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Kidman family fonds Kidman, Lilian L.
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Lilian L. Kidman autograph album

This item is an autograph album owned by Lilian Leigh Kidman, the second eldest of the Kidman family children. The album was received by Lilian Kidman as a Christmas gift in 1897, and on January 1, 1898 she designed a cover page that features a popular album inscription beginning with the following lines: “Yes, this is my album / But learn ere you look / That all are expected / To add to my book.” The contents of the album include ink drawing designs by Lilian Kidman, often depicting fantastical elements such as elves, or moons and suns with faces. These designs also feature deliberately blank spaces and compartments for the addition of signatures and inscriptions. Artwork, inscriptions, and autographs from Lilian Kidman’s friends and family are collected in the album. The album also features many inkblot signatures—a fad that became popular among students in the late nineteenth century. Notably, Lilian Kidman’s autograph album matches the one owned by her younger sister, Ella. The sisters both had artistic abilities, and there are many similarities in their custom page designs; this suggests that they worked collaboratively on their albums. Additionally, Lilian and Ella Kidman had many mutual friends, and their respective autograph albums contain similar entries from their shared connections.

Kidman, Lilian L.