Featured Items

GULF- PARK BY-THE-SEA A JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

What a fun volume this book is. I was taken by the lovely image on the front, recalling lazy days at the beach in the south. On the first page, there is yet another similar image in the green, yellow and black colorway of the cover. This school was located in Gulfport, Mississippi and is now part of the University of Southern Mississippi. This is the "yearbook" for the first year of the school's operation. The Calendar for 1922-23 begins with the formal opening & organization on 9/27/22, the first meeting of classes "Reception to New Students" was 9/28; Christmas Vacation 12/20 - 1/3; Mardi Gras ! February 13 and Commencement Exercises 5/31. Definitely from a kinder, gentler era where young women went to college for an education suited to their sensibilities and needs, a different atmosphere than today, when women are there for the competition and adventure as well as the education. I can see demure young women as they studied subjects such as Piano with Albert V. Davies, Concert Pianist and composer who was educated in England and Berlin, French, Latin, History, Psychology, Bible, German, Spanish, Math, Chemistry and Biology with professors from Columbia University to the University of Missouri, Sophie Newcomb College and The Sorbonne. I can see the hats and white gloves at Chapel and at recitals too. The book is well illustrated and has sections on Safety, Climate and Health, Buildings and Equipment, which states that the buildings, in Spanish mission style, sit one thousand feet from the beach, Dress & Household articles, and much more detail.

The volume is in excellent condition other than the tears on the cover edges and some wear to the spine of the cover, but the pages are definitely in wonderful condition. Fees are listed and there is a full list of students, genealogy to be had for sure! Did your grandmother attend school here? This is an ORIGINAL of this yearbook, I am told there are some reproductions floating around, but this is not one. Let us know if you have any questions! Click the photo to return to the regular listing.

CL110N -- $45.00
CHASE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL AKA ST. MARGARET'S SCHOOL WATERBURY, CT

We have three of these plates in stock and wanted to explain a bit further than our database format allows us in our regular listings. What is now Chase Collegiate School was St. Margaret's School until the name was changed in 1972. St. Margaret's was founded in 1875 so has seen many alums over those 137 years! This scene is St. Margaret's Hall South Porch, the location of the graduation ceremony each June. The plate blank is named Queen's Shape, an old Wedgwood shape in honor of Josiah's patronage by royalty from his very early years.

What a beautiful graduation or wedding gift this would make, or a gift to a favorite teacher. One of our our favorite uses of college plates is as gifts to students upon acceptance to the school. Let us know if you have any questions, all three of our plates are in mint condition and ready to be shipped to you from Maine.



Here is a photo of the backstamp giving more information.

WWKT777C -- $20.00
ANNAPOLIS NAVAL ACADEMY PHOTO SCRAPBOOK c1910 RARE FIND

Another item we are pleased to offer our clients is this professionally produced scrapbook from about 1910. It is a book full of black & white photos, one per page, about 6" x 8" each. They are professional photos of various campus and Annapolis scenes - of course The Chapel, grandstand at the athletic field, the Main Gate, a photo of a duty squad of midshipmen (genealogy anyone? Your ancestor at USNA in this time-frame?), Bancroft Hall, Lover's Lane and Academic Hall, Chapel from the Colonnade and more. We are happy to send photos and more information to a prospective buyer. We realize that at the higher price range buyers probably want to see more of what they would be buying and we're happy to oblige, just drop us an email or give us a call. We have recently added several new books on various schools, so scroll through all the schools where you have connections and see what we might have to please.

CL110P -- $175.00
LOUISE E. BETTENS - Fabulous Harvard History & Genealogy Book RARE FIND

We believe that expensive books need good description so viewers can understand the value of the item. This volume is a great example and a fabulous find. First, it is full leather bound with silk endpapers privately published in 1910. There were 250 copies printed, but the first 12 were entitled 'Louise E. Bettens', the mother of the author Edward E. Bettens. These 12 were given to special friends, family members and important colleagues at Harvard. The copy we have for sale is one of the special 12 and was given to Eliot Tuckerman of New York City, and his letter acknowledging receipt of the book is printed within. The mailing label, cut from the original packing, from Edward Bettens to Mr. Tuckerman is enclosed. Thomas Simms Bettens, Harvard Class of 1874, was a teacher at a private school funneling students to the Ivies, and obviously much loved and respected. The other books of the 250 edition were entitled 'Thomas S. Bettens' and the edition was published upon the death of Professor Bettens. Eliot Tuckerman was the chairman of a committee of Professor Bettens' students, graduates of Harvard, Yale, Princeton & Columbia, who proposed, designed and procured a fountain in memory of Professor Bettens at the Harvard Student Union. All this correspondence is included in this wonderful book, along with poems, tributes, letters, photogravures (faced with tissue) having to do with the Bettens family, Mrs. Bettens' struggle after her husband's untimely death and the careers of her sons, mostly Thomas the teacher. Her first son died early and is memorialized in the book also. This is a true literary treasure, a treasure of gorgeous book-binding, and of course a tremendous bit of Harvard history. This is a MUST HAVE in any complete library of Harvard literature. Please do not hesitate to ask us for more information and more photos if you have any hesitation about this book. We are proud to offer this to our Harvard collectors!

Here is a bit more information about the book:

"SMITH COLLEGE RARE GIFT TO THE LIBRARY Northampton, Oct. 6 (Special) � At the last Smith College chapel exercises President Neilson took the occasion to announce the presentation to the Browning Room of the library of a new book entitled "Mrs. Louise E. Bettens." In characterizing the book President Neilson said: 'It is one of the most valuable that we possess, as it is one of the most exquisite pieces of book-making in respect to its binding and illustrations; but it is even more valuable than this because of its contents.' The story is a tribute written by a son to his mother, who was left, while still young, a widow with three sons to support. As a teacher and newspaper woman she struggled and managed to put these sons through college. Blindness and paralysis overtook her, but she persevered, and became a woman of great cul ture. Two of the sons died. The third, who did not marry, stayed with her to the end, and has published this volume as a memorial to her devotion. There have been published only two hundred and fifty copies of this book, which are for private distribution." (From Boston Evening Transcript, October 6th, 1917.)

CL110W -- $300.00
College Printer Blocks and Cigarette - Tobacco leathers

We have several Printer's Blocks and leathers in our inventory, for several different schools. This example is the only one we have priced as a set, and we are willing to separate them, $10 for the leather, $49 for the stamp, just send us an email and we'll work with you. During the 1900 to about 1910 time-frame, these leathers were used as premiums in tobacco and cigarette packets. They are available for a large number of colleges and universities and a few other schools. They look very handsome matted in coordinating colors and framed. They make nice bookmarks too! The printer blocks can also be framed, but look great on a well-kept desk as a paperweight too. We also stock quite a few of the cigarette silks, and will be adding them to inventory. Check the listing for your school to see what we have listed so far or send an email to check to see if we have your school in stock but not yet listed. Certainly these make an interesting and unusual gift for that new student or alum, and make great graduation gifts. Shipping on the leathers is very inexpensive of course, and the blocks can be sent in bubble envelopes very economically also. We currently have leathers for Bucknell, West Point, USC, U of Chicago, St. Louis and Columbia Universities listed, but have plenty more in stock. For the printer's blocks we have Fordham University, Carnegie Tech, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Schools, Western Reserve and Vanderbilt so do check them out!

CL402 -- $49.00

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