Each one of this set of four volumes consists of large fabric swatches sewn to the pages of a scrapbook album. The origin and approximate age of many of the swatches are given in handwritten legends such as: "Painted Muslin from Mary Griscom about 75 years old," or "Homemade Linen check belonged to Lydia Harris who died in 1843," or "Bought at auction 40 years ago by Susan Denn for 7 cents a yard," or " Anna Powell's wedding dress, married Waddington B. Ridgway 2nd month 8th 1859." (There are very many wedding dress swatches.) The latter date suggests Quaker origin. It is also unfortunate that Harris does not date the assembling of the albums, except that one (75x9.3) does carry the date 1882 on its first page where Harris signed the volume. In 75x9.2 some of the legends near the end seem to indicate that those swatches were placed in 1880 and 1886. In 73x291 are a number of ribbons from the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans, 1884-1885.
