Nabean
Well-Known Member
Amongst my grandmother’s things, I have come across an autograph album belonging to Dora Frances Townsend.
It covers the period from 1902 to 1918, and contains entries by wounded servicemen and staff at various hospitals in London: The London School of Tropical Medicine, The Seaman’s Hospital, Royal Albert Dock (SS ‘Erinpura’ features:
, and Endell Street Military Hospital: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1712367/
and https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/endellstreet.html
This last is particularly interesting, as it is connected with the early days of women’s suffrage; I imagine Dora was a nurse there, although I remember my grandmother telling me that she was a lady, and had been presented at court.
It is full of exquisite, hand-drawn or painted entries, in pencil, ink and water-colours, with poems, messages and autographs, most of which are clearly legible. I have taken digital photographs of each page, and I have managed to trace the war records of a couple of the servicemen/doctors who feature, now, long dead, sadly.
It is a fascinating historical document, especially in view of the celebrations planned for November to mark the end of that terrible conflict.
I have uploaded an image of one of the water-colours, as the page has come loose, and it has no signature; the backdrop is the lining of the front and back covers. If anyone would like any further information on the contents of the album, or can shed any light on its owner, please let me know – I may have the autograph of an ancestor of yours!
It covers the period from 1902 to 1918, and contains entries by wounded servicemen and staff at various hospitals in London: The London School of Tropical Medicine, The Seaman’s Hospital, Royal Albert Dock (SS ‘Erinpura’ features:
Code:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Erinpuraand https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/endellstreet.html
This last is particularly interesting, as it is connected with the early days of women’s suffrage; I imagine Dora was a nurse there, although I remember my grandmother telling me that she was a lady, and had been presented at court.
It is full of exquisite, hand-drawn or painted entries, in pencil, ink and water-colours, with poems, messages and autographs, most of which are clearly legible. I have taken digital photographs of each page, and I have managed to trace the war records of a couple of the servicemen/doctors who feature, now, long dead, sadly.
It is a fascinating historical document, especially in view of the celebrations planned for November to mark the end of that terrible conflict.
I have uploaded an image of one of the water-colours, as the page has come loose, and it has no signature; the backdrop is the lining of the front and back covers. If anyone would like any further information on the contents of the album, or can shed any light on its owner, please let me know – I may have the autograph of an ancestor of yours!
