Tuesday, January 2, 2018

1888-1890 Autograph Album of Isabelle Hill Ackerman, "Belle", of Madison, Georgia; Cabinet Photo of young Belle


Note: A Madison, Georgia historian has provided information about an inscription that might have been made by a Cornelius Vason.  See the list of inscribers at the end of this post.

1888-1890 autograph album that belonged to Isabelle Hill Ackerman, "Belle", of Madison Georgia.  A cabinet photograph of young Belle came with the album when I purchased it.



The album was either printed as a softcover, or it's missing its covers.  It measures approximately 6-3/4" by 4" and contains the sentiments of over 50 of Belle's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Surnames in the Album

? [18]FFaverRRedwine
AAckerman [4]FerrRenouff
AdamsGGavinRich
AugierHHough [2]Robertson
BBerryJJonesSSmith [2]
Butler [2]KKeileyStanley
CCarrollKellamStephens
CavinPPeteet [2]TTidwell [2]
ClevelandPon ? [2]WWalker
DDickinsonPrescottWhite
Williams

From brief online research, hopefully correct - corrections and additions requested:

I haven't found a birth record but marriage and death records indicate that Isabel/Isabell/Isabelle/Isabella Hill Ackerman, "Belle", was born October 28, 1877 at Madison, Georgia, the daughter of Abram Kennedy Ackerman and his first wife Lydia Kennedy (Robertson) Ackerman.  Lydia died in 1893, and Abram subsequently married Emma Theobald in Ohio in 1896.

The "Papa" and "Father" who inscribed pages in Belle's album were perhaps her paternal grandfather, Andrew Jackson Ackerman, and her father, Abram Kennedy Ackerman, unless Abram inscribed the pages using both terms.  Belle's paternal grandfather, John Dennis Morris Robertson, had died in 1882.



