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Teenager Gilbert Attwood created this 8-page manuscript magazine titled "The Nick-Nack" (vol. 1) while attending high school in 1840. The magazine features humorous articles and advertisements, comments about Attwood's teachers and classmates, and several small drawings.

Teenager Gilbert Attwood created this 8-page magazine titled "The Nick-Nack" (vol. 1) while attending high school in 1840. The magazine features humorous articles and advertisements, comments about Attwood's teachers and classmates, and several small drawings.

The magazine's sections include "Names" (a rumination on the names of other students, as well as objects like streets and chairs), "A Year in the Country" (Attwood's account of his family's move in the spring of 1838), "Parody on the Country Schoolmaster Original" (a take on the poem "The Village Schoolmaster" by Oliver Goldsmith), "Extracts from a Journal," and "A Peep into the Year 2000." The sections are separated by thin black lines. Advertisements include "Printing," "Lectures," "Arostook Whiskers," and "Stop Thief."

The James M. K. Reed Collection consists of four undated items relating to Reed's services as an instructor of practical penmanship in mid-19th century Pennsylvania. It includes two calligraphic drawings of American eagles, one of which is holding a ribbon and flying above a feather quill. The other two items in the collection are subscription lists for students. They detail the terms for the penmanship classes and list patron names, the number of scholars, and whether fees were paid. One list identifies the locale of the classes as being in the vicinity of Patterson's Mills, likely in Pennsylvania. The other list provides no location, but notes the classes are co-taught by "Reed & Boyd" and includes several calligraphic drawings of birds and a feather quill.

The James M. K. Reed Collection consists of four undated items relating to Reed's services as an instructor of practical penmanship in mid-19th century Pennsylvania. It includes two calligraphic drawings of American eagles, one of which is holding a ribbon and flying above a feather quill. The other two items in the collection are subscription lists for students. They detail the terms for the penmanship classes and list patron names, the number of scholars, and whether fees were paid. One list identifies the locale of the classes as being in the vicinity of Patterson's Mills, likely in Pennsylvania. The other list provides no location, but notes the classes are co-taught by "Reed & Boyd" and includes several calligraphic drawings of birds and a feather quill.

This collection contains materials relating to the Loomis family of Columbia, Connecticut, between the 1820s and 1890s, primarily concerning the education of the children Ormond P., Mary, Emily, Aurelia, and Dwight. Educational content includes penmanship exercises, cypher books, drawings, maps, and various mathematical and astronomical calculations.The collection also includes documentation of Ormond P. Loomis's teaching, classroom, and students for Fall-Winter 1829-1830. An estate inventory produced upon the death of their father, Elam Loomis, in 1855 is also present, as well as a partially completed family record. Several pieces of poetry, speech notes, and other writings by members of the Loomis family are also included.

This collection contains materials relating to the Loomis family of Columbia, Connecticut, between the 1820s and 1890s, primarily concerning the education of the children Ormond P., Mary, Emily, Aurelia, and Dwight. Educational content includes penmanship exercises, cypher books, drawings, maps, and various mathematical and astronomical calculations. Some of the illustrations and pen work are based on Eleazer Huntington's The American Penman and on "Aaron Yeomans Instructor." Two are datelined "Pine Swamp." The collection also includes documentation of Ormond P. Loomis's teaching, classroom, and students for Fall-Winter 1829-1830. An estate inventory produced upon the death of their father, Elam Loomis, in 1855 is also present, as well as a partially completed family record. Several pieces of poetry, speech notes, and other writings by members of the Loomis family are also included.

