Effie Salthouse Commonplace Book

Commonplace book of Effie (Florence Emily) Salthouse consisting of illustrations, poems, letters, and literary aphorisms collected from her friends in both England and America. On the first page is Effie’s handwritten invitation: “Pray place your mark within the book, that I may read at leisure and think upon the pleasant hours that we have spent together. Whatever you may sketch or write shall ne’er be scanned severely, but always viewed with kindly eyes at least by Yours Sincerely, Effie.” Subsequent entries range from ornithological paintings of birds to satirical depictions of Socialists to sketches of schoolchildren, animals, and nurses. Also encompassed are engineering diagrams, original poetry, witty aphorisms about love, sin, and politics, and quotes from prominent authors such as Shakespeare, Emerson, and Longfellow. Compiled between 1899 and 1912, the book’s entries reflect the increasingly liberal social attitudes of young people emerging from the late Victorian period into a changing world on the brink of WWI.