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The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. At least one volume was kept by an African American man, Lewis G. Mosebay. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

The Letters, Documents, and Other Manuscripts of the Duane Norman Diedrich Collection is a selection of individual items compiled by manuscript collector Duane Norman Diedrich (1935-2018) and the William L. Clements Library. The content of these materials reflect the life and interests of D. N. Diedrich, most prominently subjects pertinent to intellectual, artistic, and social history, education, speech and elocution, the securing of speakers for events, advice from elders to younger persons, and many others.

The Letters, Documents, and Other Manuscripts of the Duane Norman Diedrich Collection is a selection of individual items compiled by manuscript collector Duane Norman Diedrich (1935-2018) and the William L. Clements Library. The content of these materials reflect the life and interests of D. N. Diedrich, most prominently subjects pertinent to intellectual, artistic, and social history, education, speech and elocution, the securing of speakers for events, advice from elders to younger persons, and many others.

For an item-level description of the collection, with information about each manuscript, please see the box and folder listing below.

The Rewards of merit collection consists of approximately 800 hand-illustrated and printed rewards of merit originating in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Rewards of merit collection consists of approximately 800 hand-illustrated and printed rewards of merit originating in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The collection includes rewards of merit decorated with ink, watercolor, and fraktur art as well as lithographic and chromolithographic rewards. The bulk of materials are dated between 1830 and 1900.

Series I of the collecton contains approximately 200 rewards housed in binders that are primarily grouped around specific students and teachers. Also present is a group 100 examples of early 19th century rewards acquired from dealer Alfred P. Malpa Ephemera.

• 1.1: Early 19th century rewards of merit, 100 items
• 1.2: Abbott, Carrie M. (student), 3 items
• 1.3: Adams, Priscilla (teacher), 4 items
• 1.4: Corbette, Edith (student), 4 items
• 1.5: Garrelson (student) and Smiley (teacher) families, 13 items
• 1.6: Jones family (student), 5 items
• 1.7: Roberts, Charlie (student), 13 items
• 1.8: Shackford, Mabel (student) and Riley, Mary L. (teacher), 3 items
• 1.9: Sturtevant, Florence (student) and Lamb, Clara (teacher), 8 items
• 1.10: Thompson, Susan A. (student), 3 items
• 1.11: Thurley, Gertie (student), 4 items
• 1.12: Thurston family (student & teacher), 5 items

Series II contains approximately 600 19th century rewards of merit housed in binders. Materials are organized by size and include "small" and "large" groupings. Also present are two instructional cards for a rewards of merit system and blank uncut printed rewards of merit sheets.

• 2.1: Small miscellaneous rewards of merit
• 2.2: Large miscellaneous rewards of merit
• 2.3: Uncut rewards of merit

Other students and teachers represented in the collection include the following: O. C. E. Baker, Minnie Bates, Edgar Blanchard, Sarah Bods, Hiram Bradley, Lydia P. Burnham, Sallie Burnham, Eliza W. Burrage, Amelia Burt, Joseph Busk, Frances M. Caulkins, Anna Chamberlain, Eddie Clock, William Duncan, Annie Earle, Della L. Farwell, Leva Ferro, Frances F. Fitch, Abraham E. Fox, Clarissa French, Lillie Gerz, Aletta Green, Isaac Goodchild, Henry S. Gouver, Celia Griswold, L. Hasbrouck, Jane Hayden, Joseph Heaton, Flora Hemmings, George Hibbs, Janell M. Hopkins, Frank Houghton, Katie Houghton, Lydia C. Huntington, Chelsey Hutching, Ellen K. Kanchett, Sidney Keith, Lucy Kendall, Henry Kimball, Edith Konter, Lizzie Kraybill, Euphema J. Lament, Grace Laverny, Walter Leonard, Della Lewis, Bertha Lockwood, Bessie C. Lord, Lilly McDonnell, Maggie S. Mitchell, Lizzie Morse, Llewallyn Moulton, Jennie C. Perry, Hallie A. Purinton, Amanda Reed, John Reed, Mary E. Richardson, Eva H. Roberts, Abbie F. Rupell, W. H. Rutherford, Andy Salisbury, Adolphus Sayre, Ella Sherman, Mary E. Shipman, Emogene F. Spakin, Sophia Strong, Edward Van Soligen, Lizzie P. Whillemore, Cira B. Whitney, Emma Yeaton, Georgie Young, and James Young.

Educational institutions represented include Belknap School, Bennington (Vt.) Graded School District, D.C. Academy, Excelsior School System, Hartford Centre School, Kingston Grammar School, Marblehead Academy, Miss Sanders' Seminary, Mrs. Cranch's Academy, Pollsville Institute, and "Town School No. 12."