Friday, October 25, 2013

1887-1900s Autograph Album of Jennie, with signers from Boston, Massachusetts, and Maine


Autograph album given to Jennie at Christmas in 1887 by Millie C. Morrill, who penned a presentation page and also signed another page at Boston, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1887.





The Christmas celebration in 1887 at which Jennie received the album apparently occurred at Boston, but several of the signers, who signed at other times, were from the Maine counties of Washington, Hancock and Waldo.

An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

The album has a decoration of raised relief birds on red velvet, now faded.  It's approximately 8-1/4" x 5-1/2" with 30 pages inscribed to Jennie by her aunt Mrs. D. McCulloch and other people, some of whom may have been her relatives but did not specify a relationship, other than friend.



The page signed by Jennie's aunt, Mrs. D. McCulloch:



My hope is that a reader will recognize Mrs. D. McCulloch and the names of at least some of the others signers and will leave a comment with a theory as to Jennie's identity.

A few pages:

Jessie Gray signed a page at Boston, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1887.



Ethel Fraser signed a page on July 24, 1897.



S. B. Libby and Ada Libby of Deblois, Maine, signed pages, on July 17, 1888.




Harry S. Brown signed a page at Boston, Massachusetts, on February 22, 1889.



Beatrice Stewart signed a page on June 15, 1902.



Etta Wright of Addison, Maine, signed a page on April 14, 1888.



Lizzie M. Johnson of Machiasport, Maine, signed a page on January 19, 1890.



H. S. Brown of Boston, Massachusetts, signed a page on February 22, 1889.



Alphabetical list of signers [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

  • Jennie; album owner, presented to her by Millie, on Christmas Day 1887
  • Unsigned page of text
  • Maggie Bennett, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on June 18, 1888
  • M. N. Blick, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, in February 1888
  • Annie L. Brown, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1889
  • Harry S. Brown, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on February 22, 1889
  • H. S. Brown of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on February 22, 1889
  • Ethel F. Burns, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on June 1 1888; not positive of her surname
  • W. B. Done or W. B. Dowe or ?
  • B. M. Farnsworth of Sullivan, Maine
  • Ethel C. Fraser, siged on July 24, 1897
  • Jessie Gray, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1887
  • Emma B. Holt, signed on December 28, 1887
  • Lizzie M. Johnson of Machiasport, Maine, signed at Roxbury, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1890
  • S. B. Libby, signed at Deblois, Maine, on July 15, 1888
  • M. Ada Libby of Deblois, Maine, on July 17, 1888
  • Louis Lindermann, signed on January 8, 1888
  • Mrs. D. McCulloch, Jennie's aunt
  • Millie C. Morrill; she presented the album to owner Jennie on Christmas Day, 1887 and also signed a page at Boston, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1887
  • George Newberger, signed on January 8, 1888; he signed facing pages on the same day, although one of the pages could read 1888 or 1889, as the last digit is hard to read
  • Hattie Newberger signed on January 14, 1888
  • Jennie Priestman, signed on July 24, 1897
  • J. Russell, signed in February 1888; middle initial could be P or C or ?
  • J. Fredric Stewart, signed at East Boston, Massachusetts, on May 31, 1891
  • Ella M. Stewart, signed at East Boston, Massachusetts, on MMay 8 1891
  • Beatrice Stewart, signed on June 15, 1902
  • Christie E. Whitcomb of Searsport, Maine
  • S. Woodman of Roxbury, Massachusetts, signed on January 15, 1890
  • Etta Wright of Addison, Maine, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on April 14, 1888
If you have a theory as to the identity of album owner Jennie, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!


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