Has bound with it: Alfred Ely, A Sermon, Occasioned by the Late Death of Mrs. Charlotte Sprague (Hartford, 1821) and Absalom Peters, Memoir of Mrs. Charlotte E. Sprague (New Haven, 1821).
Although the original leather and gilt binding has been worn down by much handling over the years, this bespoke volume provides a physical tribute to the memory of Mrs. C. E. Sprague. It joins many other tribute volumes in the AAS collections that often memorialize people who would otherwise be forgotten today, and demonstrate how printing and books have been used over the centuries as part of the mourning process. In this instance, the volume was presented by one mourner to another, Mrs. Sprague’s husband to their daughter. It is inscribed: “For my beloved child, Charlotte Adeline Sprague, as a memorial of her departed mother. WBS.” Inside are three printed tributes. The gift of Tanya S. Tellman, 2024.
~ Elizabeth Pope, Curator of Books and Digital Collections
