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Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Two Little Words: Remember Me

I have a small collection of autograph books from long ago, five in all, and that includes one from my childhood, a gift from a kind aunt. I have an early Scholastic paperback with verses to copy, too. In the 1960s, autograph books were having their last hurrah. These weren't books for collecting signatures of the famous; they were sweet little books signed by neighbors, school friends, teachers, and others who were part of a child's world. 

Sometimes someone would just sign their name, but usually, there was a sentiment or brief poem penned onto the page. In viewing some of the thoughts, it strikes me how very rigorous the upper primary grades and junior high grades were. Mixed in with the humorous verses are lofty, elegant thoughts with elevated vocabulary. 

It also reminds me how popular puns were, and how poems in general were more a part of life. 

vintage copyright-free forget-me-not postcard



The lovely "Forget-me-not" plant is featured on many pages, and in many forms. I love the blue of that little harbinger of spring! A hand-drawn bloom graces a page in 1943 that also includes a jesting insult ("You have a shape like the B-19" - a particularly rotund bomber).

page from old autograph book 1930s

yours till niagra falls scholastic vintage book

cute and funny autograph book vintage sayings



autograph book verses and ideas



One issue of the old "Reminisce" magazine had an article about autograph books. There was a haunting verse written by a young man before he left for World War II, not to return alive. It read:

"You ask me to write;
What shall it be?
Two little words:
Remember Me."

I do my best to remember those I love who have passed. And of course, God remembers us always!


6 comments :

  1. What wonderful books, the only autograph books that I have ever come across are from my daughters childhood when we visited Disney World.

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  2. LOL! It's been decades since I have thought about autograph books. I remember having one...LONG ago.

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  3. Yes, I had one when I was in school. I wonder whatever happened to it.

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  4. I remember getting an autograph book one year for Christmas. It seemed all the girls at school had one on their wish list. Getting the boys to write something was next to impossible. "Remember Me" makes me sad.

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    1. I had forgotten how hard it was to get the boys to write something. That's right, but sometimes they would sign their name...sometimes!

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  5. I guess I wasn't aware of autograph books of the sort you're talking about. A nice idea! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Sorry, I'm not always very regular in posting. ;)

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