C.E. Blair Scrapbooks Collection

These two scrapbooks consist of typed pages illustrated with color and black and white images cut from magazines and other publications, and a few original photographs. The material was apparently compiled and the text extracted from various published sources by C. E. Blair. The title page of each scrapbook contains a homemade book plate titled “Blair’s Best”. Most pages are headed by topical titles and "C. E. B.”," C. E. Blair, collection", "From Blair's scrapbook", or a similar note.

The first volume, entitled "History of Old Time Newark and New Jersey," is mostly devoted to general historical accounts and anecdotes.

The second volume consists of typed lists of theatrical performances, magic shows, and other entertainments, extracted from newspaper notices.

The illustrations, portraits, scenes from plays, printed summaries of plays, etc., are cut from publicity material, advertisements, programs, books, and periodicals; also included are some original photographs of general Newark subjects. Each page is headed by the name and address of a Newark theater, and in some cases, "C. E. Blair collection, 1832-1932".

It appears that the scrapbooks were compiled in the 1960s. The bulk of the lists and other data recorded are events from the late nineteenth century to ca. 1910, but there are entries regarding events that go back to the 1830’s. The item from 1963 is in the second volume and is a photograph of a street scene.