Collection Guide
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Guide to the John and Jane Adams Autograph Album Collection
MS-0056
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Table of contents
Collection Title: John and Jane Adams Autograph Album Collection
Dates: 1851-1933
Bulk Dates: 1860-1890
Identification: MS-0056
Creator:
Adams Autograph Album Collection
Physical Description: 1.67 linear ft
Language of Materials:
English
Repository:
Special Collections & University Archives
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego, CA, 92182-8050
URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua
Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu
Phone: 619-594-6791
Autograph albums, also known as "charm" albums, "forget-me-not albums," or "memory books," were a popular pastime in America
during the second half of the nineteenth century. These albums were small blank books that were sometimes decorated with attractive
chromolithographs or engravings, or colored paper. Friends, acquaintances, school chums, and family would write brief sentimental
verses (often original) or wishes of remembrance to the owner of the album. The inscriber would often sign with a flourish
or draw or color a picture to make his or her entry unique and memorable. These albums were often also used to keep pressed
flowers, locks of hair, bits of ephemera, and photographs.
This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Adams, Jane Ford -- Art collections
Adams, John R., 1900-1994 -- Art collections
Autograph albums
Autograph albums -- Private collections -- California -- San Diego
Autograph albums -- United States -- Specimens
Some of these materials are in the public domain. However, the nature of historical archival and manuscript collections means
that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained
in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections,
San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections
as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must
also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and
private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement
of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
This collection is open for research.
Identification of item, folder title, box number, John and Jane Adams Autograph Album Collection, Special Collections and
University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University.
The collection is arranged in alphabetical order by last name. Where possible, geographic location(s) have been noted, along
with date span of entries. There are four albums at the end of the collection that lack the last names of their owners. There
is one blank autograph book at the end of the collection.
This collection consists of 30 late Victorian autograph albums.
The albums in this collection (except one) all belonged to young ladies. Some have only a few entries; the majority have many
pages filled out. The albums belonged to girls in numerous locations across the United States. Some albums have entries from
a discrete group of people ("Normal Institute Class"), though most are made up of a variety of friends and family. Often it
is apparent that the owner later filled in details about the signer, such as "Died cholera, 1866" in Hattie Churchill's album.