Commonplace book of Ann Proud Maxwell (1778-1866), undated

The collection contains scrapbooks, album books, commonplace books, and cookbooks belonging to members of the Edward Johnson Coale (1776-1832) and Mary Ann Buchanan Coale (1792-1866) family as well as to their extended family.

There are three album books, including one from Mary Ann Buchanan Coale's sister, Elizabeth Buchanan (1802-1825), and one from her daughter, Anna Laetitia Coale (1817-1856). These books typically contain ink drawings, watercolors, verses, dried flowers, and were often gifted and signed by friends and family. There are eight commonplace books. There is one written by Mary Ann Buchanan before she was married and three by her daughters: Elizabeth Buchanan Coale (1823-1910), Josephine Rebello Coale (1826-1907), and Marianne Buchanan Coale (1833-1908). There are also two written by the sisters of Edward Johnson Coale: Anna Maria Coale (1778-1813) and Mary Abigail Willing Coale (1789-1831).

Scrapbooks (c. 1800-1901) containing newspaper clippings, portraits of historical and literary figures, pictures of famous buildings and places, sketches, poems, and statistics on the United States and foreign countries were apparently used by the family as reference books. A scrapbook with material dating from 1803-1850 contains a letter signed by Coale and Proud entitled The Reading Room Anthology, and it is a notice to users of the family library about rules for the use of the room and materials, and stating what types of contributions were acceptable for the library. The same scrapbook contains a picture of Henry Clay. Another scrapbook (1827-1890) contains a portrait of Edward J. Coale. An early 19th cent. scrapbook has a water color by Mrs. Coale. And pictures of Lincoln and his cabinet and several Civil War generals are in a scrapbook with material dating from 1810-1881.