Figure 1.--Beautifully lithographef cutouts called scraps were popular inclusions in Victorian and Edwardian scrapbooks.

The Victorians and Edwardians, both children and mothers, loved to keep scrapbooks. In the Victorian and Edwardian era, it was comon to find the family scrapbook sitting prominently on a table, in a prominent part of the parlor. Children also kept scrapbooks, but theirs were not kept in the parlor. A variety of items might be included in these scrapbooks, including photographs, "scraps", lettters, postcards, clippings. pressed flowers, and much more.

The Book

The Victorians and Edwardians, both children and mothers, loved to keep scrapbooks. In the Victorian and Edwardian era, it was comon to find the family scrapbook sitting prominently on a table, in a prominent part of the parlor. Children also kept scrapbooks, but theirs were not kept in the parlor.

Contents

A variety of items might be included in these scrapbooks, including photographs, "scraps", lettters, postcards, clippings. pressed flowers, and much more.

Clippings

Families in the news might cut such clippins. Less illustrious families might only appear in "coming out" or society wedding announcements. Boys might keep clippings of sports events which by the 1880s had begun to become iportant in bewpaper reporting.

Commercial cards

With advances in lthography, high quality cards with colored illustrations and in the 20th century, black-and-white photographs could be printed on these cards. Companies and merchants used them for advertising or as an enducement to but the products. These were single-issue cards. There were cards issued by stores and companies manufacturing prioducrts. We also note commercial cards done in series. Sports cards with bubble gum enclosed were a related product. And the origins was of sports cards were cigarette cards. Other collectabkle cards came in other other producrs, but cigarettes were the most common. Cigarette cards were sold in many different countries, but nowhere were thet more popular than in Germany. They were so popular that people bought albums to display their collection. Collecting a complete set was complicated as one often got cards they already had when they purchased a pack of cigarettes. One German company solved this problem by putting cupons in the cigarette packs rather than the actual cards. This way the customers could semd in the cupons and get a complere set as well as an album to hold the cards. The whole subject of cigarette cards is an interesting one. We have not yet addressed this topic in detail. We do notice some of the cards issued during the NAZI era which is interesting because the NAZIs with their penchant toward health, discouraged smoking.

Scraps

Related to paperdolls were cutouts, modern versions of which are still popular today. Scrapebooks were enormously popular in the 19th century. They were prepared for a variety of reasons. One of the most common were family scrapbooks or albums. Mothers, especially the ones that didn't work, loved to prepare scrapbooks on their children. These scrapbooks might contain keep sakes, such as lockets of hair or ribbons the child wore as a baby. After the development of photography, portarits were a popular item to include. In fact in the 20th century these scrapbooks in many cases became family pohotographic albumns. To help decorate late 19th century scrapbooks, companies began printing "scraps"--beautiful lithographed cut-out figures. They were sold primarily scrapbooks, but might be used for other purposes like decorating screens etc.

Lettters

Writing letters before the invention of the telephobe was a much more important medium of communication than is the case today. Wonderfully written letters in beautiful script are now marvelous historical documents for the social historian. Mothers and young women in particular might save letters. A few family letters might be included in a a scarapbook. Letters were, however, often to personl for family scarpbooks anf would be kept tucked away in a drawer--perhaps lovingly tied together in a beautifyul ribbon. Post cards, on the other hand, were oftem included in family scarapbooks.

Photographs

One reason that CDVs and cabinet cards were so popular because being so inexpensive was that unlike Dags and Ambros, they could be pasted into scrapbooks and albums.

Postcards

Postcards were first introduced in the late 1800s as printing technology imprived and the mail became more dependable. Post cards became a very poplars means of communication. Soon people were collecting them and inclluding them in the family scrapbook. It was common to find a scrapbook or postcard album sitting prominently on a table in the Vicorian and Edwardian family parlor. Because of this many have been saved over the years and can be found in very good condition. Dogs were extremely popular during the Victorian era. Children and pets were two of the most popular subjects, as either the primary or secondary subject. Pets were in fact, a popular companion to children and beautiful ladies. Postcards are easily stored and still very affordable. They can be kept in albums or matted and framed for wall hanging. Cards come as Real photos, studio photos, reproductions of oils and drawings or commissioned artwork. They also came in the form of greeting cards for birthdays and holidays. A popular usage was advertisement. Some companies found postcards so popular that they published entire series. A common practice in the early years of this century was for families to print family pictures on postcards...frequently included was the family dogs. Postcards are still popular today, but not the lucrative business they were years ago. Today the Chrome postcards are generally mass produced with little attention to setting and detail such as the earlier cards had.

Pressed flowers

Girls anf young women loved to put pressed flowers in their scrapbooks.

Other

Much more was kept in scrapbooks.

Created: October 21, 1999
Last updated: 3:31 PM 9/8/2010