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1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.
1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.

1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.

“Selected by one who believes herself to be your friend…”


“Mrs. Kingman, If you please, Think of me, at twilight hour, And I will think of thee.”

The Osgoods of Cincinnatus, New York, John Osgood and Olive Grosvenor Osgood, originally hailed from Windham County, Connecticut. This friendship album was kept first by their eldest daughter, Mary S. Osgood (1809–1895) and it then passed on to Helen E. (née Osgood) Kingman (1816–1840) who died suddenly in her early twenties. Upon her death, the album was used no more.

The album contains a variety of copied and selected sentiments written upon its pages, as tokens of friendship, to the Osgood Sisters. Some of these individuals are: C.W. Le Valley (Levalley) and Minerva Le Valley (ibid); Julia Ann Storey (or Story), Harriet Storrs, Eloisa Cleveland, Emma S. Dreper (or Draper), Dotty Dresser and Elizabeth S. Dresser, almost all of Abington, Connecticut. Other names that appear are: Harriet G. Lee, Phineas Camp, John W. Boyd and others.

On one manuscript page, a letter is written to Helen Osgood from J.R. Johnson, her pastor. Johnson writes to his “sister of Christ” of a book he wants to share with her. His inscription is poignant as the album contains later-published obituary notices in which Pastor Johnson writes fondly of Helen, after she has died from a sudden disease, likely consumption.

The album also contains clippings that provide Osgood Family genealogy. Shadowy outlines also remain where once plant clippings had been gathered and inserted between the leaves, an informal herbarium kept by the Osgood sisters. Attractive embellishments and decorations in various washes of color are also seen in the album’s first poem.


Description: 1836–1840 friendship album owned by Mary S. Osgood of Cincinnatus, New York and then owned by her sister, Helen Osgood Kingman.

[Primarily Cincinnatus, Courtland County, New York and Abington, Windham County, Connecticut. 1836–1840]. Approximately 36 pages are completed in manuscript, three have obituary clippings; the remainder are blank. Octavo. Full calf binding. Leather worn, spine heavily abraded; front board detaching; textblock with scattered foxing and is sound and intact; overall, good.

[3731503]

Price: $125.00