Album of autograph letters and poems : [Boston], [19th century].

Record ID: 
105924
Accession number: 
MA 925
Author: 
Fields, Annie, 1834-1915.
Credit: 
Bequest of Annie Fields, 1915.
Description: 
1 v. (92 items), bound : ill. (ports.) ; 29.5 cm
Notes: 

A fragment of John Keats's autograph manuscript of "Hyperion" was removed from this album in 1935 and bound with a collection of autograph poems of John Keats (MA 214). It is now housed separately and accessioned as MA 7342.
An autograph copy of Leigh Hunt's poem "Love-letters made of flowers" was removed from this album in 1935 and moved to MA 987.
The rose velvet chemise trimmed with gold braid, which enclosed the binding, is housed separately.

Summary: 

An autograph album of ca. 93 blank pages of various colors, some with printed or embossed decorative frames, with an engraving of Shakespeare on p. 2, probably supplied by the album-maker. Glued onto almost every page are autograph poems and letters of major nineteenth-century English and American authors, friends of Mrs. Fields or visitors to her home and library at 148 Charles Street, Boston. The album also includes a picture of Robert Wiedemann Barrett Browning (MA 925.59) and photographs of Annie Fields (MA 925.91) and Algernon Charles Swinburne (MA 925.92). Items in the collection are described in individual records (MA 925.1-92).

Housed in: 
Blue cloth drop-spine box (31.6 cm); velvet cover housed separately.
Binding: 
Mass-produced black leather panel-stamped album with a heavily-worn rose velvet chemise trimmed with gold braid.
Provenance: 
Annie Fields.