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The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. At least one volume was kept by an African American man, Lewis G. Mosebay. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

John S. Dunning kept these two autograph albums between 1856 and 1861, while a student at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and the Theological Seminary of the Northwest (now McCormick Theological Seminary) in Chicago, Illinois. Along with autographs, many contributors wrote poetry, quotations, personal notes, and reminiscences.

John S. Dunning kept these two autograph albums between 1856 and 1861, while a student at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and the Theological Seminary of the Northwest (now McCormick Theological Seminary). He collected signatures from his friends and classmates in Princeton, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois, between 1856 and 1861. Most signers wrote brief personal notes or brief poems reflecting on friendship and reminiscing about their time at college/seminary. They variously recorded their dormitory room numbers, hometowns, and Greek or Latin quotations. The first volume consists entirely of writings by young men and the second volume includes entries by both men and women.

Ned Holden accompanied his note with two sketches: one sketch is of two men at a "Jersey Pines Deer Hunt" and another of a well-dressed man smoking (Volume 1). J.H.G. Blythe, a native of New York, wrote an 11-page reflection about Dunning; J. Kings of Americus, Georgia, expressed his fervent support of Millard Fillmore; and Morris C. Sutphen apologized for his inability to compose a line, as a result of too many recent autograph requests.