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Exceptional late Victorian handmade religious scrapbook (commonplace/\"Seraph\" book) with identifiable McAllester family provenance spanning multiple generations. The original cloth binding has been personalized with a beautiful J. Ottmann Lithograph Co., New York chromolithograph advertising trade card depicting a young girl presenting her mother with Hires Improved Root Beer, mounted to the front cover by the scrapbook\'s original creator.
The front endpaper bears a handwritten presentation inscription dated 1892, identifying it as \"Grandma McAllester\'s Seraph Book\" and presented to a family member (recipient\'s name is difficult to decipher).
Approximately 29 pages filled with carefully arranged newspaper and magazine clippings including Christian poetry, hymns, prayers, sermons, devotional writings, religious illustrations, temperance articles, inspirational stories, and memorial poetry.
A significant portion of the scrapbook documents the ministry of Rev. William C. (W.C.) McAllester, with numerous newspaper articles covering his sermons, church activities, and pastoral appointments. Also included in the book are family obituary clippings. Loose items include anoriginal handwritten correspondence signed Louisa B. McAllester presenting the book with \"family secrets\" as a gift to a loved one andalso a loose newspaper article.
A later handwritten family note titled \"Uncle Will\'s Churches\" lists several congregations associated with Rev. W.C. McAllester, includingMoriah, Plattsburgh, Morrisville (NY), Manchester (NH), Randolph, and Westminster (MA), providing further evidence that this scrapbook remained a treasured McAllester family keepsake for generations.
A wonderful and well-documented piece of Victorian religious ephemera, genealogy, Baptist history, and northern New York family history.
Condition
- Measures approximately 10½\" x 6½\"
- Approximately 29 pages
- Original cloth binding is intact and secure
- Several pages show expected wear or small tears near the binding at the top or bottom margins but remain largely attached
- Pages exhibit age-related yellowing, foxing, and discoloration consistent with age
- Newspaper clippings remain largely intact
- Includes original loose family letter and a newspaper clipping
- All pages remain clear, legible, and display well
Please review all photographs carefully, as they are considered part of the description.
