Some weeks ago I got an email from Constance. Her grandmother came over to US almost 100 years ago from Norway. Constances mother still has the poesy book her mother brought with her over the ocean, and Constance and her mother wondered if I could help them to translate a few of the poems.
We had dinner with my parents last Sunday and during coffee I showed the poems to my mother and her sister. Soon we were deep in a conversation about poesie and memory books, my mother found her own book and memories were shared.
The history of Memory books, or Poesie books started for more than 200 years ago. In my own collection I have my grandmother Olga's memory book from 1919, memories from fellow students she had spent a year with at Fredly boarding school. I have my mother's book with the first memory from 1942. My husbands book from around 1963, and my own which I started in 1966.
From the beginning the owner of the memory books were mostly girls from the age of 15-16. But from around 1930 the first children's memory books came. As soon as a girl learned to write she could collect poems and memories in her book, and it was a popular way to try out borders and flowers to illustrate the writing.
Memory books are still popular. Both my girls have their own.
Memories were written not only by friends. Parents and grandparents were also asked to write poems.
Small girls in the 1960ies dreamed of marriage in a white dress.
A collection of memory books from different times.
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Photos:
- The Poesie book which Constance's grandmother took across the ocean
- Front page of my mother's Poesi book
- Grandma Olga's book form Fredly
- Pages from the books of Constance's grandmother
- Memory written to my mother from her little sister
- Memory written to my mother from her mother
- Memory written to my husband from his grandmother
- A young girl's sweet dreams, from my memory book
- Three books, my husband's, mine and my mother's
- A young man's memory to my mother.
Constance's grandmother Agnes with her sister and her family. Photo taken after they left Norway.
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Thank you very much Constance and Lois for bringing up such wonderful memories.
Constance's blog Rochambeau is my blog of the week.
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I also have some great memories from my grandpa Benjamin, but they will have to wait for another day.
