Caroline Shaw album

This album of poems belonged to Delaware resident Caroline Shaw and contains excerpts from the romantic poets and original poems by friends. Some poems are signed and dated at Newark, Delaware, New Castle, Delaware, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The volume also contains laid-in engravings and watercolor illustrations.

Caroline Shaw’s album contains autograph poems written to her by various friends or acquaintances. The poems include excerpts from works written by the romantic poets of the day such as Lord Byron, and original compositions of her friends. Most poems feature titles and are signed by the authors using their initials. Poems that include dates are from the two-year time span of 1828-1829. The album contains 188 pages, but only 21 pages were used.

The album features illustrations, both accompanying poems and on separate pages. There are two laid-in engravings, which appear to have been removed from other books, as well as a pasted in drawing and poem dating from 1828. There are also two etchings of flowers and butterflies, a drawing of fruit, and an illustration surrounded by paper decoration.

The volume is bound with a leather spine and decorative gold tooling on the cover. Aside from discoloration on some pages, the album is in fair condition.