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Stunning 19th Century Manuscript Autograph Book with Great Insight Into Social and Familial Connections in Essex County, Massachusetts

Essex County, Massachusetts. Softcover. On offer is a beautiful example of a 19th century autograph book that was popular in pre-Civil War America. This book features entires that allow the reader to make interesting genealogical connections within the Essex County, Massachusetts region. The owner of this book was a woman named Margaret Merrill. There are multiple Margaret Merrills who were born in the 1830s-40s, and lived in Essex county, so it is not possible to determine the exact owner of this book. What we can determine, however, are the many authors of Margaret’s autographs. The book features inscriptions and autographs of six members of the Dodge family, who were spread out around Essex county in Hamilton, Beverly and Wenham. There are entries from Sarah W. Dodge (1838-1920) , daughter of George and Mary Dodge of Hamilton, Mary Abbie Dodge (1836-1879) , daughter of Richard and Hannah Dodge of Beverly, and sisters mother Elizabeth C. Dodge (wife of Abraham Dodge) and her daughters Caroline, Martha and Ellen Dodge, all of Wenham. What a fascinating genealogy these entries weave. Other entries are from other Wenham, Cambridge and Boston locals, often multiple members of the same family, including two members of each of the Henderson, Curtis and Cabot families, and several others. Entries were written between 1859-1881. As was the style of the time, most fill an entire page with poetry and wishes for Margaret. It seems Margaret was married in 1863, as she received a “Marriage wish” from Caroline C. Dodge: “One year of joy another of comfort and all the rest of content…Let one anxious thought of thine/Rest it rapid flight on me/Nor to forgetfulness consig/ A friend who loves to think of thee”. Another entry consists of a beautiful line drawing rendered in red and black ink of a bird surrounded by boughs and bearing the ornate signature of Charles Stanton and dated 1877. There are two cards tipped in to the book, each with a beautiful coloured drawing and a scrolled message and printed with the names of the giver. Another sample entry reads as follows: “Passing through life's field of action/Lest we past before its end; /Take within your little volume This moment from a friend/Very Sincerely - Sarah A Fall” [April 7, 1879]. This is a really exciting find for anyone interested in Essex County, Massachusetts. Margaret was obviously a beloved citizen of Wenham, and forged connections far and wide, allowing a modern-day reader or researcher to trace genealogy and gain insight into friendships and connections in the region. Autograph Books - Historical Context: An autograph book was a book used to collect the autographs of others people who were important to the book-owner’s life. Traditionally they were exchanged among friends and classmates to fill with poems, personal messages, small pieces of verse, scripture quotations and other mementos. Sometimes, tucked inside the pages would be pressed flowers, calling cards, and locks of hair. Many also contained illustrations or drawings. The tradition of keeping these books began in central Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries and came to America in the late 18th century. Their appeal peaked in the latter part of the 19th century but they were still common in 20th century. As interest in autograph books dwindled as they were replaced by yearbooks and guest books. This small book measures 7.5 inches by 6.25 inches and contains 96 pages. It is 21% complete. The book includes 4 black and white plates with line drawings illustrating idealized and pastoral scenes. The pages themselves are gilt-edged and are printed in several alternating pastel shades. The front cover is a deeply embossed red leather with gold designs. It bears the title The Philopena (or Autograph) Album. It is worn but still intact. The binding is in good condition as are the pages. The handwriting is legible. Some of the handwriting displays very beautiful calligraphy. ; Manuscripts; 12mo 7" - 7½" tall; 96 pages; Signed by Author. Good with no dust jacket .

