The six sketchbooks are predominantly travel sketches of British and Continental scenes. Sketches are in graphite, some with color wash and some with charcoal tones. All sketches have been made on separate sheets of paper of varying sizes, later mounted for binding. While some of the scenes are labeled and dated, very few are signed. Items 1 and 2 appear to contain a mix of drawings by Anna Margaret Carr and Sarah Grace Carr (Lushington), while the remainder of the sketchbooks appear to be by Anna alone, presumably made during several of her Grand Tours of the continent. Item 1, bound, consists of sketches of places throughout Europe, dated from 1811 to 1859. Sketches in item 2, dated 1812 to 1863, are unbound and depict predominantly British locations, as well as views of Mauritius, Madeira, and St. Helena, dated 1833 and 1837. The latter sketches were almost certainly made by Anna Margaret Carr as she accompanied her brother to a diplomatic position in Ceylon, from 1833 to 1837. Items 3 and 4, two bound volumes, contain sketches of France, Switzerland, and Italy, in August and September of 1824. Locations featured include Montreuil, the Jura, Geneva, Lausanne, and Bex (in item 3), and Como, Genoa, the Mediterranean coast of Italy, La Spezia, Livorno, Pisa, and Florence (in item 4). Item 5 is a sketchbook with the binder's title "Foreign sketches, 1827", containing drawings of France and Italy, especially the French Alps and Pisa. Item 6 is a sketchbook with the binder's title "Foreign sketches, 1828", containing sketches of Pisa and the surrounding countryside. Four scrapbooks (item 8 is entirely blank) document Carr family history with manuscript, printed, and ephemeral material. Items 7 and 9 record material related to the Carr family and Eshott Hall, the family estate. The majority of material was compiled in the 19th century, although there are items dating from as early as the 1690s and as late as the 1980s. It is unclear if any single person was responsible for compilation of the scrapbooks, but it appears that the Rev. Thomas William Carr (1830-1912) of Barming played a large role. Manuscript material includes genealogical notes, letters, sketches, maps, legal documents, and photographs. Printed material includes newspaper clippings, pamphlets, cards and postcards, armorials and crests, invitations, and numerous engraved illustrations. The last scrapbook, item 10, appears to have been compiled mostly by Laura Carr (1807-1868), who married Robert Monsey Rolfe (Baron Cranworth) in 1845. Most of the material in this scrapbook, which includes many letters, clippings, and valentines, concerns Lady and Lord Cranworth, including aspects of Lord Cranworth's political career. The series of Carr genealogical material includes manuscript items and annotated printed volumes. Items 11-13 are the three volumes of The history of the family of Carr of Dunston Hill, co. Durham (London: 1893-1899), owned by Thomas William Carr (of Barming), with his significant annotations and corrections, along with inserted correspondence, photographs, and sketches (by Anna Margaret Carr). Items 14 and 15 consist of two red notebooks labeled "Eshott Heugh" which serve in part as a personal journal of Thomas William Carr (of Barming) from 1881 to 1912, in which he also records notes on the Carr family and on the history and upkeep of the Eshott estate. Item 16 is the journal of his wife, Harriet Carr (née Deacon), for part of 1869, in which she records family travels to tourist spots in England, France, and Italy. Item 17 is small notebook, probably compiled by Thomas William Carr, containing his notes, correspondence, illustrations, and engravings concerning the Carr family arms. Items 18-20 are three copies of a large genealogical table titled "Chart of the Descendents of Thomas William Carr", privately printed in 1887, with extensive additional notes and tables by Thomas William Carr (of Barming). Item 21 is a large folded manuscript on parchment titled "Probate of the last will and testament and four codicils of Margaret Lewin Morton", who died in 1823. Finally, item 22 is a copy of James Hogg's The raid of the Kers (Edinbugh, 1876), with annotations. The final series consists primarily of photographic material. Most of the photos depict members of the Carr family (or paintings of them) and date to the late 19th century. Some of the 20th century photos depict family members in more distant branches, including the Webb family of Australia. Also in this section are miscellaneous family letters, engravings, and legal documents.
