Use Restrictions

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Elizabeth Tatham scrapbook, C0394, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Lynn Eaton from Schubertiade Music in April 2023.

Processing Information

Processing and finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from September - October 2023.

Biographical and Historical Information

Elizabeth Walker Tatham was born circa 1849 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to George Tatham and Hannah Marie Walker. Elizabeth was the youngest of three sisters all very close in age, with eldest Annie Sophia Tatham born circa 1847 and middle sister Georgiana Tatham born circa 1848. Her father worked as a leather manufacturer and served as the Mayor of Leeds from 1879-1889. Elizabeth married Joseph Bottomley Firth on September 17, 1873 and does not appear to have had any children.

Variations on the practice of scrapbooking date as far back as the 14th century when it was popular for upper-class members of European society to keep a bound journal of blank pages, known as a commonplace book, that served as a place for the owner to write informal notes taken from a variety of sources in one place. With the introduction of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1440s, books and other printed materials became more accessible, increasing the use of the commonplace book as a way to organize the rapid growth of available information. While initially used primarily by men, women soon began keeping their own commonplace books filled with religious passages, recipes, and interesting quotations.

By the 1800s, as the availability and types of printed materials expanded, the role of the commonplace book shifted, with owners now filling them with clippings, poetry, drawings, and other various "scraps" of printed material, including greeting, calling, and prayer cards. As the focus of these new scrapbooks shifted from academic interests to social interests and preservation of family materials, by the late 1800s the practice of "scrapbooking" had become a predominantly female hobby.

The first recorded use of the term "scrap book" as noun to describe these books with blank pages for pasting items is believed to be in 1821, with the two words morphing naturally overtime into the now common "scrapbook". The first use of the word as a verb to describe the practice itself was recorded in 1879.

Scope and Content

Late Victorian-era scrapbook created by Elizabeth Tatham of Leeds, Yorkshire, England containing original pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor drawings, handwritten copies of poems, riddles and jokes, pasted-in illustrated clippings, and autograph signatures. Dated 1867 on the first page, accompanied with Elizabeth's signature, but most illustrations and poems are dated 1868 and dates of signatures range from 1867-1873. Many of the drawings are initialed with variations of "G.T." without further identification. Clipped signature pages include numerous contemporary political figures, such as Lord Amberley (John Russell, Viscount Amberley), W.E. Gladstone, Sir Andrew Fairbairn, and Sir Thomas Bazley.

The exterior of the book is red leather with gold boarder design and marbled interior endpapers. Inside, several pages have been cut out and some pages appear to have missing items that were pasted, but have since been removed or fallen out, and there are a few loose poems and drawings placed in between pages.

Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research center also holds other scrapbooks such as the Lenora Little scrapbook and the Jerome Lawlor World War II scrapbook .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Drawing
• Leeds (England)
• Scrapbooking
• Scrapbooks