Autographs, A Friendship Album belonging to Martha "Mousie" Durand Tibbetts

Jersey City, NJ, 1877. A friendship album belonging to Martha Durand Tibbetts (1859-1929), which is completely full of entries by her friends. The bulk of the entries date from 1873-1877, with a few outliers until 1910, and most of the authors of the entries are from Jersey City, NY, or New York. As Martha's nickname was "Mousie", some of the entries are addressed as such. One entry in particular is addressed by a small drawing of a brown mouse. Additionally several entries reference the White Star Social Club (W. S. S. C), as it appears that Martha was a member. The entries consist of short verses of poetry or song, some of which appear to be original works. Three of the album pages feature drawn in piles of visiting cards, of which people have filled in their names and date. Six pages feature drawings, done in pen. These illustrations tend to be small, and several have multiple tiny illustrations on one page. Of note is one such entry with five tiny illustrations, all of a fantastical nature. For example of of the drawings depicts a fish, with a mouse in its mouth and a small man smoking a pipe on the fish's tail. Brown gilt stamp decorative covers. Completely filled. Measures 7" x 4 1/4". Below are some excerpts from the entries.

"There was little anchorite
He live right in a cave
and he so subdued his appetite
It brought him to his grave."
- "Original" S. B. S., New York, August 1, 1875

"What's the use of always fretting
at the trial once we find
Ever strewn along our pathway?
Travel on and never mind.
Travel onward, working, hoping,
Cast no lingering look behind
At the trials once encountered
Look ahead and never mind"
- M. S. Tennant, February 12, 1874, Jersey City, a verse from the song called "Never Mind" by Mary E. McCleary

"Once, how, I cannot well divine
Unless by chance we kissed
I found her lips were close to mine,
So I could not resist
As neither whispered, yea nor nay
They met by chance, the usual way!"
- Anchoule, New York, August 1, 1875, an excerpt from "Kucken's Beautiful Ballad, "We Meet by Chance"

"Thy silvery voice, strange echoes makes to start,
Through, all, the haunted chamber of my heart,
As an action harp, through gusty doors,
Of some old win, its wild music pours!"
- No. 101

To view the album, please click on the following link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3XnVqimECqUUs2FG6. Martha S. A. Durand was born on December 16, 1859 to Henry F. Durand (1836-?) and possibly Ann Elizabeth in Jersey City, NJ. She married Richard Burr Tibbetts (1853-1917) on August 31, 1878. Together they had five children: Richard Edgar Tibbetts (1885-1969), Bessie E. Tibbetts (1887-1964), Harry Leonard Tibbetts (1888-1971), Durand F. Tibbetts (1889-1967), and Chester Tibbetts (1893-?). She died on February 14, 1929 in Manhattan, NY.