This album was found in October, 1999, in East Knox County, near the Jefferson County line, in an abandoned house off Ruggles Ferry Pike that once was used to board families of employees of Blake's/Livona Dairy. No information as to the original owner or the person who abandoned it is known. Someone recalled that an elderly man used to live in the house, but no one recalled details about him.

The album is gorgeous: tooled leather, embossed with gold filigree on all covers. It has four brass buttons, approximately 1 inch in diameter, inserted in a diamond pattern on the front and back covers. Inset in each brass button is a white glass bead, approximately 0.3 inch in diameter. The spine has Album in gold, with "Patd July 21st 1863" stamped in gold at the bottom. The hinges are brass, with a faux belt-and-loop effect. One hinge is missing, but the snap-button fixtures are both intact. The three exposed edges of each page are worked with a gilt design so that, when the book is closed, the pages present a gold-colored floral design in relief. The inside boards are covered in either a satin grosgrain or paper that appears to be grosgrain; these endpapers are also edged with gold.

Many of the photos are missing, but names and relationships remain on the pages. It appears someone tried to erase some names and inserted other photos in some of those spots. An educated guess is that someone removed the photos that were identifiable as "family," then discarded the remainder of the album. Very sad, indeed.... Some of the photos may be in the wrong slots, which means closer inspection is required.

Following is a table of the names and identifying information written in the album, along with information about the remaining photos and cards. Note that many of the photos were taken in Mobile, Alabama; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Mississippi.

If you can identify any of these photos or can help us identify the album's original owner, please contact the Webmistress with information!

Mr. Keith Bowen Papa & Sallie?	[empty]
Mrs. Mary Gillespie Bowen Mama	[empty]
Papa Nathan (Irving) Keith Bowen	[empty]
Grand Ma Elizabeth Carter Gillespie	[empty]
Hugh French Hugh French (friend) [Knoxville, Tennessee]
Cousin Shep T. S. Webb	[empty]
Cousin Shep & Cousin? Blannie? Cousin Shep Webb & 1st wife Blanch McClung	[empty]
C. J. McClung Aunt Bessie's son	[empty]
Alfred Landon Bowen Grandma Howard's brother	[empty]
Unidentified man [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
No notation on album page. "To Minnie from Jesie? Campbell" [inscription on back]
Uncle Alfred Gillespie Grandma Neonie's? brother	[empty]
Cousin Ita Branner Eliza Cardwell? Branner	[empty]
(M. Baker Howard) Granma knows the fives and I know the twos --
Jessie Gillespie Jessie Gillespies	[empty]
Evangeline "trade card" with portion of poem penned on the back	[not scanned]
Percy Lockett M. R. Howard Lockett		Tintype - no information on back
Billie? William Howard Grandpa's brother [Clearly, this photo is a female (from Cincinnati, Ohio); it was no doubt inserted in the wrong slot.]
Ben Gillespie "Cousin Ben"	[empty]
Col. Gillespie Andrew Gillespie Cousin Ben's father	[empty]
Miss Ellen H. Howard Gillespie Aunt Ellen Andrew's 2nd wife -- married Grandpa Howard's two sisters	[empty]
Jim Gillespie Cousin Ben's brother [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Hal? Bowen Howard	[empty]
Bimi? & Minni? R Aunt Bessie & Mother	[empty]
Uncle Henry & M? George Henry Gillespie & George Bowen Henry Gillespie	[empty]
Mary Gillespie Bowen Mama Grandma Neonie?	[empty]
John Carter Cousin Jane Carter Goodwin's brother (killed Mr. Wendel)	[empty]
Uncle George Bowen brother of M. I. K. Bowen	[empty]
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Br George George Bowen Brother	[empty]
No notation on album page. "Julia" inscribed on bottom and "Compliments of your friend J." inscribed on back.
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
John Donelson	[empty]
No notation on album page. "Gen Buckner" inscribed on back. [Simon Bolivar Buckner was leader of the Kentucky State Guard before his appointment as a Confederate General. This uniform appears to be from the KY Guard.]
Cousin Henriette Bowen Henrietta Bowen Trade Card marked "Coulon & Garner"
No notation on album page. "Edwin Whitfield" inscribed on front; "My little Edwin sends this to your little boy as a 'Souvenir'" inscribed on back.
Unidentified		No photographer's markings.
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Julia Smith [Mobile, Alabama]
Annie? Summy?		No photographer's markings
Cousin Hugh McClung My cousin Hugh's father	[empty]
Cousin Annie Chase Annie Chase	[empty]
Mr. Ford? Sykes Mrs. Major? Grand Sykes Miss Ionie? McFarland's mother	[empty]
Charlie Bowen Charlie Bowen Grandma Howard's brother Slot contains trade card entitled "The Infant Moses," published 1864 by J. P. Soule, Boston.
"Whisper" Trade Card Maggie & Ellie handwritten on front
C____ Boyd Miss Cinnie Boyd	[empty]
M Anna Sale Miss Annie Sale (teacher)	[empty]
Mr.? Carter William Carter	[empty]
Wife [to right of William Carter]	[empty]
Unidentified
Mrs. Carrie? Hooper Mrs. Hooper		Tintype - no information on back
Unidentified		No photographer's markings
Unidentified baby [Mobile, Alabama]
Mrs. Bob Paine Mrs. Robert Paine [Okolona, Mississippi]
"We Praise Thee O God" Trade Card published by G. W. Tomlinson, Boston.
"The Shepherd Boy" Trade Card published 1865 by E. P. Barney, NY.
Trade Card [appears to have been glued on top of a photo]
No notation on album page. "Mrs. Smith" inscribed on back. [Memphis, Tennessee]
Mr. Callie? _____		No photographer's markings
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Sanna Webb Cousin Sanna Webb Cousin Shep's daughter	[empty]
Cousin Annie Chase	[empty]
Unidentified woman [Nashville, Tennessee]
Br George Bowen Brother George Bowen	[empty]
No notation on album page. "A. H. French" inscribed at bottom. [Mobile, Alabama]
Grandma's brothers written in margin on page with following 3 names
Charlie Bowen	[empty]
Alfred Bowen	[empty]
Ozzie Bowen Orzanus? Allen Bowen Ossie Bowen "Miss Ettie Berger" inscribed on back. [Detroit, Michigan]
Miss Kate Cox Miss Kate Cox (teacher) [Seaford, Delaware]
Billie William Howard		Tintype - no information on back
Judge Boon Judge Boon		No photographer's markings
Billie Howard		Tintype - no information on back
"The Children's Bath" Trade Card published 1865 by J. P. Soule, Boston.
Annie Dee? McClung Mrs. Fred Chamberlain	[empty]
Mary Russell Bowen Mary Russell Bowen [Aberdeen, Mississippi]
C. J. McClung [St. Louis, Missouri]
Unidentified man		Tintype - no information on back
Cousin Henry Franklin [Aberdeen, Mississippi]
Unidentified woman [Cincinnati, Ohio]
John Donelson	[empty]
Charles McClung	[empty]