Tuesday, March 26, 2013

1880s Autograph Album of Hannah H. Smith of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area


1880s autograph album that was presented to Hannah H. Smith by her cousin Ellie on 26 April 1884.



The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the names of 90 people, many of whom were students at Girls Normal School at 
Philadelphia or West Chester State Normal School.  A few of the signers penned individual pages and contributed to shared pages.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.



I wasn't able to pinpoint Hannah H. Smith, though I saw a few possibilities.  Perhaps a reader will have knowledge of a Philadelphia area Hannah H. Smith who studied to be a teacher and had a sister named Lillie, whose page is shown below.



Another page was signed by two people named Smith: Lillie A. Smith of Glenwood, Pennsylvania, and Beckie M. Smith of West Point, Pennsylvania.



Lavinia Lewellin provided two sketches of birds with letters addressed to Hannah in their beaks.




Another signer, P. C. or P. E. Graham sketched a scroll with his name on it, dated 24 October 1884. 



Several of the male signers who were students at West Chester State Normal School, included the word "Aryan" on their page, indicative, I imagine, of a fraternal group.  

One such signer was D. Brower Longaker of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, who signed his page on 17 December 1889.  I'm assuming he was Davis Brower Longaker, whose maternal grandmother was Catherine (Brower) Longaker.



Two pages were signed by multiple people, presumably students at Hannah's school.  Hannah herself signed the first of the two shown.  Most signed individual pages of sentiments as well.





If you have information on Hannah H. Smith or any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of signers:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

