Polk (Victoria Thomas) Autograph Album, 1859-1875 and undated
Description
Victoria Thomas Polk (1841-1924) was a resident of San Augustine, Texas. Her father Iredell Dickinson Thomas (1805-1866) was an early settler in the area and soon amassed considerable wealth and land holdings as a merchant and planter. In 1860, Victoria married Charles Isaac Polk (1832-1889), a member of another prominent family in San Augustine.
The autograph album is a copy of Cherished Fragments containing inscriptions from friends, usually in verse form, that bestow wishes for Victoria Thomas Polk's future happiness, ask for her remembrance, and praise her personal traits. The album also includes illustrations, primarily watercolors of flowers that accompany some of the inscriptions, but also engravings and ink and pencil drawings depicting other subjects.