Belle married twice:
  1. Glenn McBride, who died in 1904, with whom she had one child
  2. George Lewis Breitenbucher, with whom she had two children
Belle died in 1960 and is buried with her second husband in Crest Lawn Memorial Park at Atlanta, Georgia.  If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the inscribers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Inscribers in the Album
  • Aunt Hannah; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on May 15, 1888.  Perhaps Hannah Maude Ackerman, sister of Belle's father Abram Kennedy Ackerman
  • Minnie S.
  • Hallie; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on May 16, 1888
  • Greek and Mathematical Symbols
  • J. M. S.; Belle's schoolmate
  • Niel ?ason; perhaps Vason; inscribed on May 13, 1888.  A Madison, Georgia, historian writes that the Vason family operated a drug store at Madison and that Cornelius was a recurring family name.  
  • Ida A.; inscribed on May 13, 1888
  • Syllables that might mean something, or not
  • Miss Viola
  • Unsigned sentiment
  • Leonard
  • ?  L. ?  Looks almost like P. L. P. , but the two Ps are formed differently.  Could be O. L. P.
  • Dennie; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, in October 1888.  Belle's cousin
  • Albert; inscribed to "Little friend" at Atlanta, Georgia, on 5/10/90
  • Aunt Bess; inscribed on July 6, 1888.  Perhaps Bessie Dennis (Robertson) Walker, half sister of Belle's mother Lydia Kennedy (Robertson) Ackerman or the wife of a blood uncle.
  • Mary Lizzie B.; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on May 20, 1888
  • Mamie H.; inscribed on January 13, 1890.  Belle's schoolmate
  • Uncle Will; inscribed at Villa Rica, Georgia, on December 23, 1888.  Perhaps William Preston Robertson, half brother of Belle's mother Lydia Kennedy (Robertson) Ackerman
  • Aunt Hannah; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on May 15, 1888.  Perhaps Hannah Maude Ackerman, sister of Belle's father Abram Kennedy Ackerman
A
  • Isabelle Hill Ackerman, "Belle", of Madison, Georgia; album owner.  A cabinet photograph of young Belle came with the album.
  • Abram Kennedy Ackerman; inscribed on April 26, 1888; Belle's father
  • "From Your Affectionate Papa"; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on April 25, 1888.  He may have been Belle's paternal grandfather Andrew Jackson Ackerman.
  • Angelyn Adams
  • Lizzie Augier; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on January 22, 1890
B
  • Annie Berry
  • Bessie W. Butler; inscribed on June 29, 1888.  Her sister Daisy W. Butler inscribed the right facing page at Madison, Georgia.
  • Daisy W. Butler; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on June 29, 1888.  Her sister Bessie W. Butler inscribed the left facing page.
C
  • Annie Carroll
  • Lessie Cavin; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, on May 11, 1888
  • Fannie Cleveland; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on January 14, 1890
D
  • Mamie Dickinson; inscribed on April 27, 1888
  • Rosa Douglas
F
  • Katie Faver
  • Lily Ferr
G
  • Lizzie Gavin; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on March 11, 1889
H
  • Alma S. Hough of Madison, Georgia; inscribed on July 14, 1888
  • Careye K. ?, possibly Hough; if Hough, then possibly Carey K. Hough of Madison, Georgia
J
  • L. F. Jones; inscribed on November 3, 1890
K
  • Edward Keiley; inscribed on March 7, 1890
  • May R. Kellam; inscribed to "Dear little Belle" on April 26, 1888.
P
  • Claud Peteet; inscribed at Madison, Georgia, in October 1888
  • Percy M. Peteet; inscribed on September 12, 1918, "Registration Day for France"
  • Carrie Pon - not sure of surname as the entire inscription is very faint
  • Mittie Pon; not sure of surname; inscribed on June 17, 1888
  • Elsie Prescott; she wrote on the page upside down
R
  • Bessie Redwine; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on February 7, 1890
  • Rebecca L. Renouff; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on March 12, 1889; 2 page sentiment
  • Fanny Rich
  • Uncle Will; inscribed at Villa Rica, Georgia, on December 23, 1888.  Perhaps William Preston Robertson, half brother of Belle's mother Lydia Kennedy (Robertson) Ackerman
S
  • Jessie Smith; inscribed on January 18, 1890.  Belle's schoolmate
  • Ora Smith; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on January 22, 1890.  Belle's schoolmate
  • Mamie Stanley; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on March 25, 1889
  • Ruth Stephens of Atlanta, Georgia; inscribed at the Boulevard School
T
  • C. R. Tidwell; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on February 14, 1889.  "At Home"
  • Minnie Tidwell; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on February 13, 1889.  In pencil at the bottom, more Greek and Mathematical symbols
V
  • Niel ?ason; perhaps Vason; inscribed on May 13, 1888.  A Madison, Georgia, historian writes that the Vason family operated a drug store at Madison and that Cornelius was a recurring family name.  

W
  • Aunt Bess; inscribed on July 6, 1888.  Perhaps Bessie Dennis (Robertson) Walker, half sister of Belle's mother Lydia Kennedy (Robertson) Ackerman or the wife of a blood uncle.
  • Annie L. White; inscribed at Atlanta, Georgia, on April 27, 1888
  • L. Y. Williams of Atlanta, Georgia; inscribed on April 26, 1888

.

3 comments:

  1. That would be Neal Vason. What a genm you have there! Anything else about early Madison would be so welcome!

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    Replies
    1. I don't have many things from Georgia but am so glad that I had this as several people have already commented on it. It seems that Georgians are as passionate about history and preservation as New Englanders are! The blog email is under Inquiries in the right margin - would be glad to send images of pages you're interested in - check the list of inscribers.

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  2. Very interesting. I have an undated carte de visite of her father, Abram K. Ackerman, as a young adult, in one of our family photo albums here in Madison, GA. I'd guess the photo is from about 1870, as most of the other photos are from the early 1860s through the mid 1870s.

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