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The papers of Anna Maria (Campbell Hickman) Otis Mead Chalmers (1809-1891) and her family offer a deep look into a 19th century American family with a sharp focus on enslaved and formerly enslaved persons. The collection documents the life of a young, widowed woman, Anna Maria Mead Chalmers, who was the granddaughter of General William Hull (1753-1825). She was a mother of four children and became a businesswoman in Richmond, Virginia. She was a writer, an editor of the Southern Churchmen, an educator and founder of Mrs. Mead's School for Young Ladies, and a director of The Southern Churchmen Cot ("Retreat for the Sick"), a hospital for children. Anna Maria's family enslaved people who are represented in the papers including Othello "Tillo" Freeman (1790's-1860's?). It includes a letter from William written in [1875], who was their carriage driver, and letters about Sam the fiddler, who settled on the farm after escaping harsher enslavement in Louisianna, and Jordan who was described as being hired out in a letter dated September 8, 1841 from Thomas R. Blair.

This collection contains items from the Berkeley Cox family papers. The collection contains cased photographs, hair of various family members, a glass plate photograph, a silver card case with calling cards, a medallion, a photograph, and a Mulberry Hill pamphlet. Many of the items have a small notation from a family member describing the people in photographs or the physical item. Family members represented in the collection include: Mary Berkeley Cox, Lewis Berkeley Cox, Francis Callendar Cox, Richard S. Cox, Eliza Williams, Bessie Cox, Catherine Cox Reynolds, Lewis Berkeley Cox, and son Berkeley Cox.

Julia A. Dennison memory album, 1862-1866, Milan, Indiana, in red morocco "The Pet Album" binding, published by Leavitt and Allen with black and white printed illustrations of children and their mother in activities such as bathing or playing. The album, which is a gift from her brother, contains personal advice about keeping the young mind pure and other sentimental notes from her brothers. There are signatures of acquaintainces from Indiana and Ohio, including Civil War infantry in the form of business cards. Of interest is a regimental stamp of George Dennison of the 83rd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. There is one leaf with eight locks of braided hair tied with ribbons and signed by each girl (although one lock of hair is missing).

Maria Morse commonplace book, 1828-1876, 0,.03 cubic feet is a cCommercially produced album with covers of hand-marbled paper with red leather corners and binding, and hand-marbled endpapers. Printed title page reads The Album. / E. Hunt & Co. Middletown Con." Owner has illustrated half-title with heart-shaped flower illustration and a stamp 'The Property of / Maria Morse." Hand-painted floral illustrations in a similar style appear throughout the volume. One page includes an example of hair art. Lengthy and brief entries, mostly poetry (including three acrostics), fill the volume and are marked with locations including Norwich (CT) New York, Lebanon, Salem (CT), and other places. Most as written "To Maria" and a number have the last name "Lillibridge."

This collection contains the memory book and autograph album of Verona A. Houghton of Weymouth, Massachusetts. A birthday gift from her mother, the book includes signatures and inscriptions with locks of hair and remembrances, predominately from 1854 to1857. There are fifty-four signatures, forty-one of which include a lock of hair. The signers of the book came from various locations in the United States including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa The inscription at the front reads: "A birthday gift from my dear Mother -- Friendship's memorials are treasured here. A name, a sentiment, a lock of hair. Will oft remind me of the friends so dear. As time shall waft along each fleeting year. Fond "Memory's Leaves" the token still shall wear. Verona." The book was commercially produced; the printed title page includes this information: Memorys leaves, Moss and Brother, Philadelphia. It is a gilt-stamped album with engravings on the title page and five engraved plates through the book featuring women.