Helen A. Paddock (1892-1965) Scrapbook

The materials in the Helen Paddock scrapbook date between 1910 and 1915 and document her social, academic, and family life at Northwestern University. Included are photographs, newspaper clippings, dance cards, and other memorabilia.

The scrapbook is entitled “The College Girls Record: A Chronicle of Memories.” On the title page, it states “Being a Register of Statistics, A History of Impressions and Events in Four Years of College Life.” It was published by Paul Elder and Company, San Francisco. In addition to the material inserted by Helen Paddock, the book also contains printed drawings, humorous poems, and lists of colleges' colors, mottoes, cheers, etc.

The scrapbook contains pre-printed pages on which the owner could record specific information. These sections were filled in by Paddock, providing details about her friends, schooling, and extracurricular activities. These pages include My Alma Mater, First Impressions, My Studies, and Classmates. Most of the scrapbook is loosely organized according to pre-printed page headers such as Societies, Vacations, and Athletics. Paddock filled these pages with photographs, short captions, newspaper clippings, dance programs, invitations, and letters.