  • E. W., signed on 16 April 1889, at G.N.S.  G.N.S. was presumably the Girls Normal School affiliated with the Philadelphia High School for girls.
  • Lillie of Montgomery Square, signed on "5-4-84"; Hannah's sister
  • Marion
  • Jennie, signed at W. G. G. S.
  • Clara, signed on 19 May 1884
  • Margaret, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at G.H.S. on 8 May 1888; Hannah's schoolmate.  [GHS was presumably Girls Normal School at Philadelphia.]
  • Eva, signed 6 September 1884
  • A. S. M., signed on 12 May 1884
  • Alice, signed at Germantown, Pennsylvania, on 26 February 1884 or 1887
  • Jessie, signed on 26 March 1885 at W. G. G.; Hannah's schoolmate
  • Helen, signed on 30 January 1887
  • Rose S., signed on 8 September 1884; Hannah's schoolmate
  • Marie
  • Wilhelmina, signed at W. G. G. S. on 5 June 1884
A
  • Joseph B. Anders, signed at West Point, Pennsylvania, on 16 August 1887
  • M. B. Ayres, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1885
B
  • Jennie W. Bacon
  • M. Bannister, Class of 1889, P.H.S.
  • Alice Binder; shared a page with multiple signers
  • E. Bowman; shared a page with multiple signers
  • Fred Brady, signed at West Chester State Normal School, on 15 October 1889; was apparently in a society -  "Aryan"
  • Bertha Buxbaum; Hannah's schoolmate
C
  • Alice B. Carn of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 25 September 1889
  • Gertie Coward; shared a page with multiple signers
  • A. G. Coward, signed at W.G.G.S.
D
  • William S. Delf of Salfordville, Pennsylvania, signed "Normal" on 30 September 1889
F
  • M. A. Farrand, signed on 1 October 1885; also signed two pages with multiple signers
  • Will L. Farrell of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 1 October 1889
  • Nellie Foulke, signed on 28 October 1884
G
  • S. Garner, signed at West Point, Pennsylvania, on 21 July 1887
  • Maud H. Gauntt; shared two pages with multiple signers; on one, she gave her address as 309 North 6th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Milton C. Gheen of Baltimore, Maryland, signed at West Chester State Normal School, on 19 December 1889
  • B. Wilmore Gheen of Washington, D.C., signed at West Chester State Normal School on 26 September 1889
  • J. C. Gibson of Odessa, Delaware, signed at S.N.S. on 30 October 1889; was apparently in a society -  "Aryan".  S.N.S. was presumably West Chester State Normal School in Pennsylvania
  • Rosa Goodman; Hannah's schoolmate
  • P. C. Graham or P. E. Graham, signed on 24 October 1884
  • B. Green; shared two pages with multiple signers.  She may have been the Blanche Green who signed a page on 9 September 1885
  • Blanche Green, signed on 9 September 1885.  She may also be the B. Green who signed two pages shared by multiple signers
H
  • Louisa B. Hillanbrand of Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania, in Schuylkill County, signed on 11 June 1884
  • J. Horner; shared a page with multiple signers
J
  • L. W. Johnston, signed at Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania, on 18 August 1889
K
  • Sophie M. Kirk, signed 28 May 1884, "W.G.G.S.
  • Amanda Kirschbaum, signed on 9 September 1885; she also signed a page with multiple signatures
  • C. S. Knapp, signed at Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania, on 22 August 1889
  • U. S. Koons of Weissport, Pennsylvania, in Carbon County, signed on 2 October 1889
L
  • Harry M. Lancaster of Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 30 October, 1889 
  • J. Kirk Leatherman of Gardenville, Pennsylvania, signed at W.C.S.N.S., presumably West Chester State Normal School, on 20 December 1889.
  • Lavinia Lewellin; she drew an intricate sketch of a bird with an  envelope addressed to album owner Hannah Smith at Philadelphia.  Lavinia drew a less intricate sketch of a bird at the end of the album and signed her name on a page with "We Girls", also signed by Hannah, the album owner.  She signed another page of multiple signatures as well.
  • D. Brower Longaker of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 17 December 1889.  "Hash Palace" "Adam" "Aryan"  Possibly Davis Bauer Longaker
  • R. R. Lukens of Atglen, Pennsylvania, signed on 17 December 1889
M
  • C. Edwin McNair of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 18 December 1889; was apparently in a society - "Aryan"
  • H. McQuale; shared two pages with multiple signers.  On one of them she gave her name as H. M. McQuale.
  • H. J. Mendenhall of Chester County, Pennsylvania, signed at S.N.S. on 27 September 1889.  S.N.S. was presumably West Chester State Normal School
  • Anna Misshon; shared a page with multiple signers
  • R. May Montgomery, signed 4 June 1884; W.G.G.S.  Hannah's  schoolmate.  She may have been the May Montgomery who signed a page shared with multiple signers.
  • May Montgomery; shared a page with multiple signers.  She may have been the R. May Montgomery who signed an individual page on 4 June 1884, Hannah's schoolmate
  • Daisy Murdock; shared a page with multiple signers
P
  • D. E. Pannepacker, signed on 18 August 1889  [Daniel Elmer Pannepacker (1865-1909, who married Elizabeth Niece (1869-1930) - information supplied by his great granddaughter]
  • Edith Peters, signed on 27 May 1884, G.W.G.S.  Hannah's schoolmate.  She also shared a page with multiple signers.
  • Frank R. Pool of Middletown, Delaware, signed at S.N.S. on 27 October 1889; was apparently in a society -  "Aryan".  S.N.S. was presumably West Chester State Normal School".
  • Harriet Preston, signed on 8 April 1889 at G.H.S. [presumably Girls Normal School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]
R
  • Leonard Reed of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, signed on 4 May 1884
  • Alfred Reed of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, signed on 4 May 1884
  • J. Earl Rochester of Denton, Maryland
  • E. V. Roderfield, signed on 2 May 1884
S
  • Alma Saurwalt, signed in March 1887
  • Sarah Scharf, signed on 27 March 1885
  • May Service, signed on 18 May 1888 signed at G.N.S. [presumably Girls Normal School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]
  • Emma E. Sharpe or Emma E. Thorpe of Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania
  • Essie Short, signed on 8 September 1884
  • Esther M. Shubert, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 5 September 1887
  • B. K. Simpson, signed on 27 October 1884
  • Hannah H. Smith, owner of the album presented to her on 26 April 1884 by Cousin Ellie.  Hannah herself inscribed a page to the future signers in her album and signed her name on a page shared with "We Girls"
  • Lillie A. Smith of Glenwood, Pennsylvania; she shared her page with Beckie M. Smith of West Point, Pennsylvania.  Relatives of Hannah, album owner?
  • Beckie M. Smith of West Point, Pennsylvania; she shared her page with Lillie A. Smith of Glenwood, Pennsylvania.  Relatives of Hannah, album owner?
T
  • Walter S. Taylor, signed on 20 May 1887
  • Birdie Taylor, signed in April 1889 at Girls Normal School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvan
  • Bessie B. Thomson, signed at Merion, Pennsylvania, on 26 April 1888
  • Emma E. Thorpe or Emma E. Sharpe of Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania
  • Theodore Tyler, signed at Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania, on 19 August 1889; not sure of middle initial
W
  • Elizabeth Wetter or Elizabeth Witter, signed at Girls Normal School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • E. Wolfenden, signed a Roxborough, Pennsylvania, in April 1889; shared a page with Evaline Young, who signed at Girls Normal School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 17 May 1888
  • F. Wood; shared a page with multiple signers
Y
  • E. B. Yeakel, signed on 27 October, 1884
  • Emma Yeakler; shared a page with multiple signers
  • Frank E. Yerkes of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School, on 1 October 1889
  • Evaline Young, signed at Girls Normal School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 17 May 1888; shared a page with E. Wolfenden, who signed at Roxborough, Pennsylvania in April 1889
  • H. A. Yundt of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, signed at West Chester State Normal School on 30 September 1889
Z
  • Madolin T. Zucker, student at G.N.S., signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 18 March 1888.  G.N.S. was presumably Girls Normal School at Philadelphia.


1 comment:

  1. D.E. (Daniel Elmer) Pannepacker (1865-1909) was my great-grandfather. I would love to have a copy of his autograph page. He married Elizabeth Niece (1869-1930) in Aug 1892 who supposedly attended "Chester Normal School" and also had an autograph book. Maybe they met there!

    ReplyDelete