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Book number: 0011070

Catalogue: 20th Century Manuscript

GLADYS SMITH WHITE

1929 Simple Diary of a Newton, Massachusetts Widow and Mother of Adult Children

Newton, Massachusetts, 1929. Softcover. On offer is an simple yet interesting diary written by a woman in eastern Massachusetts in 1929.The author of the diary is Gladys Smith White. Our research has found little biographical information about her. She lived on Chase Street in Newton, Massachusetts and was married to Allan S. White. Allan passed away in 1925 and Gladys passed away in 1954. There is a note in a Newton newspaper from 1921 indicating that Allan had been admitted to hospital, so it is reasonable to assume that he was ill for a long period of time before his eventual death. Gladys kept this diary four years after the death of her husband. Context suggests that she may have had several older children. Her entries describe the social activities and day-to-day concerns of a woman who had been recently widowed. Excerpts from the diary follow: “Waxed the floors, then took a bath and went out shopping. Went up to Rebecca’s and played cards this evening. Had a nice time. Ben was here for supper” [Jan 12]. “Went to church. Mr. & Mrs. Hudson called also Mrs Farlett, [ ] Ben & Ginny. [ ] roommate came tonight. Telegram – Choate house burnt” [Feb 24]. “Virginia still home. Went down to Ben’s for the evening. I went to Minie’s” [Mar 26]. “Virginia, Charlotte and I went down to Minie’s for luncheon & Virginia is to stay the week. I am cleaning the house” [May 6]. “Went down to Franklin with Mrs. Blodgette shopping. Met Janet all to luncheon. Then went home with [ ] and Fred. Had nice dinner with them. We went down shopping again. Got things for Alice’s birthday” [Aug 31]. For a Women’s Studies researcher, this small diary offers an interesting glimpse into the world of a middle-aged woman living in small-town Massachusetts during the 1920s. The daily life of her and her friends is now a world away from that of women today and serves as a clear contrast. The diary is small, measuring 4 inches by 2.5 inches. It contains 122 pages plus memoranda. The diary is about 40% complete. The covers are pebbled leather and in good condition, as is the spine and binding. The pages are all intact and the handwriting is legible.; Manuscripts; 32mo 4" - 5" tall; 122 pages; Signed by Author. Good+ with no dust jacket .

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Book number: 0011182

Catalogue: 20th Century Manuscript

Keywords: Middle Age ' Great Depression

ALBERT W. WIGGIN JR.

1944-1946 Archive of Insightful, Detailed Letters from a Young Army Man Serving in the Pacific Theater in a Time of Rampant Racism and Political Upheaval

Wisconsin, Texas, Philippines, Luzon. Non-Book. On offer is an outstanding collection of 10 letters written by a young man enlisted in the United States Army during the Second World War. His letters are thorough and situate the reader squarely in the political and social climate of the time, while providing insight into his training, travels and service in the Philippines (under Doug Macarthur or “Dugout Doug”). Our author is Albert W. Wiggin Jr. Born in 1925, Albert grew up with his parents and three siblings in Wakefield, Sanbornville, New Hampshire. Private Wiggin’s (Later Private First Class Wiggin) letters begin in September of 1944 when he is living at Traux Field, near Madison, Wisconsin and attending Army Air Force Eastern Technical Training Center. His final letter is sent in February, 1946, the day after he arrives back home in the United States from his deployment. Through his letters, we learn that he trains to be a radio operator in Wisconsin, prior to being sent to Camp Howze in Texas for “six weeks intensive infantry training”. From there, he is deployed to the Pacific Theater in the Philippines and is involved in the Battle of Luzon. He references “Dougout Doug” (General Doug Macarthur) twice and context clues indicate that Macarthur was the General overseeing his division. Wiggin is a funny, intelligent young man who, at once, understands and accepts his duty to serve, while keeping his eye on the future, always considering his life after the war. Unlike many WWII letter collections, Wiggin does not dwell on his daily tasks (though he does comment on his various assignments, such as building a mess hall when he first arrives in the Philippines and driving trucks of Japanese people to a base camp in Luzon). Rather he infuses his letters with his thoughts on the people around him, on politics of the time and of his plans for the future. Some excerpts from the letters allow the reader to understand the flavor of the archive of letters: “There’s a lot of controversy here on the election and better than 50% section of the fellows seem to be solidly in back of Tom Dewey…Most of the fellows with any education seem to be for Dewey, while most of the Roosevelt supporters are Jews and the mental midgets from the factory and Southern farms” [Wiggin, to his Gramps, November, 1944]. “I was glad to hear of Rowell getting back to the States. It’s too bad about those other fellows. I guess a lot of the guys I went to school with have been killed”. [Wiggin, to his mother, June, 1945]. “Sanbornville is the liveliest place on earth when you compare it with this [hole]” [Wiggin, to his brother, comparing his small New Hampshire town to his station in the Philippines, August, 1945]. ““They aren’t worth a damn as combat soldiers on the line as [they are] always pulling out and taking to the woods” [Wiggin, explaining his feelings about the Filipino soldiers with whom he is working, September, 1945]. “So far it has been a pretty rough war but I don’t figure I’ve done very badly as I only had to sweat out 41 or 42 combat days. I was still plenty glad to get pulled back down here though. They tell me there were 40,000 Japs up there in the hills, posted so as to keep the Flips from working them over” [Wiggin, to his mother, September, 1945]. “Just heard we were in for a Presidential citation for the Luzon campaign” [Wiggin, to his mother, Fall, 1945]. “I have never saw a bigger collection of illiterates in my life, and every one is an authority on everything from spelling to tactics and logistics”; “Another thing that didn't help on the voyage was a bad cold that was aided and abetted by a slight touch of malaria so I had to go back to taking those damn Atabrine tablets again” [Wiggin, to his mother, describing his trip back to America, February, 1946]. The detail with which Pfc Albert Wiggin writes is outstanding and the reader really gets the sense that they are with him throughout his journey. His proximity to important moments in the Pacific Theater is, of course, the highlight of this archive. Getting to know this young man, his humor, his views (though some are unsavory when viewed through a modern lens) and his underlying desire to just get back home is endearing on many levels. All 10 letters are in Good condition. There is some staining on the envelopes due to normal age and some slight staining on some of the letters. There are no rips or tears in the letters and all the handwriting is very legible. Nine of the letters are written in ink while one is written in pencil. Overall G. ; Letters; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; Signed by Author. Good with no dust jacket .

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Book number: 0010310

Catalogue: 20th Century Manuscript

Keywords: 2 Phillippines Educated Soldier

STUART D. WIGGIN

1944-1945 New Hampshire Us Naval Officer’S Letters Home, Discussing Army Academics and Comparing German, Italian and British Submarines

Sampson, New York, New London, Conneticut. Non-Book. On offer are a small collection of two fascinating letters, written by Stuart D. Wiggin, during his service in World War Two (WWII) in the United States Navy. Stuart D. Wiggin was born in 1927 to parents Albert W. Wiggin Sr. And Agnes R. Wiggin. He grew up in Wakefield, Sanbornville, New Hampshire with his parents and three siblings. An outstanding collection of 10 of Stuart’s older brother, Albert W. Wiggin Jr. ’s letters can be found in a separate listing (#0010310). During his time in the U. S. Navy, Stuart was part of the U. S. S. Bushnell Submarine Squadron One, stationed at the U. S. Submarine Base in New London, CT; Camp Shoemaker, CA; Fort George G. Meade, MD; U. S. S. Blackfin, San Francisco; and Fort Devens, Ayer, MA. The letters on offer here were written seven months apart, in December, 1944 and July, 1945. In them, Stuart writes to his grandparents, Mr. And Mrs. A. O. Robinson. The first letter was written on December 7, 1944. At this time, Stuart is an F2 (Fireman Second Class) and is staying at the US Naval Training Centre in Sampson, New York. The letter is not focused on the war, rather on his studies, his friends and the weather and driving conditions around the center. It is funny that his comment about the quality of his academic instruction is no different then the way a 17-year-old in the 21st century may speak of their own classes: “School is just the same as ever and not very interesting. They put too much stress on the wrong things and don’t seem to care very much about the important things”. Stuart acknowledges that while school is not interesting to him, “It is a lot better than a lot of the other service schools and it’s better than being out to sea”. The second letter was written on July 1st, 1945 and contains details that will appeal to naval enthusiasts. Stuart is now an F1 (Fireman First Class) and is stationed in the U. S. Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut. It is a Sunday so he hasn’t much to do. Stuart tells his grandparents that he has been exploring and comparing submarines from Germany, Italy and Britain. He also hangs out with some British Navy Officers who are in the US on his base. An excerpt from the letter follows: “I went down to the lower base to look over some of the boats. I took a look at the German sub which is quite a boat. I was on an Italian sub a couple of weeks ago that had much better accommodations for the men, but the German was the better of the two. We have a couple British subs. Down here now and I went aboard one of them. It was about the dirtiest thing I have ever been on and not much of a boat either…” [Historical Note: This German sub Wiggin mentions is in reference to U-858 which surrendered to the United States Navy in May, 1945]. Taken together, these two letters give insight into the experience of a Navy officer during the Second World War who sees action but also gets an education and observes his surroundings. If the name “Stuart Wiggin” sounds familiar, it is likely because there is a Stuart Wiggin Collection of letters at the University of New England. These are part of the Bush Legacy Collection established by Pres. George H and Barbara Bush at the university. The Bush Legacy Collection also includes the Randall J. Cushing Collection of World War I and World War II Letters, 1914-1963, a collection of approximately 1,500 letters among members of 27 families of U. S. Soldiers in those wars. These letters are separate from that collection and, to the best of our knowledge, the Bush Legacy Collection contains only letters written by Stuart to his parents, not to his grandparents. Both letters are written in pen in an easy cursive hand and fill two sides of single sheets of paper. There is normal signs of age present as the letters and envelopes are slightly discoloured, but there are no rips or tears to the letters or envelopes. Overall G+. ; Letters; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 2 pages; Signed by Author. Very Good with no dust jacket .

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Book number: 0010310A

Catalogue: 20th Century Manuscript

Keywords: 2 Soldier