• Penmanship and Forms, beginning January 23, 1828 (11 pages) kept by Ormond P. Loomis, featuring elegant, different scripts and illustrations.
• Penmanship exercise by Ormond P. Loomis: "Duties of Men," February 21, 1828; with an illustration of an American eagle and shield, with an ornate oval border.
• "Miscellaneous Matters &c." cypher book with astronomical content by Ormond P. Loomis, March 20, 1828.
• Two loose sheets with illustrated projections and calculations for solar eclipses in 1831 and 1836, dated April 1 and 3, 1829, produced by Ormond P. Loomis.
• Penmanship exercise, with different versions of Ormond P. Loomis' name, phonetically spelled with Hebrew and Greek characters, May 31, 1828.
• Illustration of an American eagle with a shield and banner, made by Ormond P. Loomis 1828.
• Illustrations of modern winged cherubim, with a quotation beginning "O! Righteous! thou lovely thing!", made by Ormond P. Loomis on January 18, 1829.
• Sheet of penmanship practice by Ormond P. Loomis with quotations on verso respecting eloquence, and a statement "Andrew Jackson of Tennessee President!", June 1829.
• Illustrated projection drawn by Ormond P. Loomis of the moon's eclipse of September 2, 1830, dated March 20, 1829.
• Illustration of an eagle with a banner by Ormond P. Loomis in 1828.
• "Journal kept at the 3rd school District in the school society in Hebron", maintained by Ormond P. Loomis in 1829. Including a foldout of tabular information about daily school attendance by 10 students, and daily weather. Concludes with a statement about why Loomis decided to leave the profession of teacher. A separate list identifies male and female students in the School Society in Hebron by class status.
• Two sheets with miscellaneous astronomical calculations, canal lengths, and numerical Christian Bible information produced by Ormond P. Loomis in 1830 and 1831.
• Handmade, stab-sewn volume with poetry, literature, and biblical extracts kept by Aurelia Loomis between 1838-1841.
• "Appendix to Report on Free Schools," compiled in 1847, possibly by Dwight Loomis before his graduation from Yale Law School.
• Circa 1855 volume inventorying the estate of Elam Loomis.
• Letter from Dwight Loomis to Mary Loomis dated March 26, 1863, and a copy of correspondence between Dwight Loomis and Cyrus White including a riddle about white lies dated February 21, 1889.
• Circa 1890s bound volume of notes for a speech to the Burpee Post of the Grand Army of the Republic about the Civil War, possibly by Dwight Loomis, concerning memorialization of the Civil War dead, naturalization, suffrage, citizenship, patriotism and education.
• Undated manuscript map of England, Ireland, and Scotland drawn by Ormond P. Loomis.
• Newspaper clipping showing demographic information for the states and territories in the United States, [1822?].
• Two undated pencil sketches drawn by Emily Loomis of the exterior of buildings, including the "Mill at Hartford."
• Undated poem about Abraham Lincoln, "Hitch Your Wagon to a Star," possibly written by Dwight Loomis.
• Undated "Family Record" for the Loomis family with entries for family members and their birth dates. Includes record of Loomis P. Ormond's death.
• Undated cypher book kept by Mary Loomis with several patriotic and religious calligraphic exercises.

This volume was produced by Peter McGivney as a gift for his sister, Julia A. McGivney. Its entries are largely copies of popular song lyrics and some poetry. Many focus on sentimental themes like remembrance, familial relationships, love, death, and religion. A few patriotic titles were included. Peter McGivney elaborately decorated and illustrated the volume with paintings, pencil drawings, pen-and-ink embellishments, printed scrapbook die-cuts, and calligraphic titles and borders. He drew numerous patriotic images, including American flags, shields, eagles, Union soldiers, and a portrait of George Washington. Flowers, leaves, birds, and landscapes feature prominently, along with depictions of women. He drew several illustrations of hands holding calling/visiting cards filled out with the names of friends and family members. One watercolor illustration of an African American man accompanies the lyrics of a minstrel song.

This volume was produced by Peter McGivney as a gift for his sister, Julia A. McGivney. Its entries are primarily copies of popular song lyrics and some poetry. Many focus on sentimental themes like remembrance, familial relationships, love, death, and religion. Some patriotic titles are also included. Titles like "Little Low Cabin" and "Half Way Doings" were likely minstrel songs, and include racist dialect. One is accompanied by a watercolor painting of an African American man in striped pants and a blue overcoat standing at a table with a Bible on it and a whitewash bucket on the floor.

