A commercially produced autograph album, each page with red and blue borders. Mostly blank pages but some have illustrations with blank spaces for autographs. Album contains signatures, verses, drawings, paintings and greeting cards. Most illustrations signed. Some illustrations and cards pasted in. Autographs include surnames: Caen; Smyth; Sherriff; Kidman; Crawford; Morgan; Hays; White; Winters; Walde; Haines; Shettle; Martin; Waller; Figgins; Earle, and Dyke. Some autographs are only initials.
This friendship autograph album was owned by Lilian Leigh Kidman (1879-?), and was created in England. The contents of the album include ink designs drawn by 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 Kidman’s friends and family are collected in the album. The album also features many inkblot signatures. Notably, Lilian Kidman’s autograph album matches the one owned by her younger sister, Ella. The sisters’ respective albums have many similarities, suggesting that they may have worked collaboratively on their custom designs. Additionally, Lilian and Ella Kidman had mutual friends, and their albums contain similar entries from their shared connections. The albums itself is commercially made and was given to Lilian Kidman as a Christmas gift in 1897.