It had not been long before I discovered a book with marginalia in it. I opened the cover of The Encyclopaedia of Quotations (or rather the complete title: The Encyclopaedia of Quotations; A Treasury of Wisdom Wit Humor Proverbs Etc.) and found distinctive handwriting from the late 19th century. The book was rebound by the library, so I presumed it was authentic and there must be some significance to how much it had been used. Perhaps someone had cherished it enough to constantly fiddle at the cover, or it was simply a factor of old age.

It was written by Adam Wooléyer and published in 1893 in Philadelphia. The cover page revealed beautiful handwriting, which I presume to be either Spencerian or Copperplate. Although it was the only marginalia revealed in the book, it was wonderful to find, and rather endearing. It reads,

“With Christmas Greetings

1902

G.W.C”

I can only assume this book was a gift from one person to another, presumably from a particular “G.W.C.” Based on the book’s title, I like to imagine the person it was gifted to had an adoration for quotations. I imagined this particular G.W.C. writing on a snowy December day to their dear friend with a merry smile upon their face. To my disappointment, there was no marginalia in the rest of the book (which was a fairly big book might I add). The pages were slightly yellowed, presumably from old age. Aside from that, the book was in fair shape without tears or stains.

Though I fell victim to romanticizing the story behind the inked script, I hadn’t discovered any more marginalia throughout my search. The other books I chose from were in similar condition as The Encyclopaedia of Quotations. I did find this assignment to be fascinating. I marveled at how authentic these books appeared on the shelves; their binding was just as captivating. It was equally amazing and puzzling to consider that they weren’t preserved or stored away somewhere. I found myself smiling when I was able to touch the cloth binding, marveling at the torn threads at the top while the pages inside were still perfectly in tact. I was in disbelief that I had access to books from the 18th-19th century that look like age-old relics.

You can view my Book Traces submission here.