Peter McGivney elaborately decorated and illustrated the volume with paintings, pencil drawings, pen-and-ink embellishments, printed scrapbook die-cuts, and calligraphic titles and borders. He drew numerous patriotic images, including American flags, shields, eagles, Union soldiers, and a portrait of George Washington. Flowers, leaves, birds, and landscapes feature prominently, along with depictions of women. He drew several illustrations of hands holding calling/visiting cards filled out with the names of friends and family members.

• "The Lady’s Yes," by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• "Write Me a Letter [from] Home," by Will S. Hays
• "[Darling] Minnie Lee," by Dexter Smith
• "Ella Ree," by Charles E. Stewart
• "God Bless My Boy at Sea," by T. Brigham Bishop
• "Little Robin, Tell Kitty," by Frank Howard
• "Killarney," by E. Falconer
• "Sunny Days," by Edwin Ransford
• "Remember Me," by M. W. Balfe
• "We Parted by the River Side," by Will S. Hays
• "The Last Rose of Summer," by Thomas Moore
• "Lottie Lee," by C. T. Lockwood
• "Kiss the Little Ones," by W. F. Wellman, Jr.
• "Kiss Me Mother E'er I Die," by W. Dexter Smith, Jr.
• "To a Beloved Woman," translated from Sappho
• "Driven from Home," by Will S. Hays
• "Bessy O'er the Lea" [e.g. "Darling Bessie of the Lea"], by George Cooper
• "Our Own," by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster
• "[When] The Corn is Waving, Annie Dear," by Charles Blamphin
• "A Woman's Question," by Adelaide Anne Proctor
• "Daisy O'Lynn," by M. H. McChesney
• "I'll Remember You Love in my Prayers," by Will S. Hayes
• "Don't be Angry With Me, Darling," by W. L. Gardner
• "The Good Bye at the Door," by J. E. Carpenter
• "Love On," by Eliza Cook
• "Sweet Genevieve," by George Cooper
• "When the [Autumn] Leaves are Falling," by J. E. Carpenter
• "Mother, Is the Old Home Lonely," by Arthur W. French
• "The Golden Side," by Mary Ann Kidder
• "Wait Till the Moonlight Falls on the Water," by Sam Bagnall
• "The Bells of Shadow" [e.g. "The Shandon Bells"], by Francis Mahony
• "Annie of the Vale," by G. P. Morris
• "My Pretty Jane," by Edward Fitzball
• "Silver Threads among the Gold," by Eben E. Rexford
• "When I Saw Sweet Nellie Home," by John Fletcher
• "Come Like a Beautiful Dream," by George Cooper
• "What Will I Do Without Thee," by Elmer Ruan Coates
• "Star of the Evening," by James M. Sayles
• "The Good Bye at the Door," by J. E. Carpenter
• "Memory Bells," by Henry Tucker
• "I Love the Merry Sunshine," by J. W. Lake
• "Every Home has Lost a Darling," by George Cooper
• "Wilt thou say Farewell Love," by Thomas Moore
• "A Sweet Face at the Window," by W. C. Baker
• "Faded Flowers," by I. H. Brown
• "The Blind Girl," by Joshua Swan
• "What Will I Do Without Thee," by Elmer Ruan Coates
• "Why Was I Looking Out," by Claribel
• "God Save the Flag," by Oliver Wendell Holmes

• "Fair Maid of Perth"
• "Arabella Dolora"
• "A little Puss"
• "Rebecca at the Well"
• "E Pluribus Unum"
• "Excelsior"
• "The French Iron Clad Solferino"
• "Volcano of Turrialba (Mexico)."
• "View of Paknam on the Memam. Farther - India"
• "The Rose of Orleans"
• "The Queen of Flowers"
• "Marriot's Aerial Steam Carriage. 'Avitor.'"
• "Love in Winter"
• "Dressing for the Masquerade"
• "William Penn first Settler of Pennsylvania 1675"
• "The Tambourine Player"
• "Love in Summer"

