Search

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 Polly C. Bishop Mansfield Collection contains poetry and sewing produced by Mansfield while a young woman during the mid-nineteenth century. Four poems entitled "Remembrance," "Nevermore," "Friendship," and "Persevere" are written on both sides of a slim sheet of paper. Mansfield hand-sewed a stuffed fabric fish, drawing scales, gills, and eyes on it with ink. The fish is affixed with thread to a manuscript note that reads, "Sarah Heaton Stiles and Polly Bishop Mansfield had a bet on and Polly was to give Sarah a shad, in payment. And she (Polly) made this shad, perhaps about 1850-2. They were young women."

The Polly C. Bishop Mansfield Collection contains poetry and sewing produced by Mansfield while a young woman during the mid-nineteenth century. Four poems entitled "Remembrance," "Nevermore," "Friendship," and "Persevere" are written on both sides of a slim sheet of paper. Mansfield hand-sewed a stuffed fabric fish, drawing scales, gills, and eyes on it with ink. The fish is affixed with thread to a manuscript note that reads, "Sarah Heaton Stiles and Polly Bishop Mansfield had a bet on and Polly was to give Sarah a shad, in payment. And she (Polly) made this shad, perhaps about 1850-2. They were young women."

The Ypsilanti State Normal School photograph album contains 20 photographs of teachers and students associated with Ypsilanti State Normal School (now known as Eastern Michigan University).

The Ypsilanti State Normal School photograph album contains 20 photographs of teachers and students associated with Ypsilanti State Normal School (now known as Eastern Michigan University).

The album (15 x 11.5 cm) has black leather covers with “Cartes De Visite” gilt-stamped on the front and a metal locking clasp. An “Index to Portraits” appears towards the front, though it does not match the current arrangement of photographs. A total of 18 cartes de visite and 2 tintypes are present.

The first image in the album is a view of two buildings captioned “Ypsilanti State Normal in 1876 when Mr. & Mrs. M. J. Erwin attended.” Subsequent photographs consist entirely of individual and group studio portraits, all of which include handwritten captions identifying people and in some cases occupations, dates, and locations. Persons pictured include Ypsilanti State Normal School teachers, administrators, and students as well as individuals associated with the McKibbin and Erwin families of Commerce and Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan. Portraits of superintendent Joseph Estabrook, geography instructor Anna Cutcheon, science instructor J. A. McLouth, and preceptress Ruth Hoppin are all included towards the front of the album.

The signature of “John McKibbin” appears on the album’s first page. A man identified as John McKibbin also appears in three photographs, one of which includes an additional caption in differently colored ink that reads “My Brother.” The additional caption was likely written by McKibbin’s sister Mary C. McKibbin Erwin, whose portrait is also included alongside one of her husband Matthew J. Erwin. All three individuals attended Ypsilanti State Normal School together.