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commonplace books

 Subject
Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Scope Note: AAT: Books in which noteworthy literary passages, cogent quotations, poems, comments, recipes, prescriptions, and other miscellaneous document types are written.

SAA: n. ~ A personal anthology of aphorisms, short passages from literature, poems, and other notes transcribed into a blank volume to serve the memory or reference of the compiler. Notes: Increasingly rare in the United States after the first quarter of the 20th century.

Found in 82 Collections and/or Records:

Elizabeth Harvey common place book

 Unprocessed Material
Identifier: ViU-2018-0052

Eliza's memory book

 Collection — Box BW 40, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16650

Bettie A. Ford friendship album

 Collection — Box BW 30, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16578
Content Description This collection contains a "The Forget Me Not Album" belonging to Bettie A. Ford, of Lynchburg, Virginia. The album contains a mix of hand-written sentiments, poems, and remembrances written to Ford. The entries are mostly signed by initial or first name and many are dated. A few of the entries have annotations with additional information about the creator. In addition to these entries, there appear to be journal type jottings, possibly written by Ford. Also included are printed poems,...
Dates: c.1857-1898

Forget Me Not album

 Collection — Box BW 50, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16724
Content Description This collection consists of a commonplace book featuring quotes and sayings from newspaper and magazine clippings from a variety of authors like Shakespeare, Goethe, Longfellow, Elliot, and Byron. Most are organized so the quotes from the same author are grouped on the same page. Also included are excerpts of poems handwritten into the album. There are six black and white engravings and have the following titles 'Moonlight', 'Sketching from Nature', The Dukes Daughter',...
Dates: c.1852

Mary Neidhardt Frederick common place book

 Collection — Box BW 31, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16580

Sadie Eleanor Garbee commonplace book

 Collection — Box BW 6, Folder: 1 [X031589281]
Identifier: MSS 16146
Scope and Contents

Sadie Eleanor Garbee commonplace book (1885-1886; 0.03 cubic feet) includes sentiments from friends and relatives, as well as die-cut chromolithographs of flowers. The album is in a horizontal format and also contains poetry and quotations.

Dates: 1885-1886

Nannie N. Gardner commonplace book

 Collection — Box BW 6, Folder: 1 [X031589279]
Identifier: MSS 16141
Scope and Contents

Nannie N. Gardner commonplace book (1853-1862; 0.03 cubic feet) consists of a gold stamped cover and gold title page indicating "J.C. Riker, publisher." The commonplace book was published with elaborate gilt title page and hand-colored botanical frontispiece and four similar botanical plates. Most pages in the book have been filled with poems and other inscriptions to Nannie from her friends. Includes entry signed "John Dooley."

Dates: 1853-1862

Ann Gilman album

 Collection — Box BW 38, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16310
Content Description This collection contains the memory album of Ann Gilman. The octavo album, restored, with original light blue-green paper covered boards and new black leather spine. 71 pages, including 3 of the 5 engravings, were used for written verse and inscriptions dating from 1835-1839. Inscriptions are signed from Dover, New Hampshire and Bangor, Maine. Two inscriptiosn have small drawings. One page has a page of verse secured with pins. New front and rear end-papers. Album has 76 unnumbered pages and...
Dates: 1835-1839

Harriet Dudley Brown Gray album

 Collection — Box BW 28, Folder: 1 [X032669085]
Identifier: MSS 16515
Content Description This collection contains a friendship album belonging to Harriet "Hattie" D. Brown Gray (1867-1947) a resident of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The majority of the individuals who wrote an entry were from South Lee, MA or the surrounding towns. After Hattie's marriage in 1894 to Frank S. Gray (1852-1918), and their subsequent move to Connecticut, the majority of writers are from that state. Hattie's husband, Frank, signed the album on their wedding day. On the same page is a note...
Dates: 1890 - 1916

Elizabeth Harvey common place book

 Collection — Box BW 43, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16383
Content Description

Sentiments and poems of friendship, most signed and some are dated; "Knoxville, [Il.]" "Jacksonville, [Il.]" "Abingdon College, Knox County Illinois" "Princeton, Ill."

Dates: 1854 - 1856

Helen Barry autograph album

 Collection — Box BW 52, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16767

Jane's album

 Collection — Box BW 25
Identifier: MSS 16538

Pamelia Jenne friendship album

 Collection — Box BW 32, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16555
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.

Dates: 1826

Eliza Ellen (Davidson) Johnston commonplace book

 Collection — Box BW 28, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16513
Content Description This collection contains a bound volume of manuscript poems written and compiled by Eliza Ellen [Davidson] Johnston. The presentation page is inscribed as folllows " A common place book presented to Eliza Ellen Davidson by her Affectionate Mother on the 4th of June 1826, Greenbrier Virginia." A bound volume of unlined pages divided into two sections, hand-paginated with exception of final 30+ pages. This volume contains many poems written by Davidson, with her name and date at the end of...
Dates: 1826 - 1827

Sarah Littlefield Johnston album

 Collection — Box BW 6, Folder: 1 [X031589277]
Identifier: MSS 16139
Scope and Contents

Sarah Littlefield Johnston album (1845-1856; 0.03 cubic feet) containing poems, illustrations of flowers, and sentiments from friends and family in Maine and Massachusetts.

Dates: 1845-1856

Mary C. Jones friendship album

 Collection — Box BW 24
Identifier: MSS 16537
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.

Dates: 1825-1829

Matilda Jones album

 Collection — Box BW 38, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16618

Julia M. Nutter friendship album

 Unprocessed Material
Identifier: ViU-2020-0104

Mary Kean school scrapbook

 Collection — Ledger 1
Identifier: MSS 16701
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...
Dates: 1925-1934, 1956

Ellie F. Keen friendship album

 Collection — Box BW 32, Folder: 1
Identifier: MSS 16554
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...
Dates: 1848 - 1856