What this website is about ::

This website is mainly an autograph book maintained by Trella Foltz Toland between the years 1894 (the date on the cover) and 1905. (Entries earlier than 1894 appear to be glued in later.) At some point, perhaps at the time of her own 1901 entry, Trella went back through the book and filled in some dates, and comments. See e.g. p. 18, Salvini entry where she has written "Died December 15, 1896 Italy."

During this period, Trella Toland was an actress in New York. Many of the autographs are from well-known performers of the day (e.g. Ada Rehan; Nellie Melba). Others are from writers and various public figures (e.g. Richard Harding Davis, Elizabeth Cady Stanton). She was also apparently in some touring shows during this period, as some of the signatures locate their signers in Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C.

As Clara Foltz's biographer, I would like to know more about the people who signed her daughter's book, as well as using it to assess Trella's place in the theater world (a supernumerary, or more). I am also interested in thoughts about keeping an autograph book... a 19th century custom, though it has its 20th century analogs, e.g. athlete's signing cards, collections of historic signatures at auction, blogs on-line.

We hope you enjoy paging through this little book with its reflections of a glamorous, complicated life at the turn of the century.

--Professor Barbara Babcock, Stanford Law School