Victorian Scrap Book and Photo Album of Mrs. Anthony Gibson -- Humor, Popular Culture, Photography

[Albany, New York], 1892. Good to very good. Toned with dust soiling, upper board detached. Staining from adhesive used.. A charming scrap book laden with humor and personality of Mrs. Anthony M. Gibson of Tolland/Rockville, Connecticut. Exceptional for the sheer amount of insight it provides into someone who was clearly a good-natured and playful person. Includes early ink caption/labels. Contains the following ephemera: photos; newspaper clippings; a pressed flower; manuscript letters; and one chromolithographed trade card depicting a stylized Romantic poet. We can glean that Mrs. Gibson was a member of the Woman's Relief Corps, visited upstate New York occasionally, enjoyed seafood and cartoons, and fancied her husband well into their long marriage (several photos of him are included). The majority of the newspaper clippings appear to be sourced from Tolland/Rockville or Hartford, Connecticut publications, where she lived. A photo of her and her husband have been sweetly adhered to the first leaf recto, along with an early ink presentation inscription ("Mac to Sarah. Sept 19th 1868") and her early ink signature to head of same page ("Mrs. Anthony M. Gibson. Albany, New York"). Sarah was presumably a nickname or middle name, as "Mac" was for him.
Single volume (12.25" by 10.5"), approx. 75 blank leaves about half filled with ephemera, bound in original three quarter red sheep with textured blue cloth sides, spine gilt in compartments, all edges marbled. Includes 3 cent size miniature Lord's prayer. Also includes a charming three page picture story letter from 1899 to Mae and Sarah.