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Kidman family fonds
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Ella Kidman autograph album

This item is an autograph album owned by Ella Kidman, the third eldest of the Kidman family children. The album was received by Ella Kidman as a Christmas gift in 1897, and soon after, she designed a title page featuring an ink drawing of seagulls flying over the ocean. Her name is featured in the top centre of this title page. The contents of the album include ink drawing and pencil designs by Ella Kidman, often depicting flowers or other plants. These designs often feature deliberately blank spaces and compartments for the addition of signatures and inscriptions. Artwork, inscriptions, and autographs from Ella Kidman’s friends and family are collected in the album. The album features many inkblot signatures—a fad that became popular among students in the late nineteenth century. Notably, Ella Kidman’s autograph album matches the one owned by her older sister, Lilian. 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, Ella and Lilian Kidman had many mutual friends, and their respective autograph albums contain similar entries from their shared connections.

Kidman, Ella

Kidman family fonds

  • CA UVICARCH SC624
  • Fonds
  • 1829- 1930, predominant 1895- 1912

The fonds consists of three family-owned albums. Each album was produced with different degrees of collaboration between Henry Kidman, Lilian Kidman, Ella Kidman, as well as their other family members and friends. The collection includes one art album: a scrapbook consisting mostly of art created by the Kidman family. Additionally, the scrapbook contains original artwork by non-family members, greeting cards, and some family memorabilia—including a letter addressed to Mary Ann Elliot Lines, Henry Kidman’s mother, written on the evening before her wedding. The collection also contains two autograph albums: one owned by Lilian Kidman and one owned by Ella Kidman. Given to the two sisters as Christmas gifts in 1897, the two commercially made albums match aside from the colour of their covers. Both Lilian and Ella Kidman employed their albums to collect autographs, inscriptions, and artwork from their family and friends. The sisters had many mutual friends, and their respective autograph albums contain similar entries from their shared connections.

Kidman (family)

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.