Research Guides: Clarence John Laughlin Collections: About Laughlin Scrapbooks

ABOUT LAUGHLIN SCRAPBOOKS

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010
The Clarence John Laughlin scrapbooks comprise Victorian era scrapbooks collected by Laughlin. Items in this collection are not scrapbooks created by Clarence John Laughlin. Most of the scrapbooks are American with collage images and ephemera dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Scrapbooks feature visual materials. This includes fine examples of American and French printing and chromolithography. Materials feature a wide variety of printed Victorian die cuts. Items include examples of embossed paper, lace-paper design, and movable book elements.

Scrapbooks contain various printed materials arranged in unique collages. Materials include ephemera, holiday and greeting cards, travel cards and postcards, advertising cards, printed luxury labels, magazine clippings, fashion illustrations, and printed die cuts. Scrapbooks 7 and 17 feature French printing.

Finding aid for the collection can be found here.

Featured elements within the collection include the following:

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a printing method used to make multi-color prints. This method is a variation of lithography, which uses a series of stones, or metal plates, to print each color separately. Development of the first chromolithographs originated in Europe circa 1830. William Sharp printed the first American chromolithograph in 1840. Before the century’s end, chromolithography was the primary method for commercial printing. Examples from the Laughlin Scrapbooks include die cuts, greeting cards, labels, and advertising cards.

Victorian Die Cuts/Scraps

Scraps are a type of die cut chromolithograph often collected and featured in Victorian scrapbooks. Die cut scraps are factory cut into various shapes and sizes, and often embossed to accentuate the printed imagery. Common imagery depicts women, children, angels, animals, and plant life.

Movable Book Elements and Collage

Movable book elements include pop-up valentines, overlapping transformation prints, and one handmade volvelle. Collage methods vary with each scrapbook. The collection showcases a range of technical styles and imaginative compositions. Collage was a popular creative medium in the Victorian era proliferated by an increase in available ephemera and printed materials.

Information on book arts, lithography, and related holdings can be found in the BOOK ARTS COLLECTION LibGuide.

Scrapbook page of collaged Victorian die cuts featuring heads of women and children in various sizes, many with hats or fancy hair styles.

Collage made from Victorian die-cuts featuring various heads of women and children, circa 1880.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 11

Scrapbook page of collaged Victorian die cuts featuring various exotic plants and flower arrangements, including fuchsias and roses.

Collage made from Victorian die-cuts featuring various plant life and floral arrangements, circa 1880.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 11

Scrapbook page of collaged Victorian die cuts featuring various animals, including cats and dogs, rats wearing clothes, rabbits and an elephant caravan.

Collage made from Victorian die-cuts featuring dogs, cats, rats, rabbits and elephants, circa 1880.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 11

Eight French labels promoting Pichot printers and advertising various liquors, circa 1911-1919. Printed in gold, red and black depicting crowns, cherubs, or ornamental scrolling.

Sample book of French luxury labels produced by Pichot printing works – (liquor labels and Pichot promotional labels), circa 1911-1919.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 17

Two French liquor labels by Pichot printers, circa 1911-1919. Genièvre label printed in gold, red and black with a floral motif. Eau de Vie label depicting die cut grape leaves in bright green.

Sample book of French luxury labels produced by Pichot printing works – (liquor labels for Genièvre and Eau de Vie), circa 1911-1919.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 17

Detailed and realistic multi-color print of a young girl in costume wearing a white dress with gold jewelry and a tambourine.

Detailed chromolithograph of a young girl in costume with gold jewelry and tambourine, circa 1870-1900.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 9

Two postcards each with a map of a specific location in Paris, France. Each map includes an illustration of the palace featured and figurative elements, like soldiers or persons on horseback. Additional imagery includes two dies cuts of children and one bouquet of flowers.

Two postcards of illustrated maps featuring the Palais-Bourbon and Palais de l'Élysée from a series on Paris maps. Additional imagery includes die cuts of children and flowers, circa 1890-1925.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 7

Colorful printed illustration of an infantry soldier in Saxon armor. It features a decorative boarder in red and green reminiscent of plant life.

Advertising card for Chocolat Guérin-Boutron with decorative image of a Saxon infantry soldier in armor. One card of several from the Les Costumes series, circa 1900.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 7

Three dimensional pop up valentine card with a silver anchor surrounded by blue forget-me-not flowers. Printed imagery is embossed and intricately cut along the edges.

Pop-up valentine featuring a sliver anchor and forget-me-not flowers, circa 1890-1900.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 5

Printed folded image depicting a man with a white beard. When the flap is folded down, it reveals the same man with a black beard and an advertisement for Buckingham’s Dye for the Whiskers.

Transformation print advertising Buckingham’s Dye featuring before and after images of a of bearded man, circa 1880-1890.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 8

Scrapbook collage featuring magazine clippings of women and children, a large black and white portrait of a women in a veil, nature scenes with flowers and birds, and a colorful boarder of orange trumpet vines along the top.

Collage with trumpet vine boarder made from magazine clippings, circa 1880-1900.

Clarence John Laughlin Scrapbooks, Mss. 5010 -- Scrapbook 4

Clarence John Laughlin Collections: About Laughlin Scrapbooks

ABOUT LAUGHLIN SCRAPBOOKS

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