1908 - 1912 Friendship Book/Keepsake Book - Ephemera.

Keeping a friendship book was once a common practice, particularly between the 17th-19th centuries. They would be passed to friends who would each add an entry before returning the book to its owner, resulting in an album filled with drawings, paintings, intricate silhouettes, poetry, short stories or personal messages, creating a highly personal record of the friendships made, often over a long period of time. 
 
This friendship book perfectly illustrates the outcome of such a lovely keepsake. It was owned by a Marjory Blacklock, and the entries date from 1908 - 1912. The album itself is unassuming and somewhat tattered. Whilst the contents are firmly bound, the spine is missing and the covers are torn and worn. But the magic begins once the book is opened, revealing lovely blue and gold marbled endpapers and pages of pastel coloured paper. The book begins with a delightful, handpainted 'title page',  and is then filled with the entries that you see above plus many more. As is common with these books, there are blank pages between entries - I assume to avoid the ink or watercolours seeping through and spoiling a previous entry. 
 
Overall a wonderful, unique piece of ephemera.