May I Have Your Autograph?

Autograph books were quite popular in the past as a fun way for people to collect handwritten notes, signatures, and sometimes little drawings or poems from friends, family, classmates, or maybe even celebrities. According to Google, historically they were trendy before the 19th century particularly with college students. Over the next several years there were some decorative, ornate, needlepoint, leather, hand painted covers which became treasures, filled with memories and personal messages. Others were simple plain covers hardly noticeable in a box of keepsakes. The signatures and poems were chosen for their clever remarks and humour, and pages were decorated with colourful artwork and stamps. Do you remember them or maybe you had one yourself?

My Mom had an autograph book. Hers was just a small book, 6” x 4”, plain cover, and it was full of special notes and artwork from friends and family. I’m guessing she received it as a gift because the notes within were when she was 10 years old and older. Most of the poems/messages were written in fountain pen. Can I have your autograph please?

“The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the bird for mirth, you’re nearer God’s heart in the garden, than anywhere else on earth,” from her friend Bertha in 1947.

“The thunder roared, the lightning crashed, heaven and earth were shaken, the little piggy saw it all and ran to save his bacon. Signed, yours till the mountain peaks to see the salad dressing,” from Lois in 1946.

“When you are old and cannot see, put on your spec’s and think of me,” from Barbara, 1946.

“Chase a monkey up a tree, pull his tail and think of me,” friend Ida 1944.

“Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you,” from Laura 1946.

“In your wood box of memories, consider me a chip, (signed) yours till the ocean wears rubber pants to keep it’s bottom dry,” Friend, Shirley 1943.

“Fall from a steeple, fall from above, but whatever you do don’t fall in love,” Cousin, Pearl 1943.

“Choose words as you would choose stones to build a house, consider well, some of them don’t use at all,” Friend Tom 1944.

“When twilight pulls the curtain, and pins it with a star, remember that you have a friend, though she may wander far,” Friend, Kathleen 1942.

“It doesn’t pay to say much, when you’re mad enough to choke, for the word that stings the deepest, is the word that’s never spoke, Let the other fellow wrangle, Till the storm has blown away, then he’ll do a heap of thinking, ‘bout the things you didn’t say!” from Laura 1943.

And somebody who loved Popeye wrote: “Little king has got little queen, Popeye has got Olive Oyl, my heart is yourn to boil or burn, I need youse for my goil…excuse the condition of me heart…that’s love!” from BML; haha me thinks she had a secret admirer! On the same page were hearts with an arrow through them and a drawing of Popeye!

I also had an autograph book when I was about 10. It was the same size as Mom’s. In the 1960s some of my friends and I were still passing our autograph books around to certain students for a signature, like we were collecting rare specimens in the wild. There were enough of us that you had to guard your book, or it would come back with half the class signatures, three doodles, one mysteriously sticky page, and my favourite “roses are read, violets are blue, someone like you belongs in a zoo” thank you!! Haha!

These books were/are our personal treasures. If you still have one, enjoy a coffee and share with a friend.