Mark Twain's Adhesive Scrapbook in Our Treasure Chest

Samuel L. Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain, was a lifelong creator and keeper of scrapbooks – more than 300 of them!  He took them everywhere and filled them with souvenirs, pictures, and articles about his books and performances.  But in time, he grew tired of the lost glue, rock-hard paste, and the swearing that resulted from the standard scrapbook process.  So, he came up with the idea of printing thin strips of glue on the pages to make updates neat and easy to do.  Once the pages were wet, clippings and scraps could be easily attached.  In 1872, he patented his "self-pasting" scrapbook, and the "Mark Twain Adhesive Scrap Book" proved to be Clemens' only profitable patent, which provided a modest but steady income.


Our family treasure chest holds one such scrapbook - tattered, missing pages, broken spine - yet a few souvenirs from its former owner are still tucked in its decaying pages.

Alice Parker Murphey’s
Mark Twain Adhesive Scrapbook

Inspired by his invention, go to view Mark Twain’s Interactive Scrapbook and view his life story through the collection of texts, photos, and clippings from his day.

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Sunday's Obituary – James Buchanan Murphey

James Buchanan Murphey
April 1857 – March 1942

Obituary news clipping from Ward Family Archives

First Hollywood

Merchant Dies

James Buchanan Murphey, 84, the first postmaster and owner of the first general store at Prospect Park, which later became Hollywood, died Saturday at his home, 5430 Cartwright St., North Hollywood.

Born in Iowa, Mr. Murphey came here 51 years ago.  In addition to his other activities in this area during its early existence, he served as clerk on the school board of the Hollywood Union High School.

In recent years he has made his home in the San Fernando Valley where he was a plastering contractor.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Steen Chapel, North Hollywood.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Alice Murphey; two daughters, Mrs. Grace Sanford and Mrs. Florence Lander, and a son, Earl Murphey.

J.B. Murphey, Cheap Cash Store & Post Office
 at Prospect Park, California, abt. 1900

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Cupid Goes to Berkley

Thanks to Betty’s Boneyard Genealogy Blog for posting Tuesday’s Tip: The California Newspaper Digital Archive, I have found a great article on a couple of early Hollywood, California relatives.  The article appeared in the Los Angeles Herald, Volume 33, Number 328, 24 August 1906.

CUPID STEALS
COLLEGE GIRL

INVADES GATES OF NORTHERN
UNIVERSITY

Los Angeles Attorney and
One of Hollywood's Fairest Daughters
Wedded — Couple Find Separation
Is Simply Unbearable

  Even the most steadfast ambitions of a maid with inclinations toward a college education cannot withstand some of the onslaughts of Cupid when the little blind god makes up his mind.

This was proved to a large circle of friends of Miss Florence Murphy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Murphy, and Warren James Lander, a prominent young attorney, yesterday.

Two weeks ago Miss Murphy, now Mrs. Lander, packed her trunks and started north, bound for the freshman class at Berkeley.

That was two weeks ago yesterday.  Whether it is that there is really some truth in the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder is not clear, but the truth remains that Mr. Lander was able to stand the separation not quite one week.

The following Wednesday evening he took the train for San Francisco and Thursday morning arrived there.  He went to Berkeley and found Miss Murphy installed in the apartments which she had taken for the fall term.

Perhaps absence has much the same effect on a young woman as it does on a young man. Just what words the young man used to convince the young woman that he could no longer live in Los Angeles while she lived in Berkeley no one but Mr. and Mrs. Lander and the four walls of a room know, and they will not tell.  Certain it is that his language was persuasive, for before nightfall the girl had decided that a course in managing a pretty little home in Hollywood would be quite as beneficial to her mental and spiritual development as a course in the University of California.

That night they went to Oakland, where they paid a visit to the First Congregational church, and with the assistance of the minister they banished all further thought of colleges and careers.

Mrs. Lander again packed her trunks and for a week a very happy bride and bridegroom enjoyed the pleasures of Santa Cruz and Del Monte.  Yesterday they came home and moved immediately into a pretty house opposite to the home of the bride's parents.

Eight years ago, when Florence Murphy and Warren Lander were 13 and 14 years of age respectively, they were sweethearts.  Ever since that time they have been the closest friends, and it was understood that when Miss Murphy had received enough of college life she would become his bride.  Before she went away to college Mr. Lander tried to persuade her that she did not want to go, but he did not succeed. There is evidently nothing like trying and trying again if you would win the heart of a lady fair.

Miss Murphy is a graduate of the Los Angeles high school and a talented pianist.  She is an attractive girl with blonde hair and blue eyes and a graceful slender figure.  Mr. Lander is a graduate of the law school of the University of Southern California and is looked upon as a clever young man.  The wedding came as a big surprise to the friends and relatives of the young people.

Warren and Florence at Berkley, ca. 1906

 

I always wondered why their wedding took place in Oakland when they both lived in Hollywood. 

Thanks again Betty! 

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved