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Autograph Book

Date1884

MediumPaper and leather

Dimensions3 × 4 3/4 in. (7.6 × 12.1 cm)

ClassificationsBooks, Manuscripts, Documents, Personal Symbol & Correspondence

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Robertson. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number85.13.9

Status

On view

Collections

Books, Magazines, & Documents

Label TextFirst gaining popularity in America in the 1820s, autograph albums became a beloved pastime all around the world during the Victorian era. German immigrants brought the tradition into American culture in the late 18th century, and people widely embraced autograph books, with their popularity peaking around the Civil War. Purchased as blank books, they were filled by friends, family, and acquaintances who signed their names, added short verses, or occasionally created elaborate illustrations. Post Civil War, schools replaced them with yearbooks, causing their use to decline sharply in both cultures, though young women continued to favor them for a time. Eventually, autograph books in their classic form disappeared from American cultural life. Today, these albums offer modern viewers a glimpse into the social connections and formal etiquette that defined relationships of the era. https://ajhs.org/autograph-albums/ https://history.nebraska.gov/collection_section/saving-memories-autograph-albums/ “History of the Autograph Book Collection”. Autograph Book Collection, 1825–1884. Princeton, New Jersey, United States: Princeton University Library. 1997.

Locations