19th century Handwritten Schoolgirl's Memory Album with 20 Handwritten Entries and 39 Pieces of Ephemera, 1842-1877

[Women Education]

Handwritten Journal

[Women Education] [Handwritten] A schoolgirl’s memory album, with 20 handwritten entries and 39 pieces of ephemera, 1842-1877. A memorabilia, recording many aspects of the first major movement of women's education in the United States brings depth to a movement that was groundbreaking in its time, but today is largely at risk of disappearing from the historical record. Signed “C.F. Key / January 19th 1842” on first end page. 9 x 7.5 in. Green marbleized boards with red leather binding. 64 pages.  20 handwritten inscriptions. 24 pieces of paper ephemera, primarily engravings and images from newspaper clippings, such as one depicting “Her majesty leaving Buckingham Palace, June 28, 1838” and medieval images such as “Marriage of Henry the 6th.” Includes 15 color wax seas from friends and schoolmates, mostly women. Seals include music ledgers, personalized initials, trees, and animals such as dogs and lions. Large hand-drawn pencil illustration of a small thatched-roof building in a forest. Memory albums held autographs, sentiments, and reminiscences of friends and schoolmates, similar to yearbooks today.

Handwritten entries on topics such as Happiness and The Bride. Many entries have to do with marriage and domestic life, such as “A Lady’s Choice of Husband”: “The man who would my heart engage, Must not be forty years of age, His statue of the middle size, His features pleasing to my eyes. His brown must seldom wear a frown, In manners neither fop nor clown…” One entry it titled “Making Love”: “What’s making love said Jane, what can it mean, Pray Charles can you make love, I’n now sixteen, Errors I make, make scones, make amends, Make samplers, tippets, and make bosom friends, But as to making love; I really doubt it. At least I know not how to set about it. Ah charming girl said Charles, that kind confession bespeaks a stock of love in your possession, Love is not science, by not art is shown, But the most sweet confession ever known.” Binding loose with loss to foot of spine. First 2 pages and last 3 pages detached. In good condition.

Item #17043

Price: $450.00