Alfreda's Autograph Book

Also in a box donated by Katherine Urquhart Ohno, we found Alfreda Huntington’s autograph book, filled with drawings and notes for her from friends and acquaintances. The amount of effort and artistic ability on display within this autograph book is remarkable.

Check out the entire book here!

Art by Patrizia, 1934. Caption says “With love to my dearest friend Alfreda”

Autograph books were small books passed around to gather thoughts and sometimes artistic endeavors of those they encountered, mostly friends and classmates.[1] They are the predecessors of modern practices such as writing in yearbooks. Autograph books owned by older teens and adults would primarily feature poetry, advice, or proverbs from their acquaintances.[2]

February 1934

Let’s throw all study books in the fire!!!

Nicoletta Pucci

Caption in Italian - let us know if you know what it says.

Are these two friends?

With love from

Fioretta Mazzei

The final marked page of her autograph book.

The entries in Alfreda’s Autograph Book were all created in 1934 and 1935, mostly while she was in Italy, as evidenced by friends’ names and the occasional caption in Italian. Alfreda would have been around 12-13 at the time. The various entries show a wide range of artistic ability, ranging from crayon sketches to realistic watercolor. A few names show up more than once. The last page with any markings, following a crayon drawing of a horse, is a single, undecorated signature, reminiscent of a more traditional, adult guestbook or autograph book. Perhaps the signatory was in a rush, perhaps it marks something of the transition into adulthood.

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Further Reading on Autograph Books

Morrison, Katie. “Family Life in 19th Century Autograph Books.” Indiana University Archives, Mar. 13, 2018.

References

[1] "Autograph Books."City of Red Deer.

[2] Allison, Lelah. “Traditional Verse from Autograph Books.” Hoosier Folklore 8, no. 4 (1949): 87–94.