classmates at the Frederick Female Seminary in Maryland. The book includes a frontispiece, engraved title page, and additional plates. Poole wrote "this side up," beneath her inscription, but the binding is upside down. Poole died at the age of nineteen in 1860, four years after the last dated entry in the book. The book has heavy foxing on the plates and pages were torn from the book.