Walnut 2009 ~ The Spoils ~ Part 2!

{beautiful title page}

I know I mentioned in my last post that the McCracken files were my favorite find from Walnut this year, but on second thought, I should have said ONE of my favorite finds. I hate to admit it, but I have shopped so many shows, seen so many things and bought quite a bit, that I had forgotten much of what I acquired ~ until I started rediscovering things as I was cleaning off my dining room table. The dining room table is where I put things until I am ready to photograph them ~ sometimes I get quite a pile ~ obviously I don't use my dining room table for dining!

So, here is a lovely little autograph book with a theme of sealife from around 1881. There are few entries and those that there are are very faint ~ there is one though that gives some interesting information. The book was a gift from Ella Crawford, aged 6 years to her Aunt Minnie ~ she wishes her a long happy life. The entry is dated Sept. 21, 1881 in Crawfordsville, Iowa. Makes me wonder whether Ella's family had something to do with the start of the town she lived in. Quite a beautiful book ~ the cover is decadent and the inside illustrations in color lithography ~ I especially like the "Album" title page.

{embossed, foiled cover}

{one of several vignettes}