The collection consists of six penmanship and cypher books kept by William L. Shimer, Susanna M. Shimer, and Nathan M. Shimer of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the 1840s and 1850s and one alphabet card with lower-case and upper-case letters. The blank books include illustrated covers and several have calligraphic titles for their sections. Four of them are dated and range from 1846 to 1853. The cypher books include exercises for arithmetic, fractions, accounting, and weights and measures, with many examples relating to practical issues like farming, business, and estates. Penmanship exercises include the copying of moral proverbs, common business abbreviations, strings of letters, and phrases. Two of the penmanship books are associated with writing systems: George J. Becker's The American System of Penmanship, and Bayson, Dunton and Scribner's National System of Penmanship.

The collection consists of seven penmanship and cypher books kept by William L. Shimer, Susanna M. Shimer, and Nathan M. Shimer of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the 1840s and 1850s and one alphabet card with lower-case and upper-case letters. The blank books include illustrated covers and several have calligraphic titles for their sections. Five of them are dated and range from 1846 to 1853. The cypher books include exercises for arithmetic, fractions, practical geometry, accounting, and weights and measures, with many examples relating to practical issues like farming, business, and estates. Penmanship exercises include the copying of moral proverbs, common business abbreviations, strings of letters, and phrases. Two of the penmanship books are associated with writing systems: George J. Becker's The American System of Penmanship, and Bayson, Dunton and Scribner's National System of Penmanship.

• Uriah Hunt & Son, Booksellers, Philadelphia
• Leary's Cheap Book Store, Philadelphia
• Brower, Hayes & Co., Booksellers and Stationers, Philadelphia
• Henry J. Oerter's Cheap Book & Stationery Store, Bethlehem
• Crosby & Ainsworth, Publishers, Boston

The cover of William L. Shimer's 1848 exercise book includes an inscription "L. Shimer, Co. A 10 reg. Militia Pa." William L. Shimer's 1850-1852 cypher book includes notations that he was attending the Gen. Taylor school and was being instructed by A. Stout, as well as geometrical drawings, calligraphic headings, and a pen-and-ink drawing of an eagle's head holding a banner that reads, "Let teh Stars and Stripes proudly float over you."

This slim volume contains lists of Willard S. Niles' students at various locations in New York State, scholars' attendance, and other records between 1841 and 1849. The attendance rolls are divided by commencement date and each student's name is followed by a row of hash marks. Niles' children used most of the pages' margins and blank spaces to practice penmanship, jot their address, repeat student names, and in one case copy a letter from Hiram Niles in Iowa. The letter copy reads "It is very loathsome and mean and disgusting in you not to write once in a month if I get down." The blank book has tan, paper covers. Printed on the front cover is WRITING BOOK. THE PROPERTY OF MANUFACTURED AND SOLD BY B. MAYNARD... Hamilton, N.Y.: Imprint of G. R. Waldron & Co., with images of a patriotic eagle and shield, small oval depictions of a woman with a ship in the background, and decorative borders. The back cover bears a printed multiplication table.

This slim volume contains lists of Willard S. Niles' students at various locations in New York State, scholars' attendance, and other records between 1841 and 1849. The attendance rolls are divided by commencement date and each student's name is followed by a row of hash marks. Niles' children used most of the pages' margins and blank spaces to practice penmanship, jot their address, repeat student names, and in one case copy a letter from Hiram Niles in Iowa. The letter copy reads "It is very loathsome and mean and disgusting in you not to write once in a month if I get down." The blank book has tan, paper covers. Printed on the front cover is WRITING BOOK. THE PROPERTY OF MANUFACTURED AND SOLD BY B. MAYNARD... Hamilton, N.Y.: Imprint of G. R. Waldron & Co., with images of a patriotic eagle and shield, small oval depictions of a woman with a ship in the background, and decorative borders. The back cover bears a printed multiplication table.