Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This memory album was assembled by Mary Hewins Fox (later Mary Hewins Fiske) to document her involvement with theater, music, and poetry in New York City.

Mary Fox apparently assembled and illustrated this memory album of her original work in about 1863. She included song lyrics (some published in a newspaper under a pseudonym, Dan Bryant), 24 watercolor and 6 pencil illustrations, and 5 photographs. Mary Fox's illustrations depicted well-known actors in familiar roles, though two are illustrations of neo-classical sculptures (Powers' Greek Slave and Copland's Ino and Bacchus), and other sketches with classical themes.

Fox's songs are typical of popular songs of the era. The printed songs were published under the name of Dan Bryant. In the book, Mary Fox has crossed out "Dan Bryant" and written her own name: Mrs. C.K. Fox. The printed songs include "Oh, My Love's Gone," "The Female Smuggler," and "My Johnny was a Shoemaker." The hand-written songs include "Lager Beer Song," "The Irish Sutler Girl" (possibly inspired by the Civil War), and "The Gal not Sports."